Joycelyn Mate, aged 29, serves as the Co-founder of Afrocenchix, a leading natural haircare brand based in east London, where she resides with her husband.

At Afrocenchix, she holds the reins of responsibility, overseeing a spectrum of operations ranging from contract negotiations to staff management, strategy formulation, and business expansion.

Her journey into entrepreneurship was sparked by a personal experience with alopecia during her university years. Struggling with hair loss due to improper styling practices, Joycelyn delved into research and formulated a natural hair oil for herself.

Upon witnessing the positive effects, she shared the product with her friend and now co-founder, Rachael Twumasi-Corson, who was astonished by its efficacy, particularly given her sensitive skin’s lack of adverse reactions.

Recognizing a gap in the market for safe and effective afro hair products, they decided to transform their shared passion into a business venture. Thus, Afrocenchix was born in 2010, aiming to address the absence of toxic-free alternatives prevalent in many conventional haircare products. The brand experienced exponential growth, with a remarkable 300% surge in the previous year alone!

One of Joycelyn’s most cherished moments came when Afrocenchix triumphed at the WeWork Creator Awards.

Standing on stage in front of a vast audience of over 3,500 people, the majority of whom did not share the experience of afro hair, Joycelyn and her team pitched their vision.

The presence of notable figures such as Ashton Kutcher among the judges added to the significance of the occasion. For Joycelyn, this victory symbolized the culmination of years of dedication and perseverance, underscoring the transformative impact of their endeavors.

Well done!!