Meet Johannah Hamilton: Melanin Minerals Owner & PhD Student

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

Hi Johannah, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
There’s such a deep history between black people and cannabis/hemp, especially due to the “war on drugs”. Despite the fact that thousands of people are building their own empires across the country from cannabis/hemp, there are still hundreds of thousands of people in jail and with records for it, majority of those people BIPOC. A lot of families have been disenfranchised from these intentionally harmful policies related to the crop, and with a background in agriculture economics I knew I’d get involved in the industry one way or another. CBD products were starting to become more of a norm. Especially after the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, federally legalizing hemp. I’ve also always loved taking baths and using bath bombs and other bath and soap products, but I have really sensitive skin so sometimes certain products would break me out. That’s when I realized I could combine my love for bath and body products with my passion for social justice and start a cbd infused skincare line.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Melanin Minerals is a black woman owned business that specializes in natural, handcrafted organic CBD infused beauty products. Although there are CBD companies popping up everywhere, literally, what sets us apart is the fact that we are not only formally but substantively knowledgeable in every area of our industry from policy to finance to marketing to formulations. I have my BS and MS in agriculture economics with a minor in business and I’m getting my PhD in policy right now I’ve worked on hemp farms, I’ve been in extraction labs and processing facilities, I go to workshops and events to learn and network with other farmers and people in the CBD industry. I do all of our marketing and our finances. I started the business with my friend Nicole and she has her PhD in biophysics with a BS and MS in bio-chemistry. Even though she was only involved for 3 months after we launched, she had a lot of chemistry background that came in handy with formulations. We are extremely intentional about our formulation as far as not using any chemicals, or synthetic ingredients like dyes or fragrance or parfums. We look at everything from absorption rates to omega 3 fatty acid content when formulating our products. We also regularly donate a percentage of our profits to non-profit organizations and we’re looking to make an impact in our community and across the US. Melanin Minerals has grown A LOT since launching February 2019. We only had 10 items on our website and now we offer over 40 items in our product line. We’re also in stores in Oregon, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and have sold wholesale to people all over the country. Business wise, it hasn’t been easy to get where we are today. So much time, or sweat equity, goes into building a small business. Fortunately I’ve had a lot of great mentors along the way that have helped me and offered guidance on different things from scaling to my business pitch. A couple of lessons I’ve learned along the way are not to give up and honestly just how important ownership is. I want the world to know about this brand/my story that I started my business with nothing more than an idea. I didn’t have a lot of money, I’m a full time PhD student, I have a job and I’m really involved in different organizations and boards centered around equity. You don’t have to wait until the time is ideal or you may never start. You don’t have to start out with a bang, you just have to start. I want Melanin Minerals to grow to become a common household skincare name. My overall goal is to get farmland and grow my own herbs and ingredients. I want to use that farm to teach BIPOC and other marginalized groups including veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community how to farm and grow their own food.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have a husky and I love to hike, so any of the trails or random hikes throughout the city. We would probably start every day with breakfast at different places from The Flying Biscuit to BQE to the Atlanta Breakfast Club. We’d hit some trails like Sweetwater Creek Trails, Arabia Mountain Range, and the Cascade Springs. We would definitely have to check out Lake Lanier and ride some wave runners. I could take some awesome videos on my drone. I love basketball so we’d go to a Hawks game. There’s always an artist doing something in Atlanta so another thing we’d do is go to a concert. A good friend of mine has his own workout business called Trap Fitness ATL so we would do a couple of those classes. I would definitely have my friend drink some beers recommended by the Blk Brew Babes and hangout at different bars and lounges around the city. Places like Park Tavern, Compound, and Sky Lounge. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This shoutout is to Dr. Christien Russell and Dr. Shandrea Stallworth! They have always supported me and continue to support me and just be great friends to me.

Website: www.melaninminerals.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaninminerals324/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannah-hamilton/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melaninminerals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelaninMinerals324/