“Natural beauty was not represented enough in the industry, [specifically] by black-owned skincare companies.”
Lidya Winnie
Lidya Winnie lived in Ethiopia until she was 12-years-old, then moved to the US with her sister when the two of them got adopted.
Winnie found her passion for beauty at a young age, experimenting with ingredients in her kitchen while she was in high school.
When she enrolled at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Winnie took an entrepreneurship class which motivated her to a pursue a makeup business.
After graduating from SMU, the Dallas-based business woman launched a beauty brand named Konjo Beauty.
Determined to reflect her African roots in her products, the 24-year-old Ethiopian entrepreneur uses ingredients which come from Ghana, South Africa, Morocco and Kenya. Her next goal is to grow all of Konjo Beauty’s ingredients in Ethiopia.
Many of the models who are seen in Winnie’s photo shoots and video tutorials are also African.
“Natural beauty was not represented enough in the industry, [specifically] by black-owned skincare companies,” Winnie said. “With Konjo Beauty, I show our culture, our beautiful features, who we are and where we come from.”
Winnie’s products are available online.
Read more about the makeup artist at dmagazine.com
Hinsta Bekuretsyon
Hinsta Bekuretsyon has developed software to help students in Ethiopia during the pandemic. With millions of Ethiopian students stuck at home since the country closed down schools in March, Bekuretsyon is aiming to support kids who don’t have access to remote learning.
The free e-learning platform, known as Delivering Quality Education, is designed for students from grades 5- 12. Bekuretsyon’s program, which plans to offer course material in various subjects, has supported 50 students and teachers in the region of Tigray so far, according to Digital Opportunity Trust.
Bekuretsyon is the co-founder of Pixel ICT Solution, a software and website development company in Mekele, Ethiopia.
Ashager Araro
Ashager Araro is the founder of Battae, an interactive Ethiopian Israeli Heritage Center in Tel Aviv. Battae allows visitors to learn about the story of Ethiopian Jews in Israel. Guests can enjoy cultural photography, art, music and dancing, in addition to hearing the stories of Ethiopian Jews.
Araro is now hoping to sustain the business despite the impact of COVID-19. She has set up a fund raising page to accept donations for the center.
“I believe in the power of stories. I’ve seen first hand how a story can make a difference. This year, together with my family, I founded Battae, an Interactive first-of-its-kind Ethiopian Israeli Heritage Center,” Araro said. “We need your help to ensure that our center will still be around for people to visit once we come out on the other side of this pandemic.”
“Once people understand our background and culture, and where we are coming from, they understand who we are, and it’s easier to break down barriers and stereotypes,” Araro told Israel21c.