It’s common practice for indie personal care and cosmetics brands to incorporate a founder’s life and work experience into their brand story and marketing strategy. Ellie Bianca is more of a mission-driven venture; but Evelyne Nyairo’s background in chemistry and biology along with her tried-and-true business leadership abilities are just the sort of credentials that can be found at work behind the scenes of steadily and intentionally emerging beauty brands, pursuing realistic financial and social goals.
Here, the beauty entrepreneur shares a profile of herself and the brand.
Name: Evelyne Nyairo, M.Sc., P.Biol., Founder
Indie Beauty Company: Ellie Bianca
Launched: 2015
Prior to launching, we spent two years doing intense research and development.
Headquarters: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Cash flow: With a strong brand awareness in place, we are now seeing consistent revenue month after month. The company is able to pay for its own expenses with some profit.
In 2018, our main focus is centered around consistently meeting our set financial goals. With over thirty retail locations across Canada currently carrying our product, we are very excited to see the financial gain accomplished at the end of this fiscal year.
Team work: 4 full-time employees and 2 part-time
Distribution: Ellie Bianca products are available globally through our website, locally in our store, and at approximately 30 retail locations across Canada. We are currently looking at expanding to the United States, China, Japan and some key countries in Africa.
Years in beauty: 8
Years at Ellie Bianca: 5
Entrepreneurial experience: Ellie Bianca will form the fifth business that I have started and nurtured to success. It’s a celebration of the challenges and the successes of my journey as a proud mother, global environmental scientist, chemist, and advocate for sustainable resource development. I have a strong understanding of business strategy development and execution, as well, I’m technically sound in product formulation and development. Fortunately, I have also had the privilege to provide strategic planning on high profile projects worldwide and held many energy-sector leadership roles.
The business: Ellie Bianca is a proudly Canadian, all-natural, environmentally sustainable, socially conscious skin care line that recognizes beauty in all forms and supports the empowerment of women through business and education.
Inspired by my daughter, the company’s namesake, Ellie Bianca is an all-natural skincare company with the vision to cultivate a global connection that empowers women and creates resilient communities that exemplify natural beauty. Founded on three pillars: Kind to your Skin | Kind to the Earth | Kind to Women.
Ellie Bianca is committed to bettering the lives of women around the world through empowerment and fair trade. From sourcing to producing to purchasing, Ellie Bianca is more than just skincare.
We promise to deliver the most effective products that are: all natural, non-GMO, cruelty-free, ethically and sustainably sourced, and certified organic / organically grown.
The wow-factor: At Ellie Bianca, our brand story, company, culture and global impact make Ellie Bianca unique. Our products are centered around raw, unrefined African shea butter and oil sustainably harvested and prepared from women-run co-ops in Africa. Through the purchase of Ellie Bianca, clients are also investing in a brighter future for women and children. By sharing our story and the stories of others, we wish to deliver a message of hope that inspires more women everywhere to pursue their dreams.
The customer: Our primary target market is women age 25 to 50+ years. This segment is: educated, socially conscious, community and/or family oriented, lives in urban centers, worldly and politically aware, as well as progressive and conscientious.
Milestone moment: In 2016, Ellie Bianca officially launched online and has been enthusiastically received by both the local and national health and beauty community. Our goal is to have our products in 100 retail locations across Canada.
Advice for fellow indie beauty entrepreneurs: Always know your brand positioning and stick with it. It was crucial for us to fully define our brand prior to the official launch of Ellie Bianca. We always reference our brand guide to stay on track with our goals and maintain consistency. There is a lot of noise when developing a new business, knowing your company position and values really grounds you. Trust the process.
Just one: Asked about her go-to product, Nyairo says, it’s Ellie Bianca Naked Body Oil. I use the body oil to nourish and moisturize from head to toe, plus to remove make-up.
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.