Excellence award for trailblazing London entrepreneur
CBC
Angella Kyabaggu brought Black hair care products to London 24 years ago, and is now being celebrated for her hard work as an entrepreneur with a Black Excellence Award from W.E.A.N. Community Centre.
"At that time, there was no one serving the community with any products or care for black hair care," Kyabaggu said.
"Most of the time I would have to drive to other cities like Detroit, Toronto and other areas to get the product, and it was quite an inconvenience to go to these areas," she remembered. "I saw the need there to bring this to the London area."
Kyabaggu, who moved to the city from Grenada in the '80s, said that it made a huge difference to women in London when she opened K-Laba Hair and Beauty Supplies, helping them save time. They no longer need to drive hours to get hair care products, claiming that anything that they're looking for can be found in her shop.
She now has two stores in London as well as a Burlington location. She previously opened shops in Hamilton and Woodstock as well.
The business was initially aimed at the Black community with hair and skin care products but now serves all women, as Kyabaggu pointed out that some are undergoing chemotherapy or dealing with alopecia, a hair loss disorder.
This isn't Kyabaggu's only career -- she works in healthcare too, and her ability to juggle both is what landed her the Black Excellence Award, along with the longevity of her retail business.
However, maintaining two careers in the last 24 years has been no small feat.
"It hasn't been easy," she said. "I would definitely say that for sure, but I've been a hard working mother and nurse and entrepreneur. I find ways to balance it."
Kyabaggu offered some wisdom for others wanting to be an entrepreneur too:
"The advice that I would have is: go after your goal, believe in yourself and don't ever think that you can't do it because there is always challenges, but you can always make it if you work really hard because hard work does pay off."
Kyabaggu will receive the award at the Black Excellence Gala on Dec. 11 in London, presented by the W.E.A.N. Community Centre, which stands for "Where wE Are Now."
This story was originally published on May 28, 2024.
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