YYC FEATURE: Ellie Bianca
Evelyne Nyairo’s skin brand is ‘kind to your skin, kind to the earth and kind to women’
It all started with a mango. Evelyne Nyairo was doing fieldwork in Chad when she decided to buy mangoes from a woman who was working tirelessly to reach the fruits by climbing trees. When she went to pay the woman, she was told that she must hand over the money to the father, who had done no work. Begrudgingly she paid him but ‘felt a knot of anger and frustration’ in her heart. In this moment she realized that she wanted to help African women earn money that would go directly into their own pockets. It was this thought that inspired the idea for Ellie Bianca.
Ellie Bianca is now an expanding, Calgary-based skin care line that provides a sustainable livelihood for the African women who cultivate the organic, all-natural ingredients in their products. They have launched the Ellie Bianca Woman Scholarship program that offers scholarships to Kenyan children and funds single mothers in Canada that want to pursue their dreams of completing a post-secondary education. Evelyne is steadfast in her commitment to fighting gender inequality and her efforts are nothing short of inspirational. She’s not only a business owner but an environmental scientist, chemist and proud mother. She hosts an annual Ellie Bianca Women InPowerGala the features powerful female role models and men who champion women. Evelyn and her brand will continue to be a symbol of fierce female empowerment, and the Calgary community is lucky to have her as a role model.
You are an environmental scientist / chemist, an African-Canadian woman, and a proud mother—what how have these backgrounds influenced your decisions as a businesswoman?
Motherhood is probably what pushed me to become everything I am. It has become the fuel that that has driven me to build all that I have. I remember holding my daughter in my arms after she was born. I was a few months shy of finishing my undergraduate and I knew that my life as I had known was going to change. And it did. Becoming a mother drove me to reach heights that I never knew I could. I finished my undergraduate and went ahead to finish my masters shortly after. Knowing that I couldn’t let my daughter down made me push myself in my studies and in my work. My work as an environmental scientist opened the door for me to go all over the world and then Chad happened, and Ellie Bianca was born.
“I wanted to create a company that would be a global connection for women that empowers and uplifts.”
On your website you have a story about when you purchased a mango in Chad, but had to pay the father rather than the wife, although the wife did all the work. How does Ellie Bianca as a brand aim to fight this kind of gender inequality that we see, not only in Chad, but all around the world?
This is the exact experience that pushed me to create Ellie Bianca. I wanted to create a company that would be a global connection for women that empowers and uplifts. To some extent we have achieved this, we are not only a beauty brand, but we have set post secondary scholarships to empower women with the opportunity to receive higher education and get a chance to charter their own paths.
Your products all contain ingredients that are: vegan, all natural, non-gmo, ethically sourced, etc. You personally source the shea butter/oil in your products from women-run co-ops in Africa, which is wonderful. Have you ever had the chance to visit one of these co-ops? If so, what was the experience like?
Yes, of course, I was born in Kenya, so Africa will always be home. I do love going back and I have solid relationships with not only the women that we work with, but also the students that we sponsor. Our relationships goes beyond the sponsorship period. They always reach out to me, to update me on what is going on in their lives or how they are paying it forward.Going back to the women that work at the coops, is energizing and inspiring to me. I watch how hard they work because they are determined to create a better life for their children. I love the sense of sisterhood that I see among them and how they support one another. My goal is to make a larger impact in their lives.
It’s great to look at your ingredients, and understand what they all are— no chemicals or confusing concoctions. How do you go about selecting the specific ingredients in your products? What does that process look like?
It often starts with what the objectives of the formulations are i.e. addressing aging - so fine lines, wrinkles, acne, menopausal skin and yes, I said menopause. We research the properties and review the ingredients at a molecular level prior to setting the experiments and trials.
You hosted a Women InPower Gala, which is a great way to bring women together and learn from one another. What inspired this idea? Do you plan on hosting another one?
Our goal has always been to find avenues to bring women together to ignite conversations. To share each other’s stories. Our Gala also includes men, because I believe that they are a key stakeholder in the gender equality conversation, so we can’t exclude them.
Events in these past few months have amplified the BLM movement, and I’m wondering as a POC business owner, do you have any thoughts on what white entrepreneurs/ small business owners can do in order to be an ally? I think many people are looking for ways to do their part, but don’t want to overstep boundaries, so I would be curious to hear your perspective on this.
I am not a sensitive person, so you are safe. I also believe that this is an important topic that is long overdue. It is sad how it had to start, but It is about time we have these uncomfortable conversations that can hopefully incite true change. What other white entrepreneurs can do has to be more than saying, we stand with you, we feel your pain, I don’t see skin colour, I will use my white privilege to support you etc. It starts with collaboration, honest and actionable acts not just empty words. For example, one of our retail partners in Ontario peaches and green, has committed to donating 25% of their Ellie Bianca sales back to Ellie Bianca Woman foundation for the month of May and June. Several other partners and friends are collaborating with us whether by purchasing our hand sanitizers for their businesses or to give our samples to their clients. But also, being there to celebrate with us when we have small wins. WE have to rise above racism and discrimination and show true partnership. We have a chance now to share positive stories.
Ellie Bianca has a foundation with a scholarship fund for single mothers who want to pursue a post-secondary education! What is it about this cause, in particular, that you are passionate about?
The Ellie Bianca Woman foundation administers post-secondary education scholarships. We sponsor both boys and girls in Kenya because I know that lightens the burden off the mother who is often stressed as she tries to make ends meet. Furthermore, the foundation also helps single mother pursuing post-secondary education at a Canadian university. Statistics show that only 28% of single mothers enrolled in university complete their degree having walked through this myself as a single mother, I am fiercely dedicated to changing these statistics. Many times women have been there for me, to uplift me, encourage me and support me and now that I have the ability, I feel like I must pay it forward.
What would you say in the greatest challenge or obstacle that you’ve had to overcome thus far in your entrepreneurial journey? Do you have a ‘favourite failure’?
I love challenges, somehow, I thrive when a challenge is presented. I am such a firm believer that with every challenge an opportunity exists. We recently I had to rise to the occasion when COVID-19 hit. I had to formulate and launch our hand sanitizers to market in less than 2 months. While I had to manage way too many moving parts, we did successful launch the products. I am sure I have failed a million times, but I often focus on the lessons and try not to repeat the same mistakes. Before my dad passed away last year, he told me something that I will treasure, “always find ways to turn losses into profit”. In other words what is important is, what you do when you fail.
What is your hope for Ellie Bianca over the next 5 years?
In 5 years Ellie Bianca will be a household brand, at least across Canada. We want to continue to create opportunities for women through employment and also via the foundation.
I hope to see our brand gain more international traction. I want to have a presence in Europe, Africa, Asia more so I hope Ellie Bianca will continue to
What is a valuable piece of wisdom that has helped get you where you are today?
Trust the process. It is teaching you something. I remember when covid-19 became a global pandemic and everything shut down and so did our plans. I was extremely anxious wondering what will happen. But it’s as a result of the pandemic that we ended up branching out into creating Hand Sanitizer, we’ve made 55,000 so far. So I will continue to trust the process.
Find her at: https://store.elliebianca.com/