Years ago, I found myself doing fieldwork among the most beautiful wild mango trees in Chad. Not one to waste an opportunity for an incredible fresh fruit, I was introduced to a family where the mother and kids proceeded to expertly climb the trees in the hot sun to harvest mangoes for me to eat. Towards the end I was told to pay the husband when it was the wife that had picked the mangoes. I felt a knot of anger in my heart as I customarily handed the money over to the man. I thought to myself, “This happens everywhere around the world, and it’s wrong,” and I was motivated to help improve the lives of the women there. That is when I decided to start Ellie Bianca, a natural skincare line built on the pillars ‘Kind to Your Skin, Kind to the Earth, Kind to Women.’

Ellie Bianca is a holistic skin care line that cultivates and empowers women through sustainable business practices and fair trade. I moved to Canada from Kenya at the age of 16 and put myself through a Bachelor and a Master of Science degree while being a single mom. I built Ellie Bianca on my desire to be an example to my daughter of what women are capable of, and to empower other women to succeed- from sourcing ingredients from women in Africa and mentoring other women entrepreneurs to running the Ellie Bianca Woman Scholarship for single mothers.

Now in our sixth year of operation, Ellie Bianca is a Canadian-based skin care line that boasts thirty-four all-natural products. We use organic oils and butters from Africa and all over the world to formulate and produce many of our products. With my background as a chemist, we are combining modern day science and the power of plants that have been used for centuries. We have since launched skin oils, face oils, face serums, bath salts and lip balms. All of our products are scientifically formulated with naturally sourced ingredients and are environmentally friendly, organic and non-GMO. Recently, as a result of the current pandemic, we pivoted and have been manufacturing organic sanitizers and liquid hand soaps to keep our customers safe.