Ameka Coleman: Mississippi’s SBA Person of the Year
By Alisha Reese, CMT
JA Health Editor
The celebration continues for Ameka Coleman. She was named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Person of the Year for Mississippi! Coleman is the Founder of Strands of Faith, a successful business manufacturing textured hair products. Her hair-care products are sold in all 50 states and more than 30 countries.
With a background in microbiology and clinical research, Coleman gained a deep awareness of chemicals used in everyday products and their long-term effects on the body. This knowledge and understanding enabled her to recognize a pattern with personal care products, especially those marketed to Black and Brown communities. The realization that many of these products contained harmful or toxic ingredients encouraged her to create something better. Coleman decided to create products that are clean, non-toxic, and intentionally made for us, not as an afterthought, but as a forethought.
It was a pleasure to meet her and learn more about her journey to success. We both smiled because here we are in 2026, two beautiful women of color, rocking our locs and having this conversation.
When I sat down with Coleman at her office in Pearl, Mississippi, we started at the very beginning. She didn’t waste any time, jumping straight into memories of receiving her first relaxer at just five or six years old. From that point on, growing up, she never really experienced her natural hair.
Before college, she had already experienced events in life that deeply impacted her mental and emotional well-being. Those experiences shaped how she showed up in the world. While attending Mississippi State University, a simple thought changed everything. Coleman realized she had never seen her hair in its natural state! That realization led to a beautiful transformation of self-love and healing.
After ten months of transition, she made the decision to do her big chop, seeing her true hair texture for the first time –kinky, coily, folding beautifully onto itself. Coleman described the big chop as more than a physical transformation. She described it as beautiful, freeing, and liberating. In that moment, she reclaimed a sense of control because cutting her hair was a choice she made for herself.
As her awareness deepened, so did her vision. She began documenting her journey on Instagram, stating how returning natural was taboo and not very popular back in 2006. People questioned it. Some even thought it was strange. But Coleman realized the more she shared, something powerful was happening. Other women became curious too. What started as a personal decision began to inspire others. Coleman’s personal and professional paths began to unfold simultaneously.
She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Research Management and began working in hospital systems, including the VA Hospital in Dallas. There, she spent time in the laboratory, working directly with patients, participating in clinical trials, and traveling nationally to ensure studies were conducted in alignment with FDA guidelines. It was during these moments of research and curiosity her mission began to take shape. Coleman was connecting the dots and clearly seeing how intentional God had been in her life. With confidence, she said: “Before I even knew that I wanted to start a business, He was preparing me. When I was in the lab, I had no idea those experiences would one day lead me to formulate all of my own products.”
Coleman explained that every product is developed, created, and manufactured in-house, allowing her to pour love, care, and intention into each step of the process. Her focus on what she calls texture-diverse strands reflects a commitment to serving a global community with curly, coily, and textured hair. But her work does not stop at the product.
She also uses her platform to bring awareness to texturism, a form of discrimination based on hair texture, and to educate others on why these conversations still matter. Her advocacy aligns with efforts such as the CROWN Act, which addresses hair-based bias in professional and public spaces.
Even in the smallest details, her faith remains present. With each purchase, she includes a mustard seed, a quiet but powerful reminder of faith, growth, and the belief that even the smallest beginning can lead to something greater.
In addition to operating a successful small business, Coleman shares business tips to aspiring entrepreneurs. Among these are:
1. Brand with intention, not just aesthetics. Your brand should feel like an experience, not just something people buy.
2. Share the journey, not just the results. People connect with the process, not just the polished version.
3. Confidence is a growth process. Don’t wait to feel ready. Build confidence by showing up.
4. Step into digital marketing early. Organic reach is great, but paid digital helps you scale beyond your local audience.
5. Think beyond your location. Don’t limit your vision to your city. Build with a global mindset.
6. Faith + alignment matter just as much as strategy. Strategy builds the business, but belief sustains it.
7. Create from your lived experience. Her entire brand came from her personal story, not just market trends.
8. Get connected to the right rooms. Obtain certifications and consult with and/or join organizations that open doors. Access matters. Don’t build in isolation. Among the organizations she recommends:
• Small Business Development Center
• Mississippi Development Authority
• Women’s Business Enterprise National Council- WBENC
• National Minority Supplier Development Council – NMSDC
Follow Ameka Coleman and Stands of Faith on her instagram pages:
@strandsoffaith
@amekacolemanceo
