Yeleen Enterprises is building a beauty manufacturing facility opening in 2023. The Yeleen Beauty Makerspace is the first shared commercial manufacturing facility of its kind. Its creation, in partnership with the Washington, D.C. government, positions Yeleen Enterprises to generate $55 million in new business over the next ten years, empowering Black women and women of color in the United States and Africa.
With additional support from D.C. Locally Made, the Ward 7 facility will create 200 new jobs in the Washington, D.C. metro area. It will also expand sourcing of pure plant-based, natural ingredients from women-owned cooperatives in Africa. Over time, Yeleen Enterprises projects an increase in the number of suppliers from 800 to 6,000. These suppliers will provide a variety of natural and organic ingredients, including shea butter, cocoa butter, moringa, argan, baobab, chebe, and neem. Yeleen Enterprises currently sources value-added, plant-based ingredients from women-led cooperatives in Ghana. Applying our ethical supply chain model we will expand sourcing into Uganda, South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Morocco, and Senegal. Through expansion, we expect to source 28 tons of African agricultural products each quarter.
PARTNERSHIPS
Yeleen Enterprises is a social enterprise that consists of non-profit branches and a commercial entity that sells high-quality, plant-based beauty products. The creation of the manufacturing facility is in partnership with the District of Columbia through the administration of Washington, D.C. Mayor, Muriel Bowser. An initial investment of $1.6 million, including a $640,000 grant from the D.C. Government, will enable Yeleen Enterprises to build and launch the makerspace.
IMPACT
The expansion of the Yeleen Beauty Makerspace has net-positive benefits for both the District of Columbia and African supplier networks. The manufacturing facility in D.C. is expected to create 200 local jobs while expanding suppliers in Africa from 800 to over 6,000. This will result in financial empowerment for women suppliers and sustainable community development. An estimated $55 million in business value will be generated across the value chain over the next decade.