10. Lisa Price, Carol’s Daughter
In 1993, encouraged by her mother, Carol, Lisa Price started selling her homemade haircare products at local flea markets. The products filled a niche: Back then, few products existed for African American women seeking to wear their natural curls. Flea market customers began asking for more, and in 1999, Price opened a boutique in Brooklyn.
An appearance on “Oprah!” in 2002 attracted a wider audience. By 2011 Price had additional stores and the products were top sellers on HSN. Carol’s Daughter was sold to L’Oreal in 2014; today the line is sold in 30,000+ retail stores. In 2017, the company made history when its products were exhibited in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.