A Black founder and CEO is receiving praise for being at the helm of merging the two worlds of basketball and hair care.
Monique Rodriguez, the founder of the popular hair care line Mielle, is now the official marketing partner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). It marks the first time the league has collaborated with a natural hair care line.
“We’re excited to partner with the WNBA to celebrate the best women’s basketball talent in the world,” President at Mielle Omar Goff wrote in a press statement obtained by AfroTech. “Mielle was founded by queen Monique Rodriguez and is committed to ensuring the queens on the court have superior products to confidently embrace their natural hair beauty. Mielle was built on the foundation of providing high quality, natural products for textured hair. The WNBA partnership enables Mielle to empower players through exceptional hair care.”
The statement further reads that the partnership – to extend for multiple years – will introduce WNBA players to new products while empowering women with tentpole events and WNBA-themed marketing programs.
Mielle has also been named an associate partner of WNBA Live presented by U.S. Bank and will participate in a campaign to promote the brand while increasing brand exposure of the league’s media partners.
“The WNBA is excited to partner with Mielle, a brand that is committed to empowering women and supporting women’s sports,” WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison said. “This year’s WNBA Live in Las Vegas will not only give us the chance to celebrate our game, but also the opportunity to tip off this dynamic partnership with Mielle.”
Mielle’s partnership with the WNBA officially began July 15 at the 2023 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
Rodriguez is a registered nurse, wife and mother of two girls, “who desired to share her healthy hair journey using products with healthy ingredients to achieve amazing results. She knew the importance of knowing what is in your products and wanted to create healthier options for the whole family. The result is a brand that delivers products that contain natural ingredients and are effective,” according to a statement on Mielle’s website.
Congratulations, Monique!
