MisTee Wants To Know, Inc Announced as Fairchild Founder’s Fund: DE&I Edition Grant Winner The hair styling tools start-up is proving that all hair and cultures should be embraced and celebrated. In Partnership with P&G Beauty After an in-depth review of applications by an esteemed panel of judges, the Fairchild Founder’s Fund is thrilled to announce MisTee Wants To Know, Inc as the winner of WWD and P&G Beauty’s first grant program, which focuses on DE&I. Founded by Janice Williams Oliver, MisTee Wants To Know, Inc recognizes the need for a better way to take care of curly, coily, textured or natural hair is not a trend. And while this statement should be obvious given more than 60 percent of the U.S. population does not have straight hair, to date, none of the major hair brands are selling a tool that helps hairstylists or consumers maintain and detangle curly, coily, textured or natural hair. “Needs of the curly, coily, textured [or natural] hair market are unmet in so many cases,” said Williams Oliver. “And it can’t be a trend because there are so many people who don’t have straight hair. When salons closed because of COVID-19, there were suddenly people all over the world getting in touch with their curly, coily, textured [or natural] hair and who are now deciding they will embrace it.” The MisTeePRO tool is a handheld, professional-grade device designed to produce oily steam from oil pods to detangle hair quickly. While the steam hydrates it also opens up the hair cuticle for the moisturizing oil formulation to penetrate into the hair, enabling hair elasticity, elongation and detangling ease with minimal breakage. Having experienced the need for a solution personally, Williams Oliver understands the value behind her solution-focused product is twofold; it provides health and styling benefits. Importantly, and aligning with the Fairchild Founder’s Fund: DE&I Edition’s criteria, the MisTeePRO handheld steaming tool serves as a solution which addresses the needs of multiple races and nationalities including Black, Asian and Latinx communities – all of which have unique techniques to treat hair. And rather than sending a message that hair needs to be treated singularly, Williams Oliver has made it integral to her company’s mission to embrace and celebrate cultural differences by learning from the unique practices and ingredients used to treat hair naturally. “When you think about the space we are filling and what we are building, it’s a wide-open space,” Williams Oliver told WWD. “We are satisfying a need that has not been satisfied by a major hairstyling tool company before. There are so many cultures and ethnicities that do not have straight hair. How different cultures use oil on their hair, for example, will inform our new product development moving forward. We will be creating advisory groups of potential users that will enable us to continue to be relevant and authentic. We’ll be doing more than just talking the talk, we will be able to specifically show how we embrace diversity, equity and inclusion because we’re embracing how different cultures and how different people take care of their curly, coily, textured [or natural] hair.” MisTee Wants To Know, Inc’s approach is also unique in the way it targets both the consumer and hairstylists, acknowledging that until now, even stylists have only had fingers or a comb to address hair tangles. The company’s business plan is B-to-B-to-C with stylists earning a commission on products sold to clientele and oil pods sold through subscription. Working closely with stylists, Williams Oliver also recognizes an ongoing assumption in the industry is that healthy detangling treatments can’t be profitable salon services. Because of this, stylists too often insist that customers arrive to the salon with hair already detangled. “If you come to the hairstylist with your hair tangled, they will often ask you to leave or if they have to detangle your hair it will take a long time,” explained Williams Oliver. “It’s another way we’re providing an answer to a need. We’re providing the hairstylist with a tool so they can detangle hair at the salon, because, let’s face it, they’re asking consumers to detangle the hair and the consumer probably doesn’t know how to detangle their hair, either. It’s a big mess!” While Williams Oliver shared with WWD that the company has been laser-focused on performance while creating the MisTeePRO tool and oil filled pods, she recognizes the industry itself still has a long way to go and aims to further the celebration of curly, coily and textured or natural hair through social impact initiatives, which include educating stylists and consumers. To start, as part of MisTee Wants to Know, Inc’s commitment to healthy hair, it is Williams Oliver’s goal to debunk the idea that stylists cannot make money by providing healthy hair services. In collaboration with a well-known stylist in Atlanta, MisTee Wants to Know, Inc is launching a training series which will include in-salon demonstrations focused on teaching hairstylists how to provide healthy hair services for their clients while also increasing service revenue. “What I want people to understand about my company is that we’re all about healthy hair care,” said Williams Oliver. “Even people wearing wigs too long, for example, are creating a lot of bacteria and build-up that is damaging to the scalp. We are all about turning the tide and trying to decrease the number of people who are suffering from alopecia and hair loss.” Addressing the emotional element which comes with embracing natural hair is something that MisTee Wants To Know, Inc will continue to prioritize. The issue, Williams Oliver said, stems from a history of cultural standards and the normalization of straight hair that have often caused harmful results and a feeling among consumers that they need to hide their authentic selves. Consumers have even started sharing “reveals” on social media where they take off a wig to share their natural hair. “It’s a self-esteem issue,” said Williams Oliver. “And that’s one of the things we want to address with the MisTeePRO tool because we really want to celebrate curly, coily, textured [or natural] hair for being beautiful too. We want it to always be a hairstyling option and the MisTeePRO tool can be used for easy, daily hair maintenance. Looking to the future, Williams Oliver shared she plans to do more research, which includes looking at what can be learned from every culture around the world, to create even more oil pod options to be used with the MisTeePRO handheld steaming tool. Notably, the company filed its first provisional patent last year and intends to file at least two more. As the winner of the Fairchild Founder’s Fund: DE&I Edition, the company will also be partnered with mentors from P&G Beauty. Through these conversations and mentorship, Williams Oliver shared she hopes to learn from the company’s expertise. “It’s a huge opportunity,” said Williams Oliver. “I want to make sure I’m getting [my product] as close to right as possible. For entrepreneurs there’s so much you don’t know and often the only way you learn is by making a mistake. In my meetings with P&G Beauty I hope to be able to talk through the entrepreneurial journey.” With the grant, Williams Oliver plans to bolster her partnerships with salons by building more educational services for hair stylists to champion healthier hair practices with the MisTeePRO steaming tool as a solution for stylists and consumers to detangle and maintain healthy hair. To learn more or connect with MisTee Wants to Know, Inc, visit misteepro.com.