POCIT. Telling the stories and thoughts of the underrepresented in tech. POCIT. Telling the stories and thoughts of the underrepresented in tech.
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The Doux

This Married Couple Built a $38M Haircare Brand. And They Just Raised Capital while Keeping Control.

The Doux, a Black-owned hair care brand, has received a minority investment from VMG Partners, according to WWD. Maya Smith and Brian Smith launched the brand in 2011 as a salon in Germany, where Brian was stationed as a US Air Force veteran. “I opened a salon because at the time, there weren’t really any hair spaces overseas that really focused on curly hair. I started developing [the product line] in 2010, but we launched in 2012, and then when we came back to the States, our official mass launch was

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New Competition Invites Young Women To Teach AI What Black Beauty Looks Like

Young girl using the computer

Black Girls Code and haircare brand The Doux have partnered to launch a competition for girls and young women to use AI to create original videos that reflect their self-perception. The Black Beauty AI Challenge is the first of its kind, and competition entries will help shape how AI understands the nuances of Black identity. Teaching AI about Black beauty Participants as young as 13 will have the opportunity to win up to $1,500 in cash prizes, with submissions evaluated by an esteemed panel of judges. “At Black Girls Code,

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