Yeleen Beauty Makerspace in Northeast celebrated the official ribbon cutting of the District’s first shared manufacturing hub for independent beauty brands on Sept. 8.
The standing-room-only event brought together city leaders, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, small-business champions, and local entrepreneurs to mark an important step toward greater access to beauty manufacturing.
A 2022 McKinsey & Company report found that while the beauty industry is worth $60 billion, only $2.5 billion goes to Black-owned businesses — even though Black consumers spend $6.6 billion each year on beauty products.
Yeleen Beauty Makerspace is a 3,000-square-foot co-manufacturing and tech hub designed to reduce time-to-market and upfront capital needs for small and indie brands, made possible with generous support from Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, Wacif, JPMorganChase, Inspire Access, BRED, and SEED Commons.
Members of Yeleen Beauty Makerspace can use manufacturing equipment to make and package their products, plus safe storage for materials. They also get access to business classes, connections to suppliers, and programs that help them confidently price, package, and sell their products.
In addition, Bowser announced the launch of the Fast Beauty Initiative, which will reduce training hour requirements for cosmetology and barbering licenses, making it faster and less costly for aspiring professionals to start their careers. Approved by the Board of Barber and Cosmetology, the new rules will move into formal rulemaking this fall.
Rahama Wright, founder and CEO of Yeleen Beauty Makerspace said “manufacturing access is the missing bridge for so many promising beauty founders.”
“Today, we turned that bridge into a runway — where production equipment, technical support, and training meet a community committed to inclusive growth,” she said. “This is about jobs, ownership, and fair supply chains. By lowering barriers to manufacturing, we can help hundreds of founders grow revenue, hire locally, and bring more clean, effective products to market.”
Bowser highlighted the importance of the makerspace for the District’s economy.
“This is what investing in and believing in our community looks like—a hub where beauty entrepreneurs and small beauty companies can manufacture locally, collaborate, and scale beyond their home kitchens,” the mayor said. “This is exactly the kind of innovation we’re proud to support through our DC Locally Made Manufacturing Grant, and we can’t wait to see all the D.C. success stories that begin at Yeleen Beauty Makerspace.”