Alixzondra Samuda, Mudd Beauty
“MAKE ENTREPRENEURSHIP COURSES PARENT-FRIENDLY”
When Alixzondra Samuda’s mother was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, she began to question the relationship between her own health and what she consumed. “I started to look at the ingredients in the products I already owned. And I was blown away by how toxic some of them could be. As someone who wears make-up every single day, I really have to think about what I’m putting on my skin. I started to shop for brands that used better ingredients but what I noticed was that the brands didn’t cater for my skin tone. That was when Mudd was born.”
Mudd Beauty lipsticks are organic, cruelty-free and vegan, designed to cater for all skin tones. Alixzondra photographs her products on black models, something she thinks contributed to her selling out on launch day in 2017. Three years on, she employs two women and arranges internships for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Alixzondra aims to inspire more women, especially mothers, to become entrepreneurs. Her Masters centred on women being able to smash through glass ceilings while also having a family. Part of that involves making entrepreneurship courses and accelerator programmes more parent-friendly. “When I graduated, I went on a business course that provided free office space and mentoring. But I noticed that they didn’t cater for parents. Any workshops they offered were after 5pm - what about women who have children? I was pulled up for not attending certain sessions because I couldn’t arrange childcare,” she says.
“We need to give women a voice. That in turn leads to opportunities and it builds from there. No matter who says it’s a man’s world, women make the world go round.”