Launch of "The Next Black Millionaires" Docuseries

The six-episode Roku Original docuseries follows the three Next Black Millionaire grant recipients on the road to success as Black entrepreneurs expanding their businesses

NEW YORK, June 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SheaMoisture is teaming up with The Roku Channel and MACRO Television Studios to debut "The Next Black Millionaires," a docuseries that captures the journey of three ambitious entrepreneurs growing their passions into million-dollar businesses.

The six-episode Roku Original docuseries, produced by MACRO Television Studios, invites viewers to meet the winners of the SheaMoisture Next Black Millionaires program:

• Dorian Morris, Undefined Beauty: With a purpose-driven mission to "undefine" the industry and democratize beauty, Dorian Morris launched Undefined Beauty, a beauty/wellness lifestyle brand focused on clean, conscious, inclusive plant magic. She is demystifying plant-powered solutions through an unapologetic, uncompromising, unfiltered approach to "clean-ical" skincare by pairing ancient plant wisdom with clinically proven activities that perform without breaking the bank. Visit www.undefinedco.com.
• LaToya Stirrup, KAZMALEJE: Tired of long wash days and excessive shedding while detangling, LaToya Stirrup and her two sisters decided it was time the world catered to their hair types. They took the idea of finger detangling and adapted it into their KAZMALEJE hair tools that became so popular they are now available in mass retail. Visit www.kazmaleje.com. Neil Hudson, Scotch Boyz: Started by
• Neil Hudson and his three childhood friends, Scotch Boyz began at a BBQ competition in Jamaica. After winning, people kept on reaching out for more sauce, so they decided to start their own company. Scotch Boyz, a sauce and seasoning brand, brings the unique island flavors of Jamaica to you, no matter where in the world you may be. Learn more at @Scotchboyz on Instagram.

The docuseries takes a deep dive into the entrepreneurs' journeys as they overcome obstacles, navigate relationships, and scale their businesses, all while leaning on the community around them. All episodes will be available to stream on The Roku Channel starting Friday, July 7. The Roku Channel is easily accessible through Roku devices or TVs, online at TheRokuChannel.com, iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TVs, and select Samsung TVs.

"At SheaMoisture, we believe in purposeful beauty which is being accountable to those that we serve. This means that from the products we create to how we show up with purpose, our mission is underscored by the dedication we have to the Black community," said Cara Sabin, CEO at SheaMoisture and CEO of Beauty & Wellbeing, Unilever North America. "We are thrilled to debut this docuseries because we get to highlight these three amazing entrepreneurs. We also get to shed light on what the path to a million-dollar business looks like, the power of intentional investment, and the nuances in the journey experienced by Black business owners."

"It is an honor to partner with SheaMoisture and MARCO Television Studios to capture the inspiring stories of the savvy, driven, and exceptional entrepreneurs featured in 'The Next Black Millionaires.' The series encapsulates our commitment to elevating voices reflective of our diverse audience," said Brian Tannenbaum, Head of Originals, Roku Media. "'The Next Black Millionaires' demonstrates how Roku can work in unison with a great brand partner to not only produce standout content, but also harness the undisputed power of the platform to bring that content to millions of streamers."

Erika Bryant is the showrunner and an executive producer along with Stacey Walker King and Aisha Corpas Wynn for MACRO Television Studios; Richelieu Dennis of New Voices; and Cara Sabin, Simone Jordan, and Kelly Mullen for SheaMoisture and parent company Unilever.

"We are thrilled to bring such an important project to life with our incredible and committed partners SheaMoisture and Roku," said Stacey Walker King, Chief Brand Officer, MACRO and Executive Producer of the series. "We believe that the stories of these three talented founders will not only illuminate the entrepreneurial journey that is so often hidden behind the scenes, but will also encourage and inspire a new generation of business owners and leaders."

"It was such a privilege and honor to serve as showrunner and executive producer of such a groundbreaking series that highlights these dynamic entrepreneurs as they navigate growing their respective businesses," said Erika Bryant, Show Runner and Executive Producer, MACRO. "Along with my team of producers, I am thrilled to have played an integral part in sharing their journeys with the world and excited for their innovative brands to become household names."

The Next Black Millionaires program was created by SheaMoisture, in partnership with the New Voices Foundation, in 2021 with an ambition to provide Black entrepreneurs with funding, retail distribution consulting, mentoring and executive coaching, access to an investment pipeline, and more—all to support these entrepreneurs in their journey growing million-dollar businesses. "The New Voices Foundation is a groundbreaking, community-building effort that is building a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for women of color to advance their significant contributions to our economy and society. We are proud to continue our partnership with The Next Black Millionaires program and share how we're future-proofing our entrepreneur community through purpose, access, capital and expertise as well as leadership development, skill-building, and networking opportunities," says Richelieu Dennis, Founder, SheaMoisture and Founder/Chair of Essence Ventures and New Voices.

SheaMoisture is also proud to announce that beginning on July 9, Target will carry top products from each winner's brand at 600 locations nationwide and online at Target.com. The products will be featured in Next Black Millionaires-branded displays, providing critical distribution and exposure that will allow these entrepreneurs the ability to expand and scale their businesses.

Beyond the Next Black Millionaires program, SheaMoisture has a long-standing commitment to investing in the Black community and creating Black generational wealth. When Unilever acquired Sundial Brands, the parent company of SheaMoisture, in 2017, the New Voices Fund was created and initiated with funding from Unilever and Sundial's founder, Richelieu Dennis. The Fund invests in entrepreneurs of color and the initial Fund 1 investment has led to the creation of 18 millionaires, defined by New Voices as the fair market value of ownership interests in their businesses.

Ahead of the series launch, SheaMoisture and Roku will host a screening of "The Next Black Millionaires" at the brand's "A Great Day in Harlem" pop-up activation hosted during the Essence Festival of Culture on Saturday, July 1 in New Orleans, La.

Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free and premium entertainment on the Roku platform. In Q4 2022, The Roku Channel reached U.S. households with an estimated 100 million people. The Roku Channel was a top 5 channel on the Roku platform by active account reach and streaming hour engagement in Q1 2023. Today, The Roku Channel features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 free movies and programs and more than 350 free live linear television channels in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners.

For more information about "The Next Black Millionaires" and details about the next class of submissions, you can visit sheamoisture.com/nextblackmillionaires or follow the brand @SheaMoisture on Instagram.

About SheaMoisture
SheaMoisture is a global beauty and personal care leader committed to serving the Black community through strategic investment and community give back. SheaMoisture recognizes the power of entrepreneurship in addressing racial inequality with the belief that commerce can bring true economic independence. Every year SheaMoisture reinvests at least 1% of net sales directly into economic opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs and Black business owners. With every purchase, you're helping to fund investments that support funding for Black-owned business, entrepreneurial education, crisis response, equitable purchasing, and ethical sourcing. SheaMoisture develops no compromise beauty products that help every member of the Black community live their healthiest, most beautiful lives. Shea butter is one of the brand's core ingredients, praised for its hydrating and nourishing properties, and sourced from women-led cooperatives in West Africa, providing fair wages and creating economic opportunities. The company offers products in the hair care, bath, body, skin care, baby and men's categories, and is distributed in retailers throughout the world. SheaMoisture is a subsidiary of Unilever. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

About Roku
Roku pioneered streaming on TV. We connect users to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku TV™ models, Roku streaming players, and TV-related audio devices are available in various countries around the world through direct retail sales and/or licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku-branded TVs and Roku Smart Home products are sold exclusively in the United States. Roku also operates The Roku Channel, the home of free and premium entertainment with exclusive access to Roku Originals. The Roku Channel is available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., U.S.A. Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks, and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.

About MACRO Television Studios
MACRO Television Studios is a division of MACRO, the multi-platform media company representing the voice and perspectives of Black people and people of color launched in 2015 by Founder & CEO Charles D. King. MACRO Television Studios' produced the critically-acclaimed Netflix series—The Children and Family Emmy Award nominated Raising Dion and the Peabody Award nominee Gentefied. The company's multiple business verticals also include film (MACRO Film Studios) that finances, develops and produces theatrical and streaming features and premium television, a wholly-owned talent, brand management and entertainment strategy firm (UNCMMN) and an in-house branding and creative agency (Brand MACRO). In addition, MACRO has a majority interest in the company's joint venture—a full-service talent management firm (M88) and an affiliated venture firm (MaC Venture Capital). The company's film projects have fifteen Oscar nominations and three wins. Go to https://www.staymacro.com/about for more information on the company.

About New Voices Foundation
New Voices Foundation is a ground-breaking, community-building effort designed to build a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for women of color to advance their significant contributions to our economy and society. Driven by its PACE (Purpose.Access.Capital.Expertise.) model, New Voices offers women of color entrepreneurs access to capital, leadership development, skill-building, and networking opportunities via entrepreneurial summits, accelerators, bootcamps, pitch competitions, mentoring and coaching, and more. 

SOURCE SheaMoisture