# Founder Feature: Akua Boakye Okunseinde of Karité

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2025-02-21
- Length: 37m
- Episode: 124
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-02-21-founder-feature-akua-boakye-okunseinde-of-karite
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/85222024

## Summary

Akua Boakye Okunseinde, co-founder of Karité, explains how she and her sisters—Dr. Nana Bellachi and a lawyer—bootstrapped the brand from 2013 to 2017, leveraging Dr. Nana’s dermatology practice to formulate clinically tested shea butter products. The company launched with a hand cream, expanded to body cream and lip balm, and secured early retail partnerships with Detox Market while navigating the shift to Amazon and omnichannel distribution. Akua details their ethical sourcing from women-led cooperatives in Ghana, the importance of clinical efficacy data, and their strategy of using micro-influencers and direct retailer education to drive growth.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Akua Boakye Okunseinde and Karité's Origin Story
2. Founding Journey: From LLC to 2017 Launch
3. Sourcing Shea Butter from Ghanaian Cooperatives
4. Retail Strategy: Detox Market and Independent Retailers
5. Omnichannel Expansion: Amazon, Spas, and Grocery
6. Social Media and Marketing: TikTok, Micro-Influencers, and Education
7. Product Development: Hand, Body, and Lip Care SKUs
8. Clinical Testing and Product Differentiation
9. Advice for Founders: Bootstrapping and Retail Challenges

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Karité (company)
- Detox Market (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Sula Lab (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Saks.com (company)
- Four Seasons (company)
- Miraval (company)
- Hand Cream (product)
- Body Cream (product)
- Lip Balm (product)
- Shea Butter (material)

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- [019: Organic haircare products with Susana Stewart & Caroline Maina of Fro Butter](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-09-20-019-organic-haircare-products-with-susana-stewart-caroline-maina-of-fro-butter) (Product Startup)
- [Thrive Causemetics: Karissa Bodnar. How a Beauty Business Made Millions for a Mission](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-09-14-thrive-causemetics-karissa-bodnar-how-a-beauty-business-made-millions-for-a-miss) (How I Built This)
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- [Briogeo Hair Care: Nancy Twine (2020)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-04-briogeo-hair-care-nancy-twine-2020) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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