Kai Blends: Born to be an Entrepreneur
As a young girl, Shaneece Thompson had a plan. She was certain about her path to become a successful entrepreneur and Maker. “Entrepreneurship has always been my passion. I often refer to the saying that I am a cat chasing my tail and my tail is entrepreneurship”. Shaneece’s drive and aspirations to mold herself into a flourishing business owner has led to the creation of Kai Blends, a natural haircare and skincare brand.
Growing up in Jamaica was a huge inspiration for Shaneece. She remembers waking up at 6 o’clock in the morning with her mother to go to the Coronation market where local vendors sold their fresh goods. Shaneece was intrigued by the shopping experience as she watched vendors market their products and buyers search for the best according to their budgets. At a young age, she was able to learn the basic concepts of business-- marketing, and supply and demand. When she was 18 years old, Shaneece began to turn her creative capabilities into business opportunities.
“I had a lot of hair when I was a child. It was beautiful, natural, and afro-kinky. I had a bad experience with a hair dresser which caused my hair to become damaged and it never grew back. Ever since that experience, I learned how to style and care for my own hair. I used to mix mayonnaise, eggs, and rosemary oil to treat my hair.” Shaneece continued to research methods that would soon help others.
Shaneece’s daughters suffered from scalp conditions. “I went back to my Jamaican roots, bought Jamaican Castor Oil from a family friend, started using it on our hair, and the results were amazing. I decided that I was going to make my products a business”. Kai Blends was born.
Shaneece’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil became a very successful product but when Covid-19 hit, it hindered her manufacturing processes because she was unable to retrieve it from her supplier in Jamaica. Instead of pausing Kai Blends, she created three new products: Sunshine Growth Oil, Sunshine Butter Cream, and the Honey Blossom Mask.
When Shaneece received her MBA from Long Island University, she met a chemist who she developed a friendship with and now analyzes and confirms Kai Blends’ ingredients. “Over the past years, that has really helped me to be confident in what I create, and know that my products are going to do what I claim they will.”
What can we look forward to with Kai Blends as we end 2021 and prepare for 2022? Any collaborations with other brands?
I want to build more meaningful relationships and attract new consumers. I’ve realized that I need to put myself in positions to make my brand more visible whether that consists of receiving magazine features or participating in podcasts.
Diamond Cheek, Digital Marketing Coordinator
Diamond Cheek is currently studying Digital Marketing in the Masters Program at Rutgers University-Newark. She has also received her Bachelors of Science at Rutgers in Leadership and Management. Over the years, digital marketing and content creation, have become a passion of hers which has lead her to apply her skills to the virtual and physical business world.