Revolutionizing Sustainable Fibers: Meet Osahon Ojeaga, Founder of Aja Labs
Photos courtesy of Nourie
In this captivating interview, Osahon Ojeaga, the visionary founder of Aja Labs, shares her journey of creating sustainable fibers and revolutionizing the hair extension industry. Discover how her personal experiences and commitment to environmental consciousness have shaped her mission. Osahon delves into the challenges faced, partnerships established, and the global reach of Aja Labs, shedding light on their contribution to the growth of the synthetic fibers market while promoting African culture. Get a glimpse of their upcoming product launches and innovations that are set to disrupt the industry.
Nourie founder and CEO Osahon Ojeaga
Osahon, can you give us a brief overview of Aja Labs and how you came up with the idea to create sustainable fibers?
After being in Silicon Valley, getting my hair done in preparation for travel to far-flung destinations without products for my hair type and texture was a nuisance (of course). During my prep, I had a subpar client experience shopping for faux locs online. It served as the straw that broke the camel's back. But that was just the straw that broke the camel's back. The camel had already been carrying the trauma of my hair-braiding and styling experiences. I have memories of my scalp being so inflamed and irritated. I would subconsciously scratch and rub my scalp in that drifting-into-sleep phase till my skin broke. I remember once, the yellow scarf I used to tie my hair up at night in 8th grade when I would exclusively wear cornrows had blood on it the morning after an install. That was by far the most irritating synthetic hair I had ever had. Years of this has to have long-lasting effects on the scalp. The crazy thing is that I have come across almost no studies on this. So, I thought to myself, "I don't deserve this; I can do better for us. I'm going to make my own hair extensions." I started a different small business producing and selling synthetic manufactured on my own terms. The sustainability issue quickly entered the picture during the product development journey. I found an emphatic connection between the sustainability problems of the materials and the very human pain and suffering associated with exposure to braiding hair. That was when I realized I had to create an entirely different company focused on navigating the science to resolve this challenge, and I launched Aja Labs. Hair extensions are our case study for commercializing our innovation. Of course, though, we expect to broaden our impact by applying the technology and process to other areas of the textiles industry.
What motivated you to focus on your company's vision and products?
I've for some time now been enamored with the significance and beauty of the planet we critically depend on to exist. This passion led to frustration with the dissonance between humanity and our life support system and its implications on our outcomes now and in the future. Clean water, air, and soil should not be a luxury, yet for so many across the globe, it is. These are fundamental rights that industrialization has haphazardly infringed on. I decided to make it my life's work to contribute to resolving this existential misalignment and redefine how we go about consumption from one where, by default, there's a net loss for the masses to one where there is a neutral impact. When I do what I do, I consider those who live in societies that need more time to catch up and create the infrastructure to enable widely accessible clean air, water, and soil.
How does Aja Labs ensure that its fibers are safe for people and the planet?
These two things have never been an afterthought here at Aja Labs. Instead, they drive how we make decisions across the organization.This school of thought adds an interesting layer of complexity to operating an organization that will drive the tremendous value of our company and for society in the long run. Those battling against ESG are the same people that abide by the schools of thought that led to the precarious predicament we find civilization in today. It’s unheard of for a company as early and small as us to have a VP of Sustainability, yet here we are with one who has implemented the concepts of sustainability in the largest of chemical and apparel organizations. It’s tremendously easy to succumb to greenwashing. When sourcing raw materials, we see this risk weekly. Prospective suppliers will communicate something as sustainable or safe, but by having someone on the team who can guide us through what is currently the wild west of sustainability - we reduce our chances of putting something out that fails to live up to the values we’ve laid out to stakeholders, investors, and consumers. We have a sophisticated internal sustainability framework pillared by the United Nation’s SDI goals we reference as we conduct our work and activities. This document is longer and more detailed than the ones we’ve seen of companies 10,000x the size of ours. We are not kidding when it comes to people and planet safety. We are sprinting the sprint, not just talking and lackadaisically strolling along while things deteriorate around us. Stroll and someone will pass you up.
How has your background and upbringing influenced your commitment to sustainability and environmental consciousness?
I can see an EPA Superfund site outside my bedroom window. I’m still in the home that I grew up in. That’s enough to create a burning desire to push clean manufacturing, right? I’m very aware of the rampant oil spills that happen in my parent’s home country of Nigeria. The oil giants of the world have disregarded taking care of the lands and its heritage. In my hometown of Houston, TX
What collaborations or partnerships have you established between Aja Labs and other US or African-based brands?
We have some exciting potential opportunities with notable names in hair, beauty, and wellness. It’s a bit early for us to disclose with whom and when we’ll be rolling out these partnerships; however, so far, they are domestic to the US. And all part of efforts to raise the bar on what the care rituals around hair styling looks and feels like.
How does Aja Labs plan to scale its operations and expand its global reach, particularly in Africa and the US?
We are actively navigating the process of scaling up the material innovation we have spent the last three years developing. It’s amongst the most challenging parts of the journey thus far. We are currently doing all of our manufacturing and sourcing domestically here in the US. Obviously, there is a massive opportunity for us across Africa with even more wearers of braided hairstyles than here in the US. There a burgeoning innovation landscape across the continent. It isn’t some wild or moonshot idea to bring over the work we are doing to meet the demands of the evolution driven by the newer generations taking place on the continent.
What challenges have you faced in balancing cultural authenticity with modern, eco-friendly technologies, and how have you overcome them? How do you see Aja Labs contributing to the growth of the global synthetic fibers market and promoting African culture globally?
It’s been such a challenge! There is a very unfair assumption globally that because a person has dark skin, there’s no way they have any interest in sustainability. That there are more pressing and proximal issues for us to prioritize. That simply is not true. Aja Labs' existence and success will allow us to control that narrative and redefine what comes to mind of the world when they pair the Black diaspora across the globe with human and planetary health. This industry is so nascent. Let’s make it the one that we can dominate! Industry dominance can shift cultures. The game is about who can reinvent the fastest. This space we are in is long overdue. First is was the it was Asia that led textiles, then with the cotton gin, North America saw it’s time, with globalization and proliferation of capitalism, the hat was handed over to South East Asia, whose turn is it going to be next? I’m throwing our hat in the ring as a contender, and I hope that Aja Labs’ progress inspires others to take on the challenge. We cannot do it alone, that is for sure.
Can you tell us about any upcoming product launches or innovations your team is working on?
We are currently navigating the launch of our MVP at the commercial scale. We’ll be spending the remained of this year doing our best to keep up with the intense demand that we have been seing. We’ve actually had to refrain from spending our market budget to keep a grip on the reigns of demand. However, as we scale this product, we’ll add some new shades to our line up to keep with what consumers are familiar with seeing in the market. We are accepting preorders for our After Dusk shade which is a lovely 1B shade, a brownish-black.
