Shontay Lundy, founder and CEO of Black Girl Sunscreen, has become the latest African American woman founder to secure a $1 million dollar investment from a private funding source. What's amazing is that she was able to do so during a down economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that her brand is currently the only Black-owned brand that is carried full time in Target’s sun care section.
Based in Miami, Florida, Shontay launched the company back in 2016 after recognizing that there was a business opportunity in properly educating people of color who have the false misconception that they don't need to wear sunscreen. Not only did she learn that people of color are also at risk of getting skin cancer despite additional melanin in the skin, she also learned that African Americans have the highest rate of mortality in the U.S. population after receiving a melanoma diagnosis.
According to Forbes, Shontay geniusly invested heavily on a very successful sales and marketing campaign that focused on educating women of darker complexions about the importance of sunscreen usage. Soon after, her products became so popular that her company signed a deal with Target, and now her products are available in over 200 stores nationwide.
This newfound awareness amongst African American millenials is part of the reason why the brand has been so successful. Another factor is that Black Girl Sunscreen is truly a revolutionary line of products that use no parabens or other harmful chemicals while infusing the finest ingredients to shield and moisturize melanated skin without the dreaded white residue common with most sunscreen.
With this newest invest, Black Girl Sunscreen is now valued at $5 million.