\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby Janee Bolden <\/p>\n
July 15, 2026<\/p>\n
The Steam Bar became the first Black British-owned company accepted into\u00a0Sephora\u2019s\u00a0Accelerate\u00a0program.<\/p>\n
This spring,\u00a0The\u00a0Steam Bar\u00a0Founder and CEO\u00a0Judy\u00a0Koloko<\/strong>\u00a0traveled to Atlanta to celebrate the brand\u2019s recent addition to Sephora at The Dirty Tea, a Black woman-owned tea room<\/a>. The\u00a0British-Nigerian\u00a0entrepreneur\u00a0launched her brand after making the tough decision to leave\u00a0behind a thriving career in fashion to\u00a0pursue her vision of launching a premium haircare brand. \u00a0<\/p>\n Already accomplished in the fashion\u00a0industry,\u00a0Koloko left behind a\u00a0career that\u00a0included dinners with Karl Lagerfeld\u00a0and\u00a0relationships with influential figures such as\u00a0Anna Wintour and\u00a0Miuccia\u00a0Prada.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my mid-40s, I pivoted,\u201d\u00a0Koloko\u00a0explained during\u00a0the\u00a0launch event. \u201cI\u00a0had an amazing career. I\u2019ve traveled the world.\u00a0I gave it all up because I thought this is going to be bigger than all that. And this has got more purpose for me.\u201d<\/p>\n It was\u00a0actually\u00a0Koloko\u2019s\u00a0travels for work that helped inspire her vision for\u00a0The Steam Bar<\/strong>. On many of her journeys, she found it difficult to find Black haircare products<\/a>. Unable to find what she was looking for,\u00a0Koloko\u00a0began making plans to create her own line of products.<\/p>\n \u201cI literally walked into Selfridges with just my laptop and said, \u2018I\u2019ve got this idea,\u201d\u00a0Koloko\u00a0recalled. After sitting down and explaining her vision \u2014 quality haircare that didn\u2019t just treat hair but also focused on scalp health \u2014 the department store determined it would be the birthplace of The Steam Bar brand. \u201cThey said, \u2018Please don\u2019t go and see Harrods, we want you to launch exclusively with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Koloko\u00a0says executives at Selfridges told her that they\u2019d not seen a proposition like hers in years.\u00a0The brand first launched exclusively in Selfridges at the end\u00a0of 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s how this all came to be,\u201d\u00a0Koloko\u00a0said. \u201cI won a spot in the Sephora Accelerate Program in January 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n The Steam Bar became the first Black British-owned company accepted into\u00a0Sephora\u2019s\u00a0Accelerate\u00a0program<\/strong>.\u00a0Following the program\u2019s completion in June 2025, Sephora invited the brand to join its assortment.\u00a0The brand launched in April online, with six products: a clarifying shampoo for oily scalp and buildup, created specifically with curly hair in mind; a scalp and hair hydrating conditioner for dry, curly hair; a scalp microbiome balance serum for thinning hair;\u00a0a detox scalp mask; a satin bonnet; and the brand\u2019s crown jewel, a microwaveable steam cap that is currently sold out online.\u00a0<\/p>\n With Sephora providing a foothold in the U.S. market,\u00a0Koloko\u00a0has already set her sights on Atlanta, a city she views as both a cultural epicenter for Black hair and a natural home for The Steam Bar\u2019s experiential retail concept.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAtlanta has always been the hub for Black hair,\u201d\u00a0Koloko\u00a0said. \u201cI think the people here deserve what we\u2019re creating. Our experiences are insane. When The Steam Bar experience was in Selfridges, I had people messaging me saying, \u2018I have had amazing haircare experiences in my life, but this exceeded anything that I have ever imagined.\u2019 It\u2019s not just about the amazing haircare treatment; it\u2019s the service, it\u2019s about the education, it\u2019s about being part of the community, and ultimately, it\u2019s about feeling good about yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n That sense of self-confidence is a vital part of\u00a0The Steam Bar\u2019s brand ethos. The vibrant green and gold packaging is not only an ode to\u00a0Koloko\u2019s\u00a0Nigerian roots. Each product also bears the brand\u2019s signature tagline: What Lies Beneath. While the mantra is fitting because the products are specifically designed for scalp care,\u00a0Koloko\u00a0revealed that the message also carries a deeper meaning.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not about your hijab, your wig, your protective hair covering your scalp, whatever it is you\u2019re putting on your scalp; it should go deeper than that,\u201d\u00a0Koloko, who is a proud wig wearer, declared. \u201cWhat lies beneath should be, \u2018Who am I? What is my purpose? What is my calling?\u2019 What this mission is about is us loving ourselves, honoring our crown.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to her goal of helping to inspire self-confidence in others,\u00a0Koloko\u00a0says she was\u00a0also inspired\u00a0by her children. The mother of two said she is driven\u00a0to leave a legacy for her son, currently in college (\u201con scholarship,\u201d she notes proudly)\u00a0and\u00a0her\u00a0daughter,\u00a0now\u00a031.\u00a0When her daughter was only\u00a09 months old,\u00a0she suffered a\u00a0fall that triggered a\u00a0brain bleed and spent three months in intensive care.\u00a0Her daughter lives with\u00a0cerebral palsy, blindness, and epilepsy,\u00a0but her strength and determination\u00a0have proven to be another source of\u00a0motivation for\u00a0Koloko.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s blind, and she\u2019s epileptic, but she is a gladiator,\u201d\u00a0Koloko\u00a0said. \u201cShe is the reason I am the woman I am today. My ultimate mission is\u00a0actually to\u00a0build a care home, which will be her legacy. Everything that\u2019s happening here today is\u00a0actually for\u00a0a bigger cause. It\u2019s\u00a0really about\u00a0creating something for people who have no voice.\u201d<\/p>\n Koloko\u00a0tasted success throughout her corporate career, but she says she\u2019s never felt so fulfilled as she has in the last seven years, while building The Steam Bar.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Steam Bar is my calling, and it\u2019s more because I know if I make this as big as I believe, then it will impact the people that really care. I\u2019ve built something that\u2019s all about people being seen, people deserving and people belonging somewhere, but having a child with such complex needs, I know that this mission is\u00a0actually bigger\u00a0than that.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED CONTENT: Meet The British Woman Creating Waterproof Scarves For Black Swimmers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Janee Bolden July 15, 2026 The Steam Bar became the first Black British-owned company accepted into\u00a0Sephora\u2019s\u00a0Accelerate\u00a0program. This spring,\u00a0The\u00a0Steam Bar\u00a0Founder and CEO\u00a0Judy\u00a0Koloko\u00a0traveled to Atlanta to celebrate the brand\u2019s recent addition to Sephora at The Dirty Tea, a Black woman-owned tea room. The\u00a0British-Nigerian\u00a0entrepreneur\u00a0launched her brand after making the tough decision to leave\u00a0behind a thriving career in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10666],"tags":[7097,8482,3107,3898,26275,26276,13043,10973],"class_list":["post-36621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reparations","tag-bar","tag-brand","tag-enters","tag-haircare","tag-judykolokos","tag-sephora","tag-steam","tag-women-entrepreneurs"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",0,0,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",0,0,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",0,0,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",150,150,false],"medium":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",300,300,false],"large":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",1024,1024,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",1536,1536,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",2048,2048,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",370,265,false],"kava-thumb-s":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",150,85,false],"kava-thumb-s-2":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",230,230,false],"kava-thumb-m":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",400,400,false],"kava-thumb-m-vertical":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",370,500,false],"kava-thumb-m-2":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",570,450,false],"kava-thumb-l":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",1170,650,false],"kava-thumb-xl":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",1920,1080,false],"kava-thumb-masonry":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",600,999,false],"kava-thumb-justify":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",640,640,false],"kava-thumb-justify-2":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2026\/07\/IMG_4813.jpeg",1280,640,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"#RiseCelestialStudios","author_link":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/author\/ralph-c\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"REPARATIONS NEWS<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"by Janee Bolden July 15, 2026 The Steam Bar became the first Black British-owned company accepted into\u00a0Sephora\u2019s\u00a0Accelerate\u00a0program. This spring,\u00a0The\u00a0Steam Bar\u00a0Founder and CEO\u00a0Judy\u00a0Koloko\u00a0traveled to Atlanta to celebrate the brand\u2019s recent addition to Sephora at The Dirty Tea, a Black woman-owned tea room. The\u00a0British-Nigerian\u00a0entrepreneur\u00a0launched her brand after making the tough decision to leave\u00a0behind a thriving career in…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36621"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36623,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36621\/revisions\/36623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Who is Judy Koloko?<\/h2>\n
So, What is The Steam Bar?<\/h2>\n
A Glimpse Into Judy Koloko\u2019s Life<\/h2>\n