Urban Freedom Magazine Fall2016 "The New Black Wall St" Vol1 | Page 33
Diversame
by: Michelle Reed
With a wave of African American women stepping away from
relaxers and products that damage their hair, there is a high demand
for natural tools and products that accentuates that natural hair look.
Tamiah Bridgett of the Pittsburgh area, has started Diversame, a
company that creates products that bring out the curls of the natural
look.
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As the CEO of a Diversame, a company that engineers hair tools for the curly
continuum, give consumers a synopsis of your business and products?
I started Diversamē after years in the beauty industry as a natural hair specialist. There was
a void. Natural hair began to trend globally, small businesses that had traditionally catered
to women underground were receiving major investment and corporate deals and were
diversifying. Global brands like Dove were urging women to "love their curls." YouTube
produced "gurus" and yet there were no tools. Products were available en masse to
address styling needs but the fundamentals; the tools have remained the same for years.
Furthermore, I noticed an emphasis on certain “hair types” within the curly and natural hair
communities but other types ignored.
Last year, I was accepted into Alphalab Gear, a start-up accelerator program and
Diversamē Inc. was born. I decided to start our production with reworking the traditional
blow-dryer to suit the needs of all curl types. It's time bid adieu to imsy comb attachments,
fatigued arms and hot hands and hair. They are not serving us but it's what we use because
that is all that is available. That is the reason I coined “curly continuum.” If the hair is loose
tendrils or super tight afro textured hair, either person with that hair should be able to use the
same tool with the same amount of ease. The Diversamē drying tool will enable user style
condence and time management!
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2. Are your products more for women of color?
The Diversamē Drying Tool can be used by all people with hair! We especially think folks
with curls will love it, no matter what their racial/ethnic makeup is. However, when I
consider my primary demographic, it is WOC with Natural Hair (no chemical relaxers). This
demographic has been vastly underserved when it comes to styling tools and has been
forced to make it work with what is available. We live in a totally customizable world. Even
our cell phone settings are exclusive to our immediate preferences. Yet, the women who
support the beauty industry most, economically and dictate industry trends, have very few
choices when it comes to tool amenities. I created Diversamē with this demographic in
mind.
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