03.17.22
Naomi Osaka and her partners at A-Frame Brands are growing their leadership team at Kinlò, a sun care brand formulated specifically for people with melanated skin.
Athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick, along with his partners Canadian businessman Jim Nikopoulos and National Hockey League veteran, activist Akim Aliu, have made a seed investment in Kinlò with Kaepernick joining the brand’s board of directors.
Kaepernick has been a friend and supporter of Osaka on and off the court, especially in her development of Kinlò, which she created to take on the unmet skincare needs affecting the health of her community. Beyond creating a line of mineral-based, non-chemical products, the company’s mission is to educate and bring awareness of sun care needs where the narrative has often been that melanated skin does not need protection from the sun. Kaepernick’s investment in the brand reflects a shared commitment to elevate Black-owned brands and bring attention to the public health needs of communities of color.
“I am honored to join Naomi and her amazing Kinlò team of diverse and experienced leaders as the company works to grow a responsible business all while maintaining its commitment to the community we have set out to serve,” said Kaepernick. “Not only does Kinlò produce compelling and sustainable personal care products, but it also calls attention to the ways that melanated skin-toned communities are often marginalized in research around sun care and often excluded from clinical studies on skin cancer. I believe Kinlò has the capacity to right this wrong.”
Osaka has also brought on a new brand president, Mia Meachem. She joins Kinlò with over 20 years of brand marketing experience with roles across notable beauty brands including Drunk Elephant—a part of the Shiseido organization, The Estee Lauder Companies and Burt’s Bees.
Prior to joining Kinlò, Meachem served as vice president, global marketing at Drunk Elephant, where she led the global digital, marketing and education efforts to support the brand’s global expansion. Before that she served as chief marketing officer of Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group (DFRG) where she led the marketing, culinary and beverage teams, driving the vision, innovation and guest engagement strategy for all DFRG brands.
“I am thrilled to join Naomi and the team at Kinlò and feel incredibly inspired by the brand's commitment of raising awareness to the importance of sun protection for melanated skin,” said Meachem. “I am particularly excited to be leading a mission-driven brand that creates products that are accessible and specifically formulated for people of color. Being a part of this journey is personally meaningful and I look forward to driving Kinlò’s continued growth and success.”
In her new role as president, Meachem will help to drive Kinlò’s overall growth and development while expanding the brands reach and product assortment.
“At A-Frame, we are dedicated to building a leadership team that reflects the community that we’re building for, which is why we are honored to welcome Mia Meachem as the president of Kinlò,” said Bloom. “A seasoned leader with an extensive background in beauty, marketing, and building stellar brands, her experience will help build on the momentum as we look to continue to grow the business and create a line of products that addresses a public health need in underserved communities.”
The Kinlò board includes Osaka, Meachem, A-Frame co-founders Hill Harper and Ari Bloom, Kaepernick, and Osaka’s agent, Stuart Duguid. His investment group joins existing investors such as Forerunner Ventures, Initialized Capital, Bob Fisher, Endeavor and Billie Jean King.
