Personal Care to Serve America’s Shifting Demographics; Introducing A-Frame

By Eurie Kim, Partner & KJ Sidberry, Principal

The face of America is changing. According to the latest U.S. Census data, children in this country will grow up with no ethnic majority for the first time in our nation’s history. However, that doesn’t mean the world is prepared to cater to these evolving demographics.

While 40% of the U.S. population now identifies as non-white, the $25 billion natural personal care market lacks a dedicated mass-market option for Black and Brown customers who collectively spend over $9 billion per year on personal care and beauty products.

As the racial minority in America shifts to a majority over the next few years, consumers are increasingly demanding goods and offerings that speak to their individual needs — products that recognize and validate their identities, with ethnicity taking a leading role in the category of personal care.

We are thrilled to announce our investment in A-Frame, a Los Angeles-based brand incubator and holding company dedicated to developing a portfolio of discrete, talent-led, sustainable personal care brands that will address the needs of this expanding consumer demographic.

A-Frame has started with the 2021 launch of KINLÒ, a functional skincare brand for POC, created in partnership with tennis star Naomi Osaka, and PROUDLY, a natural baby care brand from Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade. A-Frame has other brand concepts in development, including offerings in moisturization led by John Legend, men’s personal care and grooming, women’s topical pain relief, general wellness, tweenhood, and female sexual health and empowerment.

All subsequent brands launched under the A-Frame portfolio will be tied to their core thesis, which emphasizes five factors: 1) focus on underserved communities; 2) 50/50 tie-in with a top global talent; 3) sustainability in both ingredient composition and packaging; 4) DTC innovation; and 5) an exclusive retail partnership for distribution.

A-Frame is led by Founder & CEO Ari Bloom, the former CEO of Avametric, an AR and simulation startup transforming the retail and e-commerce space (acquired by Gerber Technology in 2018), as well as Co-Founder Hill Harper. We were immediately impressed by their passion and conviction in the opportunity to serve the changing demographic landscape in America, with a mission-driven approach at the center of it all. At the same time, Ari and Hill is supported by a strong executive team in COO Avantha Arachchi and Chief Brand Officer Martin Ekechukwu, as well as a robust team of experts serving as brand CEOs who authentically reflect the audiences they are looking to serve.

We’ve been eyeing the demographic shifts in America through an optimistic lens, but these changes must be met with innovation to match the needs of diverse populations who demand well-designed solutions that respect their identity and serve their uniqueness. We at Forerunner believe A-Frame is well-positioned to lead the market with both authentic values and business model innovation, and we are thrilled to support the team as they build the next generation of influential, sustainable, powerful consumer brands.

For more about A-Frame’s mission and family of brands, visit aframebrands.com.