Editor's note: The following story has been edited to reflect the correct spelling of Tracey Pickett's name.
If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain, you don't have to have a bad hair day, too.
That's where Atlanta-based Hairbrella, a hat designed to protect hair and keep women “polished, protected and prepared no matter the forecast,” comes in. And thanks to a new $500,000 investment from Collab Capital, an Atlanta-based investment fund designed to connect black founders to the financial and social capital they need to build profitable businesses, the hat will be more readily available to customers. According to Hairbrella founder Tracey Pickett, the funding will primarily be used for inventory and developing efforts to expand the product line.
Pickett knows all about how much weather can rain on your parade.
"Growing up it would rain virtually every time I went to the salon - like a curse," she said in an email with Atlanta Inno. "When I got to Spelman, the struggle walking back and forth across campus made this issue 10x worse as I was spending my own money in addition to precious time to get my hair done."
It all came to a thundering crash when Pickett was in law school and had an on-campus interview at the University of Georgia she was determined to ace.
"[I] arrived in the parking deck and the sky fell out. I had 15 minutes to walk across campus and settle myself in time for the interview. I had forgotten my umbrella (which wouldn’t have helped much) and all I had was an Office Depot bag. I ran across campus in a panic, walked into the UGA Law library doors to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked like Janet Jackson in Why Did I Get Married. I wanted to cry. I realized then that I had to find a solution."
That same night, Pickett began searching online for a hat that would completely cover hair in the rain. To her avail, there were no options.
"I thought, 'How is it that we wouldn’t get in the shower without a shower cap, but there’s nothing to fully cover my hair in the rain?'" she said. "The only options were bucket caps and plastic bonnets, which leave your hair exposed and trap heat. Later that week, I was bringing groceries in my apartment and it started raining. I grabbed my shower cap and put a beanie over it, as not to embarrass myself. After several trips to the car, my hair was still perfect. That was the beginning of product development for Hairbrella."
Pickett established Hairbrella in 2015, and launched a Kickstarter campaign for the product in November 2016. In addition to the Collab funding, Hairbrella has raised $104,000 from angel investors and $75,000 of personal investment. The company employs two full-time and three part-time employees. As a result of the funding, Pickett said she plans to hire for a director of sales and EA/project manager.
When asked why she chose to stay local with her investment, Pickett said as a proud native of Atlanta, she has always been inspired by the black business owners and entertainers in the city.
"I grew up with constant reminders of the history and culture of the city - attending elementary school next door to MLK Jr.'s childhood home, attending the same high school as Outkast, Kandi Burress and Kenan Thompson, then on to Spelman College where the alumni list spans from Alice Walker and Stacy Abrams," she said. "My first apartment was owned by HJ Russell. Every Atlanta mayor would come to visit my dad’s church from time to time to talk about community efforts. So Atlanta gave me the confidence to believe my dreams were possible, and so there’s no better place to plant my own dreams. Aside from that, I believe Atlanta has some of the most amazingly talented people - some of whom I met in middle and high school and eventually became Hairbrella’s core creative team."
Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital and head of Google for Startups in the U.S., said the investment group was drawn to Tracey’s passion, commitment and determination to build and grow Hairbrella. Solomon launched and sold her own startup Partpic to Amazon in 2016 and has since dedicated herself to helping other founders in the community.
"We knew she represented the types of founders we want to continue to back at Collab Capital," she said in an email to Atlanta Inno. "Hairbrella is the type of innovation we want to invest in. She’s redefining a category of protective and outdoor wear by providing an alternative option for Black women. Women spend billions of dollars on hair products but still have not experienced a simple solution that allows them to freely move about in the rain - hands-free. You can see with the design how Tracey thought through every aspect, and now that she’s able to pivot with an iteration that supports essential workers with our investment only makes me more excited and confident in our first investment."
When asked why Collab Capital made it a point to continue investing despite the coronavirus pandemic and questionable economic times, Solomon said even before Covid-19 there were disparities in capital and funding for black founders.
"The pandemic has only put a spotlight on these disparities as we have come to see with the lack of federal aid (e.g. PPP) provided to Black-owned businesses," she said. "It’s critical that Black-owned businesses have access to capital so they are able to pivot, thrive and withstand crisis. For Collab Capital, we understand the importance of being a resource during this time."
Pickett said there is a list of products the team plans to develop as they expand on their mission, but they are focused on variations of the Hairbrella that customers have been asking for. Those requests include the Hairbrella Pro Rain Hat + Face Shield, the Hairbrella Lite (no visor) and Hairbrella Kids. The next phase of product development will include the Hairbrella Sport, a solution for men and a swim cap, Pickett said.
One hundred Hairbrella Pro hats, which were designed as rain hats with a protective face shield for essential workers, will be donated to frontline workers across the U.S. and will be available at the end of June.
"Beauty for me is confidence and appreciation for everything that makes you, you," Pickett said.
