We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyssa Space and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyssa, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My name is Alyssa Space and I am a Chemist from Michigan State University. I am originally from Chicago, Il the windy city but I currently reside in metro Detroit. My mother’s hard work ethic and independence has definitely shaped who I am today. She has always taught me persistence, dedication and hard work always outweigh talent, although talent doesn’t hurt. My love for science and beauty came to me a while back, making all types of concoctions as an 8 year old beauty enthusiast. My mother was always my muse for these creations and until this day she still is as a 27 year old Beauty Chemist.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As mentioned before I am a chemist from MSU. However my professional career started in 2016 as an applied behavioral analyst for children with autism. I didn’t immediately get into my field as a chemist upon graduation which really took a toll on my confidence but everything that has transpired was apart of the journey. I grew a love for education and kiddos while working with children with autism, which later impacted my company and our mission to this day. After working a year for Centria, I began working for Pfizer as a quality assurance chemist. While there I learned hard lessons as a woman of color and a woman in STEM. I learned that although I had the same qualifications as my counterparts I was always going to be seen as inferior, underestimated and even challenged in ways they wouldn’t be. I didn’t last long there and came home and found another position as a quality assurance chemist. Once again it wasn’t the best work environment for me so I began working on my dream of starting my own cosmetic line. At this time I began formulating in my mothers kitchen, just like the 8 year old that used to in her mother’s perfumes. A year later I launched my line and began selling my products all over. A year into my business I went full time, and within 12 month after being full time I went from a kitchen based business to a 350 sq ft lab space in Detroit, I have been growing exponentially over the last 3 years. I now have 2 employees and 5 contract workers. I have now developed a non profit arm MySpaceLaboratories which focuses on the retention of students especially girls in STEM through “Chemistry in Cosmetics.” My journey is only beginning and it hasn’t been easy. I don’t expect to be easy because God tends to give his hardest battles to his strongest warriors. My passion, dedication, and hard work have helped me stay focused on the end goal, which is to create a global beauty brand that impacts women of all shades and backgrounds while educating the youth on science. I want the world to know you literally can do anything you put your mind to. You can have it all if you work for it and surround yourself with like minded individuals.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Detroit has a ton to offer. I would take my bestie to Detroit Water Ice for slushies, Belle Isle for a spin around the park. Then we would head to the DIA (Detroit Institute of Arts) for some culture and education. And I forget the Michigan Science Center my pride and joy. Now she’s probably hungry so we would head to Kuzzo’s a black owned restaurant on the avenue of fashion. After stuffing our bellies we would hit Bronzed and Glow beauty supply another woman black owned gem in the city. Now she’s probably ready for a few drinks so we would head back downtown to Annex nightclub for some great tunes and good drinks. Finally we would end the night with a spa girls night at the renaissance center.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout out to Techtown Detroit, for always supporting my business and giving me the resources necessary to scale and maintain my business. For supporting my business ideas and helping them come to life. I love my support system!

Website: www.forherccosmetics.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/forhercosmetics

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/forhercosmetics

Twitter: www.twitter.com/forhercosmetics

Facebook: www.facebook.com/forhercosmetics

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlana is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.