15 Habesha Women-Owned Businesses to Shop This Holiday
Written by : Beri Gebrehiwot
Hey, Mamas! Just two weeks before Christmas and there is still plenty of time to get your shopping done! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered- because this year, we’ve created a list of some of our favorite brands to shop and they’re ALL Habesha women-owned businesses! {someone que the confetti}
One of our cornerstones at almaz + co. is supporting other women in business. Why? Because:
+we want to debunk the stereotype that women in our communities don’t support one another, and create a culture where we actually do!
+we’re contributing to women’s economic empowerment and helping to close the gender gap
+when women work and contribute to their families and communities, that equates to healthier communities and families
+when women work, they invest 90 percent of their income back into their families and communities, compared with 35 percent for men (un.org)
+lastly, empowered women empower other women and girls- our daughters now have women who look like them who are running businesses, leading major corporations and have a seat at the table! {that deserves more confetti!}
Bonus fun facts:
+In the U.S., immigrants are almost twice as likely to become entrepreneurs as native-born U.S. citizens. Immigrants represent 27.5% of the countries’ entrepreneurs but only around 13% of the population (Harvard Business Review)
+Women of color account for 89% (1,625) of the new businesses opened every day over the past year (Fast Company)
Without further ado, here is our list of 15 Habesha women-owned businesses to shop this year!
apparel
Kanessa Muluneh, founder and designer, is an Ethiopian born creative and mother of two who has created a beautiful and empowering, body positive brand using athletic attire to challenge the world’s standard for beauty. “We’re here to redefine sexiness and get you to fall in love with your phenomenal body. For us at Kanessa, sexiness is never uncomfortable. We aren’t here to change anything about you. We simply want you to love yourself and bring out the best version of yourself…” Kanessa ships all around the world and has some major sales for you to be on top of this holiday season:
Discounts are for orders above €60/$60
December 1: 20% off on entire website (Discount code DEC1)
December 7: 20% off + Free shipping on regular priced items (Discount code DEC7)
December 11: 25% off + free shipping on regular priced items (Discount code DEC11)
December 15: 30% off on entire website (Discount code DEC15)
December 17: Free expedited shipping with any purchase over €150/$150 (Discount code DEC17)
December 31: 30% off + Free shipping until midnight (Discount code BYE2020)
Dolly Girma, founder, is an Ethiopian mom who launched Grind Like A Doll with the intention of empowering women at it’s core. Recently, they’ve added a new collection of loungewear in addition to their activewear, waist trimmers and yoga mats. You can see our review for some of their products right here on our page.
accessories
THE ASME BRAND- jEWELRY
Hellen Tewelde, creator and founder behind the Asme Brand is an Eritrean mom who wears many hats! Her brand, named after her late father, Asmelash, is a beautiful ode to both her father and identity as an Eritrean-American immigrant- which is the ultimate parallel to an entrepreneurial journey and pursuit. In addition to her jewelry line, the Asme Brand also houses hand-made lipstick and lashes- which you can learn more about in our Beauty section below.
YENAE COLLECTION
Started by Ethiopian friends, Felekech Biratu and Seble Alemayehu, Yenae is a culturally curated and African inspired jewelry line that is a beautiful fusion of modern and traditional styles for women and men. These gorgeous pieces are surprisingly affordable and can be worn casually or in formal settings.
Be sure to take advantage of their Holiday Sale:
Take 15-20% off storewide (Online ONLY) from December 9th - 31st
Shoppers can enjoy an additional 5% off on curated holiday gift sets
They offer FREE USA shipping AND ship internationally as well
For those based in Ethiopia, you can shop this collection at the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa Hotel shop.
Owned by Eritrean Mom Maria, Elsabet Habesha Jewelry is home to traditional, vintage and modern jewelry from Eritrea and Ethiopia. EHJ works directly with their manufacturer to create custom sets for their customers and guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. Every Habesha woman needs a traditional set of jewelry, and this is a great boutique to find various styles for any occasion.
Be sure to take advantage of their Holiday Sale:
Take 20% off Storewide from December 12th - 25th (Discount code: HOLIDAY2020)
BEAUTY
Helen Hadush, founder and creative, is an Ethiopian mother of two and a Software Engineer by profession. While solving the problem of providing access to affordable, good-quality lipstick in Ethiopia, Helen has used her brand and technology background to serve Young women in disadvantaged communities. In 2019, she founded Berchie Foundation, where 20% of all proceeds from this shade goes towards providing them with the basic school supplies and necessities to attend school.
Be sure to take advantage of these Holiday Sales:
Take 25% off site wide (starting December 7th, no code needed)
Hellen Tewelde, creator behind The Asme Brand- Jewelry line, is creator and founder behind Asme Beauty, a one stop shop for homemade, organic and vegan-friendly lipstick, lip gloss and eye lashes. We told you she wears many hats, right? We love this lipstick line for so many reason- but the fact that it’s free of harmful chemicals tops our list!
In addition to jewelry and beauty products, be sure to check out Helen on social media for lash extension services- yes, your girl is also a Lash Technician in the Atlanta area.
skin care and Hair care
Created by Eritrean woman, Bersi Tekle, Abbeba provides natural and mostly organic skin care, hair care and teas. All of their products are made by hand in small batches, to helps maintain superior quality. Abbeba, which means Flower in Tigrinya and Amharina, was Bersi’s grandmother’s name. “With ABBEBA products, we intend to bring a natural radiance, love and kindness to your skin- just like my sweet grandma ABBEBA did. This is to honour her and to keep her name alive and her legacy for as long as I live.”
Eritrean woman, Regbe Issac is a Licensed Esthetician in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. Regbe’s journey started in an effort to battle her own skin issues and, with a Bachelor’s degree and MBA already under her belt, she went on to study to become an Esthetician. “I love exploring ways to combine organic and natural ingredients with more advanced non-invasive treatments to help clients find the beauty that is within them.” This would be the perfect gift any time of the year, but even more so during this year! Who wouldn’t want to be pampered and treated with service that leaves you feeling like a skin goddess? Your girl’s got you covered with various treatments found on her website.
Mimi Smith, an Esthetician in the field for over 20 years, is an Ethiopian mom and creator behind this sustainable beauty line that she refers to as “wisdom passed down from Mother to Daughter for Generations.” In the passing down of beauty secrets to maintaining healthy skin to old age, Mimi discovered the ingredients were full of wonderful, natural elements that scientifically promote healthy, glowing skin. “The Recipes that came from these conversations, I have implemented into an affordable formula so every woman can enjoy the benefits of these natural skin foods and maintain their skin health for longer.”
Samia Green, creator and cosmetic formulator for her line, is an Ethiopian mom and Chemist. She created Made by Moi Beauty with women who look like us in mind because mainstream brands did not address the different hair/skin types and needs for colored women and men. Made by Moi Beauty products are made of natural and science based products to tackle some common skin care issues like the appearance of hyperpigmentation and hair issues like moisture retention and breakage.
Be sure to take advantage of their Holiday Sale:
Take 10% off your total purchase (Discount code: HABESHA)
Almaz Nigusse Bland, a Licensed Psychotherapist out of the Bay Area, is an Eritrean mom and blogger who is passionate about natural hair care. Her personal experience in trying to find oils for her hair, led her on a journey to search for clean oils similar to those her mother used on her and her sister's hair while growing up in Eritrea. ZAMLA organics are light scented and clean oils that are certified, organic cosmetic oils, making them great for the whole family!
Be sure to take advantage of their Holiday Sale:
Take 10% off their oils from December 7th - 31st (Discount code: givejoy)
lifestyle
Viktorya Abraham, a Swedish-Eritrean fashion designer and mom, has created a chic and simple poster of the Geez letters. We love this because it can be used in any room and with any frame design of your choice. You can’t go wrong with elegant! The poster comes in one size, 50 x 70 cm (19 x 27 in).
Take advantage of their current special of 350kr ($41.37) to include shipping with your product. Send them a DM on Instagram for orders.
Luwam Tesfaye, a personal trainer, lifestyle blogger/podcaster and women's empowerment coach, is an Eritrean mom who has created an amazing brand out of her passion to empower other women. This holiday season, shop the Luwame store for the Life Planner, other on brand merchandise OR, start your journey to a new lifestyle with Luwam’s Fit by Luwame programe, a comprehensive personal fitness and accountability program that focuses on your physical and emotional transformation!
Lemlem Kentiba Paige, author and creative, is an Eritrean Mom who has taken the journey of entrepreneurship with her whole family! From co-authoring a children’s book with her son, to now creating these beautiful, culturally inspired Holiday greeting cards! Representation matters, and even more so today. We’re so excited about these cards!
bonus
Beri Gebrehiwot, creator of Habesha Moms Facebook Community, with over 10.8K moms globally, and Almaz + co. is an Eritrean Mom, author and creative who is passionate about building community + empowering moms to show up as their best selves as they journey in Motherhood and discover the dynamic women that they truly are. The Almaz + co. merch was created to remind you that “you are brave, smart and so much stronger than you think; so show up every day with the simple reminder that YOU got this, Mama!”
