Created for BIPOC in its mission and purpose, Tristan Walker’s health and beauty brand, Walker & Company, has been instrumental in changing beauty industry standards since its inception in 2013. At W&C; , black women and people of color hold the majority of leadership. posts. It changed the diversity of the beauty aisles of department stores like Walmart and Target by putting on the shelves razor and hair care collections for all hair textures.
After nearly a decade of simplifying beauty and grooming for BIPOC, hygiene and home goods company P&G; acquired Walker & Company in 2018 for an estimated consideration $20-40 million.
Walker & Company’s business has often been driven by technology. But Walker, founder and CEO, said in the latest Glossy Beauty podcast that, going forward, the company will be driven by culture.
Walker’s perspective on how culture affects business was instrumental in creating Bevel and Form, W&C;’s skincare and beauty brands, respectively. And BIPOC’s needs prioritization doesn’t stop at W&C; products. W&C; has partnered with various community outreach programs, such as Urban Prep Academies in Chicago, where he donated laptops to students forced to learn remotely during Covid. Plus, it provides free mental health resources on Head space for W&C; customers.
Below are additional highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity.
Themes to live
“I have dedicated my life to three themes of the world that I think collide at a perfect time. The first is the demographic shift in this country and the cultural influence of people of color within it. has technology and its impact not only on business, but also on this map of this demographic shift. How do we equip these cool curators with the tools they need to spread that cool? Lastly, I love big brands. top brands could truly be a force for good in the world.
Support community support
“Bevel has always been good at doing three things in unique ways. First, recognize what it means to present yourself as a black man or woman, or whatever in society. And shed light on those experiences in an authentic way. Second, once we recognized this, we were particularly good at modeling the operation of W&C; from a set of values that guide our decision-making. I’ve mentioned some of our core beliefs, but there are values we have – courage, inspiration, respect, judgment, well-being and loyalty – that make us question what we do, but also offer space, space and language to our consumers and our community. to hold us accountable.
What Lies Beyond Bevel’s Horizon
“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, [Bevel is doing] more of the same. We’re not just that shaving brand anymore. We have proven that we can manufacture the highest quality products for all of our products. We recently launched a product called Bevel Pro, which follows on from a fairly successful Bevel Trimmer product. We believe we have made the most advanced grooming tool in the world. And we did it in 12 to 18 months. We are building a Product Excellence Flyer complemented by our Community Outreach Excellence Flyer. It’s a tough platform and energy to compete with.
