In a nutshell: Youmna is the founder and CEO of Nyfasi – the company behind an innovative detangling product for people with afro hair. While working at Swansea University Youmna also set up a BAME network to support black, Asian and minority ethnic students studying engineering at the university.
Region: Swansea
Awards:
- Chwarae Teg Womenspire awards 2020
- Awarded an enterprise fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2020
During my academic career working as a research engineer at Swansea University, I didn’t think about entering awards. Fast forward several years, with an award and fellowship under my belt, I can safely say that awards have helped me to raise my profile and develop my business in ways I could not have imagined.
When I came to the UK to study for a degree in physics, I was one of only two female students and the only person of colour on my course, which made me feel isolated. I was determined to use my experience to help pave the way for other black, Asian and minority ethnic students to thrive in the world of science.
In 2019 I set up Swansea University’s College of Engineering BAME Network to raise awareness of the challenges black, Asian and minority ethnic students face and invited staff, students and business leaders to reflect on potential solutions. We piloted a coaching and leadership course that gave 10 final year doctorate students the opportunity to reflect on the benefits that culture has on their leadership and their institution, while one-to-one coaching built their self-confidence by breaking their limiting beliefs.
While setting up the network, I was also developing the Nyfasi Deluxe detangler, a detangler for afro hair. The motivation came from when I was caring for a girl who would be in tears every time her hair was conditioned and detangled as afro-textured hair tangles easily, which makes grooming it painful and time-consuming. Eventually, my efforts paid off and I was awarded the Royal Academy Engineering Enterprise Fellowship to commercialise my invention.
Unbeknown to me at the time, I had been anonymously nominated for the Women in STEM category at the 2020 Chwarae Teg’s Womenspire Awards for creating the network. Once I found out, I didn’t really give it much thought until I made it to the final, where I discovered the amazing benefits of being a finalist. Winning the Womenspire award opened doors to plenty of opportunities, including the chance to speak with organisations like ITV, BBC’s Afrique and the Welsh Parliament which enabled me to publicise my values and vision for Nyfasi by telling my story, which positioned me as a credible leader in innovation.
The exposure resulted in an increase in followers on Nyfasi’s social media channels which has been hugely beneficial, especially when it has come to reaching out to volunteers to test products and provide feedback to help inform further product development. It also allowed me to expand my network across the UK, Mayotte, and France, helping me to build connections with prospective customers and gain stronger interest from investors. Last October, the story of my entrepreneurial journey also made national news on BBC, resulting in 2,600 registrations for the product launch. In recent years I have also been publicly recognised by the French Ministry as a Talents from French Overseas Department 2021.
On a personal level, being shortlisted for awards made me feel appreciated. Throughout the awards process, I felt as though I wasn’t deserving of attention but soon realised that my fear was not down to being celebrated but rather to do with worrying about being in the public eye and potentially failing. I reminded myself of why I wanted to do this - to empower and inspire other women – and this allowed me to confidently embrace every single opportunity awards presented.
I would urge everyone to nominate themselves for an award to showcase their business and celebrate their efforts. If you win, it’s obviously great, but even if you don’t, the entry process gives you valuable experience that will help you refine and polish the way you speak about your business.
Being a part of awards can open your business to a myriad of opportunities for growth and success – you really have nothing to lose!