For years, Uncle Funky’s Daughter has helped the Funky family embrace natural hair with confidence and care. To celebrate our 12th anniversary, we sat down with CEO Renee to reflect on the brand’s journey, the importance of Black representation in beauty, and the possibilities still ahead.
Q: How would you describe this 12-year journey with Uncle Funky’s Daughter?
A: I would describe it as a roller coaster—a really fun ride. It’s the kind of ride you’re afraid to get on because you see all the deep drops, flips, twists, and turns, and you wonder whether you can do it. But once you get off, you’re so excited that you want to get on again. We’ve had ups and downs, twists and turns, but there has never been a dull moment.
Q: When you acquired Uncle Funky’s Daughter, what was your mission and goal in the natural-hair industry?
A: I bought Uncle Funky’s Daughter because I thought it was the world’s biggest secret in the natural-hair community. I had been a Funky Junkie for years after discovering the brand when I moved to Texas. I saw an untapped brand with so much potential, and I wanted to fuel that growth. Buying the company also put me on a mission: What if I could build the next Black P&G—a company that owns a family of brands? We haven’t gotten there yet; our time is still to come. But that vision was part of why I bought Uncle Funky’s Daughter.
Q: Why is Black representation in the beauty industry so important?
A: We need to know that people like us are designing products for us and helping determine what our community needs. Representation matters at the table when we talk about the products being developed, what the marketing looks like, which promotions we run, how we show up in the community, and how we give back. All of those things are important. As a woman with a Black-owned business, I can also help empower people who look like us with jobs and opportunities.
Q: If you could make one birthday wish for the brand, what would it be?
A: To glow up internationally. We are a global brand—we’re in Europe, we ship products all over the world, and we’re already on Amazon Canada—but we’re not yet as global as I want us to be. I would love to expand our retail footprint and enter markets where we aren’t available today. To grow into that vision of the Black P&G and glow up even further internationally would be amazing.
Q: What gives you hope when you think about the future of Uncle Funky’s Daughter?
A: What gives me the most hope is the untapped opportunity and the innovation pipeline we have ahead of us. I can see the exciting things we have in store for the Funky family, and I think they’re going to fall in love with some of the products we’re bringing out. Here’s a hint: Something you’re going to love to smell is coming in November.
I’m truly hopeful about the future. We’re going to close out an incredible year and enter 2027 with opportunity, optimism, and growth. I hope this whole wave of anti-DEI sentiment goes away, creating more opportunities for Black-owned brands to show up—and grow—on shelves in the U.S. and internationally.
Here’s to the next chapter
Twelve years in, Uncle Funky’s Daughter is still growing, innovating, and making room for more natural-hair stories to be seen and celebrated. We’re grateful to Renee for sharing her reflections—and to every Funky Junkie who has been part of the ride. Happy anniversary to us all.
