Two Carleton graduates are changing the hair game, one kink and curl at a time.
Meron Berhe and John Eke are the creators behind Bantu, a free smartphone application connecting black women with local hairstylists.
“You shouldn’t feel like you’re different because of your hair,” Eke said, who runs the Ottawa-based company alongside partners Berhe and Richard Kyereboah Jr.
Eke came to Carleton from Nigeria and graduated in 2009 with a degree in computer systems engineering.
During his time at Carleton, he said he saw the struggles other international students faced while trying to find hair stylists.
“I had female friends who would come to me often asking if I knew hair stylists,” Eke said.
The 32-year-old founder said he saw a niche in the hair market, and thus, the idea for Bantu was born.
There are currently an estimated 10,000 users and 400 hairstylists across several countries connected on Bantu, which is named after the bantu knots hairstyle. The app’s latest version was launched in May.
“No matter what your hair is like, you are able to find somebody to deal with it. And it is beautiful,” Berhe said.
Berhe, an Ottawa-native who has two degrees from Carleton and now oversees Bantu’s public relations and marketing, started wearing her hair naturally four years ago.
The 31-year-old said one misconception some may have about the app is that it is just for black women with natural hair.
“You don’t have to be a black woman to use the app,” Berhe said. “If you’re looking for someone to do a braid . . . you can still find that person on the app.”
Blessing Oruma, a fourth-year communications student, is the founder and owner of Elebeaute, an online store for weaves, extensions, braids and other hair products. Oruma also provides hair styling services at her home and is featured on Bantu.
“[With Bantu] I’ve been able to get . . . brand visibility because a number of people are on the app,” Oruma said.
Eke and Berhe say the company’s next steps may include adding the ability to book appointments and pay for them directly in the app, as well as adding better reviews of the hair stylists and salons.
The app currently works on Apple devices running iOS 8.0 or higher, and is available in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Bantu isn’t available on Android yet.
Habil Mitiku, a third-year communications student at Carleton, said she could see herself using the app. Growing up, Mitiku said she would straighten her hair every day due to the pressures of being in a school where curls were seen as different.
Mitiku’s first hair stylist experience was in Grade 5. “I broke their brush,” she said. “They said ‘I’m sorry we can’t do your hair’ halfway through. That is what makes it hard for a black girl to feel confident.”
Mitiku said she trusts her friends and family to help style her curls.
“I can say I am truly at peace with my hair,” Mitiku said. “I love my hair now. It’s all about accepting yourself and that includes your hair.”
