A Jenkintown Native Won A National Grant For Her Organic Skincare Business

JENKINTOWN, PA — When Alimah Kasumu began developing skin ailments due to years of using products that contain harmful chemicals, the now-20-year-old decided to do something to better her situation, and the situation of others who experience similar problems.

Kasumu, a native of Jenkintown, Montgomery County, started her online business, Muji's Shea Essentials, which offers skincare products using all natural, organic ingredients.

She kicked off her business back in 2017, and last month she became one of 10 individuals across the country to receive $10,000 in grant funding from the National Society of High School Scholars through the organization’s Be More Fund, which provides funding to members and educators who are aspiring for world betterment.

“I’m definitely proud of myself for all the work I put into this,” Kasumu told Patch in an interview Wednesday.

Kasumu spoke about the origins of her business and her applying for the Be More Fund, which grants a total of $100,000 to winners from across the U.S. and celebrated its second year this year.

Late last month, Kasumu traveled to Atlanta, Georgia along with the 14 other finalists to participate in a judged competition to see which 10 winners would be awarded the grant funding.

“All of the applicants had amazing ideas,” she said.

Kasumu, who now resides in Los Angeles, California, where she attends the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, said she was thrilled to be named one of the winners as it recognizes her hard work and dedication.

For Muji's Shea Essentials, she prides herself on using organic ingredients and sustainable packaging.

Her family’s roots are from Nigeria, and Kasumu said she gets many of the ingredients that she uses in her natural products from that country.

Kasumu started her business after she began suffering from alopecia and her sister was suffering from eczema. She began doing some research and realized that many other people suffer from a host of burns, rashes, acne and other skin damage and disorders due to chemical-infused skincare products.

Today, she is proud to offer a line of products that help people who found themselves in similar predicaments.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she came back home to Jenkintown due to remote college learning and she used the opportunity to put more focus on the business. She attributes that extra time with enabling her to become recognized in what eventually became her winning the grant through the Be More Fund.

Since last month’s announcement, Kasumu has made a lot of progress on her business, she said, which includes creating an LLC and setting up her own website domain.