{"id":6953,"date":"2025-07-19T02:10:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T02:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/6953\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T02:10:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T02:10:07","slug":"ami-cole-raised-millions-in-venture-capital-and-broke-barriers-now-diarrha-ndiaye-mbaye-is-saying-goodbye-on-her-own-terms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/6953\/","title":{"rendered":"Ami Col\u00e9 Raised Millions In Venture Capital And Broke Barriers \u2014 Now Diarrha N\u2019Diaye-Mbaye Is Saying Goodbye, On Her Own Terms"},"content":{"rendered":"

After four years, Diarrha N\u2019Diaye-Mbaye, founder of the clean beauty brand Ami Col\u00e9, announced<\/a> on Instagram on Thursday (July 17) that she\u2019s winding down the company.<\/p>\n

What began as a mission to create makeup that truly works for melanin-rich skin, grew into much more. It became a movement and a metaphorical home for many, just like the salon her mother once built, she noted.<\/p>\n

In the heartfelt post, N\u2019Diaye-Mbaye called this moment \u201canother love letter, not a goodbye.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were a brand rooted in purpose, storytelling, and the bold celebration of who we are,\u201d she wrote. \u201cLet\u2019s not forget bomb ass products!\u201d<\/p>\n

From the earliest sketches in her Brooklyn, NY, apartment to seeing Ami Col\u00e9\u2019s products on Sephora shelves across North America, she noted, N\u2019Diaye-Mbaye turned a vision into reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis moment is bittersweet\u2026 Thank you for everything you\u2019ve taught me about living your dreams out loud,\u201d she wrote. She also thanked the investors who believed in her, Sephora for giving the brand a home, her dedicated team, and the community whose love and support made it all possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo every Brown girl out there, don\u2019t be afraid to fail out loud. Take it there! Dare to dream big! Learn, dust yourself off and try again. Pay it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scaling A Dream In A Shifting Market<\/p>\n

Ami Col\u00e9, which launched in 2021, quickly became a go-to for clean beauty lovers seeking products that worked for deeper skin tones. It earned praise from high-profile celebrities, such as Kelly Rowland and Aysha Harun, numerous awards, and a spot on \u201cOprah\u2019s Favorite Things\u201d list, per<\/a> The Cut. But most importantly, it stood out in an industry where inclusivity can often feel like an afterthought.<\/p>\n

However, behind the scenes, the journey was more complicated.<\/p>\n

Like many Black-owned brands that gained traction<\/a> after the murder of George Floyd<\/a> in 2020, Ami Col\u00e9 initially benefited from a wave of investor enthusiasm around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). That enthusiasm didn\u2019t always translate into long-term support.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of focusing on the healthy, sustainable future of the company and meeting the needs of our loyal fan base,\u201d N\u2019Diaye-Mbaye wrote in a candid essay for The Cut, \u201cI rode a temperamental wave of appraising investors \u2014 some of whom seemed to have an attitude toward equity and \u2018betting big on inclusivity\u2019 that changed its tune, to my ears, from what it sounded like in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compounding the challenge was the pressure of being one of the few Black women to raise significant venture capital.<\/a> Ami Col\u00e9 raised over $3 million, according to PitchBook, backed by firms like G9 Ventures and Greycroft, along with angel investors such as Hannah Bronfman and The Cut Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner, TechCrunch notes.<\/a><\/p>\n

Ami Col\u00e9\u2019s closure comes amid a broader decline in venture funding for Black founders, which, according to<\/a> Crunchbase, has dropped to its lowest level in years at 0.4%. As political backlash against DEI initiatives<\/a> grows louder, long-term investment in Black-owned businesses has become even more difficult to secure.<\/p>\n

The Work Isn\u2019t Over<\/p>\n

Though Ami Col\u00e9 is closing, N\u2019Diaye-Mbaye made it clear that her journey is far from over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still believe in beauty \u2014 at every level \u2014 and I\u2019m looking forward to discovering what comes next,\u201d she wrote in The Cut.<\/p>\n

This chapter may be ending, but the impact Ami Col\u00e9 made, creating space for underrepresented consumers and proving the value of purpose-driven brands, will live on.<\/p>\n