— Fair trade shea butter brand opens flagship office in D.C. to meet rapid growth demands —
Rahama Wright, Founder and CEO of Shea Yeleen
Washington, DC — Shea Yeleen International (SYI), Inc., a social enterprise dedicated to empowering women in West Africa and in the United States through the production and sales of shea butter based products, is set to open the doors to their first office in Washington, DC; in the heart of H Street NE. A grand opening will be held on Tuesday, November 17th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm in their brand new office, located at 417 H Street NE, Suite #2. Invited Guests Include: Marcus Jadotte, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry & Analysis and Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Director of the Peace Corps.
SYI, Inc., is aggressively and actively pioneering change for women producers of shea butter and start-up entrepreneurs and their communities.
The new SYI, Inc. office will act as the primary working space for its employees and founder and will also act as a retail location and event space. To further its mission, SYI, Inc., will also utilize the space to strengthen its commitment to the local community, by partnering with the H Street NE Main Street, a nonprofit dedicated to the H Street renaissance, SYI, Inc., hopes to embrace the community needs, while providing support through community service projects including Taste of H ST an annual fundraiser for the J.O. Wilson Elementary School. The company also plans to host regular events for local artists and vendors, to further enrich the community with home-grown artisans.
“Shea Yeleen International’s mission is to not only promote sustainable economic advancement in developing countries, it is also to bring outstanding natural products and services that improves lives and our communities,” stated Rahama Wright, Founder and CEO of Shea Yeleen.
Currently, Shea Yeleen products are available in more than 100 Whole Foods Markets in the North Atlantic, North East, and Mid-Atlantic regions, in various independent accounts across the country, and online via the company’s website; www.SheaYeleen.com. The company has also received investment from the Pan African Investment Company.
For more information on Shea Yeleen products, local in-store events, interview requests or general inquiries, please feel free to reach out to: Michelle A. Pascal at MAP Unlimited PR; michelle@mapunlimitedpr.com, 917-715-3659
About Shea Yeleen
Shea Yeleen International is a unique social enterprise that includes a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a commercial entity that sells high-quality, unrefined shea butter products. SHEA YELEEN’S social impact is to help women turn shea seeds into shea butter in a safe working environment providing
them living wages. This means 5 times the daily minimum wage in Ghana. Additionally, Shea Yeleen works hand in hand with women cooperative members to provide them with, training on seed sorting, reducing labor intensity and hazards, building production facilities that are outfitted with tools, electricity and running water; which is accessible to the entire community and access to health insurance.
About Rahama Wright
Rahama Wright is a social entrepreneur working to innovate the shea butter supply chain in West Africa. In 2005, Ms. Wright launched Shea Yeleen International, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports women-owned cooperatives in West Africa, and provides training on quality assurance and micro-enterprise development. With a vision to develop an integrative a sustainable supply chain, Ms. Wright created Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty, LLC in 2012, a for-profit sister organization that markets and distributes high quality skincare products. Rahama is a leading voice on African women’s economic and business development she has spoken at the United Nations Thematic Debate on Entrepreneurship for Development, the Secretary of State Global Diaspora Forum, and the Congressional Black Caucus Conference. In 2014, she completed her first round of private equity investment with the Pan African Investment Company. She currently serves as an advisor to entrepreneurs in the Johns Hopkins University’s Social Innovation Lab. Additionally, in 2014 she was appointed to President Obama’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa. Ms. Wright received her BA in International Relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali.
For media information, please contact Michelle A. Pascal at MAP Unlimited PR; michelle@mapunlimitedpr.com, 917-715-3659
For sales and partnerships information, please contact Teneasha Pierson at tpierson@sheayleen.com, 202-759-4944
PRESS CONTACT:
MAP Unlimited, Inc.
Michelle A. Pascal
917-715-3659
Michelle@mapunlimitedpr.com
