Podcast 243: Meet the inspirational entrepreneur rebuilding the beauty industry from seed to shelf

Imagine a beauty brand that changes lives from the ground up—from the soil nourishing its ingredients to the communities it uplifts.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier welcomes Rahama Wright, the visionary founder of Shea Yeleen, a beauty brand built on social impact, sustainability, and the power of community.

Rahama created Shea Yeleen with a powerful mission: to create fair-wage jobs for women-owned shea butter cooperatives in Ghana. Today, her work empowers hundreds, paying women five times the local wage and reshaping lives.

But Shea Yeleen goes beyond skincare. Rahama’s latest project, Yeleen Beauty, provides a shared manufacturing facility for indie brands committed to ethical production and sustainable sourcing.

Listen to this conversation now and discover how Rahama is setting a new standard in the beauty industry.

“I believe that every business should care about eradicating poverty in their supply chain. It’s not just about products. It’s about building stronger, self-sufficient communities.” — Rahama Wright

In this episode with Rahama Wright, you will hear:

• Rahama’s journey from the Peace Corps to social entrepreneurship. Rahama’s time in rural West Africa inspired her to create Shea Yeleen, a skincare brand empowering Ghanaian women with fair-wage jobs.
• The origins of the brand’s name. “Yeleen” means “light and hope,” and reflects the brand’s commitment to addressing systemic poverty in the beauty supply chain.
• The challenges of building a cross-continental supply chain. Rahama shares how she overcame logistical and financial hurdles throughout her entrepreneurial journey.
• Her plans for Yeleen Beauty. Rahama created a maker space offering a communal manufacturing facility and support system for indie brands focused on ethical sourcing and sustainable production.
• Rahama’s vision for the beauty industry. Rahama advocates for a business model in which every brand prioritises ethical practices and community upliftment.

Key takeouts include:

• Empowering communities through fair wages. Shea Yeleen supports women in Ghana by providing wages five times the local minimum. This allows them to achieve financial independence and support their families.
• Bridging the gap between traditional production and modern business. Rahama has created a model that combines traditional shea processing with market-driven demands. By establishing processing centres, training women, and providing safe workplaces, she upholds traditional methods while ensuring a high standard for international markets.
• Pioneering a shared maker space for indie brands. Through Yeleen Beauty, Rahama is supporting underserved entrepreneurs by offering resources typically out of reach for smaller brands.
• Sustainability and ethical sourcing. Rahama champions a holistic view of sustainability. This includes supporting the well-being of her producers and creating long-term community resilience.
• Redefining success in beauty. Rahama advocates for redefining competition and success in the beauty industry. By prioritising social good over profit alone, she demonstrates how businesses can make a positive impact on global issues.

Meet our guest – Rahama Wright, founder of Shea Yeleen

Rahama Wright is a social entrepreneur and the founder of Shea Yeleen, a beauty brand that creates sustainable jobs for women-owned shea butter cooperatives in Ghana.

A former Peace Corps volunteer, Rahama founded Shea Yeleen with a mission to bring economic empowerment to rural communities.

She recently also launched Yeleen Beauty, a shared manufacturing facility in Washington, D.C., designed to help indie beauty brands thrive with ethical sourcing.

Recognised internationally, Rahama’s work has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, and MSNBC, and she has spoken at prestigious platforms like the United Nations and the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Find out more about Rahama Wright and Shea Yeleen:

• Website: Shea Yeleen
• Instagram: @sheayeleen
• TikTok: @sheayeleen
• LinkedIn: Shea Yeleen

Find out more about Yeleen Beauty:

• Website: Yeleen Beauty
• Instagram: @YeleenBeauty
• LinkedIn: Yeleen Beauty

Related episodes:

• Episode 65: What Africa can teach the world about green beauty
• Episode 230: Human rights abuses in cosmetics

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.