Monique Rodriguez founded Mielle Organics in 2014 after the healthy, hair care regimen for her tailbone-length hair became somewhat of a craze among her social media followers. The company launched with the Advanced Hair Formula, a proprietary blend of herbs, amino acids, and minerals to support healthy hair, skin, nails, and immune system.

Mielle has since expanded to 10 collections under her direction. Mielle is distributed in more than 87 countries and more than 100,000 stores across the United States, including Sally Beauty, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, JC Penney, and Walmart. In 2021, Ms. Rodriguez became the first Black woman to raise a non-controlling nine-figure investment in a deal with Berkshire Partners.

Ms. Rodriguez is recognized as a leader in the business community as well as a role model among women and girls. With more than one million followers, Ms. Rodriguez and Mielle have an engaged social media community. She is committed to inspiring women around the world through her beauty solutions, business savvy, and her Secret Sauce to Success podcast and academy. Mielle’s More Than A Strand program aims to empower communities and women of color through strengthening relationships between mothers and daughters across the United States, Caribbean, and Africa. Ms. Rodriguez travels nationally and internationally to empower and equip women to be the best version of themselves.