Interview with Thérèse, the founder of KOBA

Who is behind KOBA?

(Thérèse M'Boungoubaya) "It's a very small team, since I am the only person to work 100% on the project. My name is Thérèse, French and Congolese (and also British by adoption), I am 35 years old and have 2 children. I have lived in London for 12 years and I am originally from Amiens in Picardy, where I did my education until the bac, before doing a HEC prep in Paris and join a business school (Sup de Co Reims, now renamed NEOMA Business School).

After my studies, I worked in Paris for a cosmetics brand (Clarins), before going to VIE in Oslo, Norway. I spent 7 months there before arriving in London.

I also have an army of freelancers who help me on a daily basis and two content and web design agencies who are almost an integral part of the team now. My father is also very involved in the project, but more on the upstream part: the sourcing of safou oil in Central Africa."

KOBA, what is it?

(Thérèse) "This is a new brand of skincare moisturizing products, formulated with safou oil. The first collection, The Edges, offers a foot cream, a hand cream and a lip balm.

KOBA is suitable for all skin types: normal, dry and very dry - men and women: because we all need hydration, and extremities like the feet and lips are often forgotten.

When you think of a foot cream, you don't necessarily imagine inspiring products with pleasant textures, delicate scents and pretty packaging that you will want to put on your bedside table or on the shelves of your bathroom. Not to mention the "visible results" which are often difficult to assess... KOBA offers all of this! "

Why "KOBA"?

(Thérèse) "KOBA (nkóbá in Lingala, one of the languages ​​spoken in Congo, where I am from) means "turtle". It is a nod to my nickname "turtle feet", because my skin on my feet is dry and hard. It has always been a complex and that's where I got the idea to create the foot cream which is the flagship of the first collection of KOBA products.

Turtles also have dry skin and they are my favorite animals. Also, our safou oil comes from Central Africa, and I wanted to pay tribute to Africa by choosing this symbolic name.

KOBA is the meeting of African heritage and French expertise."

Why London?

(Thérèse) "I have always wanted to live abroad after my studies. I spent 7 months in Oslo, Norway, before arriving in London. I joined the one who is now my husband.

It was 12 years ago already but I continue to be inspired by this multicultural city where we give everyone a chance, without putting them in boxes! London is a bit the New York of Europe."

And what is your own beauty routine?

(Thérèse) "I do not use makeup every day, but religiously follow a simple routine: I wash my face morning and evening, I hydrate my skin with black seed oil or serum, followed by light moisturizer.

I test a lot of products but I remain loyal to La Roche-Posay and Cerave for facials. Failing to sleep 8 hours a night, I set myself the challenge of drinking at least 2 liters of water per day. I also do a facial at Caudalie's (with Solène from the Camden Passage boutique) and a face-hand-foot reflexology session with Anabel Cutler (Portland Hospital Consulting Rooms) per month.

On the sport side, I do 1 hour of muscle building and 1 hour of dancing per week.

Beauty is above all a question of balance of body and mind."

Not too difficult to combine family life and entrepreneurship?

(Thérèse) "Difficult question... yes and no. Easier than before because I am free to organize my time as I want: I can spend more time with my children if I want to or if there is an emergency at the school / nursery, and I can also work from home!

But I don't have as much free time as I did 12 years ago when I set up my first startup in beauty boxes (Boudoir Privé). Today, I try to have a rhythm that allows me to spend time with my family before 8 am and between 7pm and 9pm - work has to fit in between those times. The good thing is that it forces me to be more productive and organized!"

Can you tell us more about your secret ingredient: safou oil?

(Thérèse) "Safou oil is a vegetable oil which has been used in beauty rituals for women in Central and West Africa for many years. years, but which is still unknown in Europe.

KOBA is the first brand to use safou oil as a cosmetic ingredient in Europe.

This oil is rich in fatty acids and vitamins C and E, which gives it unique antiseptic, antioxidant and anti-aging properties. It has become the main ingredient in our range. Our products are made in France, in collaboration with experts from the French Cosmetic Valley and the best perfumers of Grasse. They contain at least 97% natural ingredients - even the signature scent of the range is natural, we have sought to recreate the natural scent of burnt safflower bark, a unique, elegant and subtle. "

Your Ulule campaign is now launched, who are your first supporters / clients?

(Thérèse) "My first supporters are obviously my family and friends, who were also the first to test KOBA products.

Now that our pre-sales campaign is live on Ulule and that we have exceeded our first level of 200 orders, we also have real KOBA customers with whom I can not wait to exchange!

Our Ulule campaign ends on December 17th, and I hope that we will continue to attract even more new customers so that this project becomes a sustainable business."

Did the health crisis linked to Covid-19 and Brexit have an impact on your activity?

(Thérèse) "I had the idea of ​​creating KOBA in the midst of a health crisis. After doing a market study and questioning those around me about their foot cream needs, I quit my job to devote myself entirely to KOBA.

Like many people, this period was an opportunity to question myself: how I wanted to spend my time, where I wanted to be, etc. I needed to devote myself to a project that made sense to me and to which I would be willing to devote all my time over the next ten years.

Brexit obviously adds challenges: my brand is established in the United Kingdom, my products are made in France and I distribute them in both countries. An administrative headache, of course, but it is only operational. I work with logistics and tax experts to find the right solutions."

Your future plans for KOBA?

(Thérèse) "In the very short term, I will devote myself to our pre-sales campaign on Ulule. Then at the official launch of KOBA next spring - in the UK and in France.

I also want to launch four new products and open orders to the rest of Europe by the end of next year!"

Any advice for a budding entrepreneur?

(Thérèse) "Maybe... do less but better, and above all: take the time to establish a clear and precise brief about your project - because you often only have one chance to convince, and sometimes it all comes down to an email!

Also, do not hesitate to seek advice from people who have done the same thing before you. If you arrive prepared and respectful of their time, they are generally very happy to help!"