EDGE member empowering Black girls to love their natural hair

Anita Grant had recently started wearing her hair out more often, embracing its natural curls. But one day, she walked into a meeting with her hair slicked back into a bun, jelled tightly to her scalp.

"Wow, this is the tamest that I've ever seen your hair!" someone remarked.

To some, such a comment might seem good-natured and innocent. To Grant, a Black woman who grew up hiding her natural hair because it was so different from most of the people around her, it was yet another reminder of what prompted her to found Hello Hair.

"When I had my first child in 2020, I made a promise to myself that I'd raise her to love every part of herself, especially her hair," recalls Grant, who has been a member of EDGE, Generator at Sheridan’s entrepreneurial hub, for the past year.

"A big reason I left the corporate world and became an entrepreneur was a comment about my hair. I didn't speak up for myself in that moment, but I realized later that I should have said something and let them know that it's not okay. It's not to judge or make things worse than they have to be, but because we have to educate each other about how those words can be harmful."

Hello Hair began as a children's book about Grant's daughter Tiana and three friends discovering the versatility of Black hair, accompanied by illustrations of 100 hairstyles ranging from afros and braids to twists and locs. It has since expanded to include a series of styling dolls based on the four characters in the book; a workbook that teaches about hair types, DIY treatments and best practices of healthy natural hair; and workshops that develop cultural appreciation while building developmental skills.

Grant's social enterprise has received no shortage of endorsement and praise. Before the first book was even published on July 3, 2002 (the third anniversary of the signing of California's CROWN Act banning hair discrimination in work and school), Hello Hair was featured by Forbes, then by Essence — a lifestyle, fashion and beauty magazine for African-American women that Grant read as a child. Last year, Grant received multiple offers following her pitch on CBC's Dragons' Den, including a $250,000 deal from Arlene Dickinson and Wes Hall.

Grant also received support through Rise, a Sheridan EDGE program designed to support social entrepreneurs looking to scale their impact enterprises at an accelerated pace. Funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Rise provides individualized coaching, mentorship, networking opportunities and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. Although Rise programming is primarily virtual, EDGE members also have access to a coworking space based out of Sheridan’s Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga.

“The Rise community is absolutely incredible. Just hearing about people's stories and experiences makes you realize you're not alone, which can help you overcome day-to-day challenges and keep going.”

– Anita Grant

"There are a lot of programs that support research and development or teach business fundamentals, but there aren't many for social enterprises that have a product and are commercializing," Grant says. "The Rise community is absolutely incredible. Just hearing about other people's stories and experiences makes you realize you're not alone, which can help you overcome day-to-day challenges and keep going."

Rise mentor Dihan Chandra, who has built social enterprises that reduce toxic exposures in the home and upcycle traditionally-discarded foods, has been a valuable sounding board as Grant considers what's next for Hello Hair — including expansion into retail, overseas manufacturing, repackaging, translating into other languages, creation of an animated series and more.