Nekawa Beauty was launched in March 2018 by co-founders Awa Diaw and Chelsea Trotter, then MBA students at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. The idea came from Diaw's childhood in Senegal, where her family used unrefined shea butter for both skin and hair, and the brand has kept that simplicity at its center.
The hero product is the handmade Nek.awa butter, organic unrefined shea butter blended with essential oils, sold in original, honey vanilla and lavender and in sizes from two ounces up to sixteen. It is vegan, handmade and positioned as a single multi-use product rather than a long routine. The name is drawn from Swahili for choice, immaculate and pure, and spelled backwards it reads 'awaken.' The brand won first place at Indiana University's Clapp Business Idea Competition in April 2018 and launched via Kickstarter, and it donates proceeds to nonprofits in Senegal that educate girls and women.
Nekawa Beauty sells through its own online shop, with no published storefront, and shares new work on Instagram. Pick a scent and a size and give the butter a try.
Nekawa Beauty