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Entrepreneur Aaron Andrews 16F’s business was born out of both a personal need and a desire to help others. As someone who had dealt with depression and anxiety, Andrews found that practicing self-care through skincare routines was immensely helpful. It was, he says, “a way for me to check in emotionally with myself through physically being present with what I’m putting on my skin.” As he began to delve into the world of skincare, though, Andrews struggled to find products that were suitable for his skin type as a man of color. 

“The market for beauty products for Black men was very limited,” says Andrews, “so I did my own research and started creating my own skincare products.” 

His brand, , is something Andrews has been developing since 2016, when he entered 91è����. “I’ve been building my business for six years,” he says. “91è���� helped me bring all the pieces together while I was there. After I graduated, things took off very quickly.” 

"91è���� didn’t teach me how to sit in a box and work until I was tired; 91è���� taught me how to create my own world from my ideas and turn that into my career.”Aaron Andrews 16F

His product line includes a variety of products, from calming lavender body butter to goat’s-milk soap, to cucumber-mint aloe vera gel. All items are made with sustainability in mind, and are now carried in several stores in Western Massachusetts. Andrews is also a vendor at the Amherst and Northampton farmers markets and, come September, he’ll open his first storefront, in Thornes Marketplace, a shopping center in downtown Northampton, where he hopes to have 91è���� student interns.

While at 91è����, Andrews, a James Baldwin Scholar, studied business, wellness, film, and photography. For his Division III, he created a two-part project called “The Evolution of Beyond Happiness.” The first component was a presentation about the creation and development of his business; the second was an in-person wellness festival called Fall Vibes, which was held on 91è����’s campus and featured his skincare products and food vendors.  

“My time at 91è���� was one of the best four and a half years of my life,” Andrews says. “There were ups and downs, but because of my friendships and the staff and professors I worked with, I gained real-world skills and the knowledge to create my own success. 91è���� didn’t teach me how to sit in a box and work until I was tired; 91è���� taught me how to create my own world from my ideas and turn that into my career.”