Meet Michelle Johnson (Amtu) of Amtu Hair Art & Tools in Miracle Mile

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Johnson (Amtu).

Michelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am the founder and CEO of Amtu Hair Art & Tools, we design and sell hair accessories and styling tools. My pathway into the small business world started off doing small market festivals, my goal was to provide a platform for artists and small business owners from underserved communities to sell their work. I then acquired a space in the Leimert Park area. I wanted to develop this space into a cooperative boutique where it would be run by various artisans and POC business students interested in learning about establishing an organization. Due to the construction and major changes going on in the community, it was a challenge to establish foot traffic, many of the other businesses in the community were suffering from that, so I decided to do a market festival in front of my store, I did them previously and it went well, so I thought it would be best to apply it in this circumstance. The market festivals were successful and growing, however, I needed to make a decision where I would either focus on hosting events or go further into social entrepreneurship and developing my own products.

At this early stage, it would’ve been difficult to do both. So, I decided to begin the journey of developing my business and focusing on creating a product design company that specialized in hair accessories and styling tools for a variety of hair types and textures. Natural hair has been a major part of my journey, I have had the same hairstylist since I was 13. In the African American culture, hair is said to be connected to our glory, and over time it appeared to be a big part of many of our experiences both presently and historically, which is why the upsurge in the natural hair movement was so much more than just about hair it was about loving our selves completely in every detail of our beautiful uniqueness. My hair stylist whom I sought out when I was thirteen, now works with me and is a part of my current work team. I also wanted to incorporate in my business the arts, filmmaking and traveling, which were other passions I held.

There are a variety of professional and personal experiences I drew from to develop my business and brand initially. I drew from my academic experiences, where I previously lived in Kathmandu, Nepal and did graduate field studies as well as advise on a UNDP project. During that time, I established enduring relationships, which eventually transformed into working networks of whom I work with to this day in the design process of my products. All of these experiences and passions were recipes for my new business venture. Nonetheless, I didn’t want to abandon my desire to contribute towards a social good and something that was near and dear to my heart, so I also created an arts foundation which would be affiliated with my product design company. It took some time for me to establish my company and those who would play critical roles within its infrastructure, especially since it would be across continents. I was also lucky enough to come across Shymi Fonseka, who started as my intern and has since become an invaluable contributor especially with her global perspective on fashion and marketing.

I work with an amazing team, which includes Luwana Jean, our natural hair specialist, Vanessa Gonzalez our photographer, Ruby Flores our media specialist who is also an amazing filmmaker, in addition to Meranda and Arianna Scott who are content contributors and brand ambassadors. Our goal as a company is to not only create aesthetically pleasing items but also truly functional styling tools, particularly for women who want to embrace their natural gorgeous hair, and for naturalistas who are transitioning into their new and exciting hair journeys. Although we are a product design company, our brand focuses on encouraging women to embrace themselves, to love being in their own company, and to explore their many layers as individuals and, as multidimensional beings.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a completely smooth path, there have been major learning curves along the road. It has been a challenge and an invaluable experience to work across continents and with individuals who literally live on the other side of the world, however, the end results are always spectacular. As for being an entrepreneur in this tech-savvy era, it is also a great challenge to keep up with all the media-tech and integrated marketing and algorithms; as well as to staying on top of the best practices and approaches to making your products and brand more accessible. It’s so essential to have a great team behind you to manage all these aspects.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Amtu Hair Art & Tools – what should we know?
We are a product design company that specializes in hair accessories and styling tools. I am the CEO of the company, I also design many of the products. I believe we do truly curate a beautiful collection of accessories, however, I love how we incorporate functionality in our original designs and products. I am extremely proud of our Hair Weight tool. It is an original design that I invented literally out of necessity. I integrated the functionality with the aesthetics, allowing women/men to wear a hair accessory that would concurrently style their hair by elongating the curls. The entire aspect of being an inventor and undertaking the patent process was journey in itself. As a compay, I believe drawing from the best aspects of our roots and culture and transforming that into innovation is what sets us apart from others. I also love developing other business ventures and projects, especially when related to bridging cultures and incorporating innovative and artisanal works.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe the integration of culture and blending that with design and innovation is one of our great characteristics. I believe the way we work well as a team is also an aspect of our success, respecting the expertise and crafts of our colleagues, and allowing that to flow.

Contact Info:

• Address: Almost Studios, 1288 S. La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA — & — Amtu Hair Art &Tools HQ, 5158 Clareton Dr, Suite 1464, Agoura Hills, CA
• Website: www.amtuhairtools.com
• Phone: 323-388-5117
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @amtuhairtools
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amtuhairtools/

Image Credit:
Vanessa Gonzalez, Shymi Foneseka

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