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'Against All Odds: From the Projects to the Penthouse'

On this edition of In Black America, producer/host John L. Hanson Jr. speaks with Mahisha Dellinger, CEO and Founder ofCURLS Inc., and author of ‘Against All Odds: From the Projects to the Penthouse.’

Dellinger, life in the rough streets of Sacramento, California was paving the way for a lifetime of poverty, despair and dysfunction. But while criminals ran rampant, gangs took over, and her own relatives chose drugs over dreams, Dellinger knew she was destined for something greater. Rewriting her story Determined to write a different ending to her story, Dellinger set out to alter her destiny, through college and hard work. But her dreams were bigger than just a 9-5 job and she worked tirelessly to pursue her passion of owning her own hair care business.

Dellinger created CURLS out of her frustration with the lack of effective products for natural and curly hair. As a beauty advocate and product innovator, Dellinger pioneered the newly natural hair market in 2002 when she launched CURLS, a family of award-winning organic hair care products targeted for women embracing their natural textures, a market previously unanswered by the beauty industry.

Today, Dellinger's astute business acumen and natural talent for delivering market driven products has made CURLS into a multi-million dollar brand that continues to experience tremendous growth.  As a "Modern Day Madame C.J. Walker," Dellinger has singlehandedly built a strong demand for CURLS in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Africa and the United Kingdom.  The company has multi-channel distribution, including retail, where CURLS products can be found nationwide in Target, Sally's Beauty Supply, Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, CVS and Duane Reed.  CURLS also has a strong presence with countless professional salon retailers and boutiques across the United States.

John L. Hanson is the producer and host of the nationally syndicated radio series In Black America. It’s heard on home station KUT Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m., as well as weekly on close to 20 stations across the country. The weekly podcast of IBA, the only nationally broadcast black-oriented public affairs radio program, is one of KUT’s most popular podcasts.