Forsee's Innovation Questions Answered

This blog post will provide insight into Forsee's innovation and answer questions that have been asked.

Here are the question and replies.

1. How did you arrive at the innovation to use African-American hair as a resource?

Having over a 30-year background in cosmetology and specializing in Black hair definitely assisted in recognizing some unique attributes of Afro hair. When I entered the cosmetology field in high school, my instructor stated that when a relaxer is applied to Black hair, and the customer is a smoker, the relaxer will change color. This color would transition to white to a green color. The green color was the reaction of the relaxer breaking the outside bonds of the hair shaft. ( the process needed for the coil to transition from a tight coil to straight). After the hair strand is broken, the nicotine captured within the hair strand is released, which is nitrogen-based. What is needed to keep your lawn green and lush? Nitrogen and moisture. The bacteria play a role identical to the relaxer in the sense that it breaks the outside bonds during its efforts of decomposition. Nitrogen is released, as well as other nutrients needed for plant growth.

The second gem dropped is that I would be reluctant to service black women with natural hair because of the excessive time used in drying the hair. It seems that it was impossible to dry completely. I started a farm in 2019. One of my biggest issues was water and the inability of the soil to hold moisture for plant use. The connection is made.

When producing fire-resistant products from Afro hair, I researched what some fire-resistant materials are. My research found that the number one organic fire-resistant material is wool. I grew up with this wooly material on my head before applying relaxers. A connection was made. Both have a high content of nitrogen and water-holding abilities.

2. Are there any considerations involving animal hair?

In business, one of the things to consider is the energy input to produce a product. Sheep Wool is one material that is used in similar ways to Forsee's innovation. The input of wool is much higher when compared to afro hair obtained from barber shops. To attain wool, you must add the components of caring for the sheep. Land, food (grazing the field). Fertilizers (which have increased by 80% and are predicted to increase) could be used to grow forage for food. A strong chemical is needed to clean the wool to remove feces, lice, and other things from sheep living in the outdoor environment. Much less is needed to collect from the Black male. The client walks into the shop and gets a haircut, and the barber collects the hair. Very little energy is needed for cleaning and processing to create a product. The most significant input, in my opinion, at this point is the pick-up and delivery that will be implemented within Foree's black economic growth expeditions.

3. Is there any fear over a possible negative response from the African-American community?

I experienced only one barber reluctant to donate hair. That's a 1% in my experience of collecting Afro hair. I don't think a fear exists in collecting the hair as long as the barbers understand the goal of collecting the hair. I think we live in an era where those superstitions are mostly a thing of the past. I have to laugh because those who have caused me any grief in my life were not by means of obtaining strands of my hair!

4. How does this benefit the African-American community?

Infrastructure has always been a missing component of the Black community. The barbers are the foundation of the community, one the few sources Blacks will rely on each other for a service. The interchange of a black dollar to another black hand, so to speak. But where is the resource that others outside the community rely on and will purchase with its non-black dollars? Infrastructures always have and always will exist in thriving, successful communities. For example, The Chinese are seen as individuals who service nails and own nail shops. Indian sell hair too, and in the Black community. These communities or cultures are sustained and built from the Black dollar. These services are withdrawals from the Black hand or community, there is a need for a deposit at some point, or the account will remain "overdrawn."

Forsee, LLC seeks to produce the "deposit" by purchasing from the black community and producing products and industry. Producing a resource to sell from the Black community produces infrastructure where communities are self-sustaining.