HE ESCAPED WAR, HUSTLED IN HARLEM, AND CREATED A TOP SKIN CARE BRAND: THE SAGA OF SUNDIAL

I grew up in Liberia at a very tumultuous time, a very violent time. We had our first set of riots that really shook the country when I was 10 years old. We had those riots in ’79, and then the following year we had the coup d’état. Just extremely violent.

Did it affect your family directly?

Very directly and very personally. We lost a lot of extended family members, but a lot of painful things happened in my immediate family during that period as well. I grew up seeing how cruel humans could be to one another. I think that shaped a lot of my sense of fairness.

Did you think, “I’ve gotta get the hell out of here”?

It really wasn’t “I’ve gotta get the hell out of here” as much as “What is causing all of this?” And what role can I play, and what can I do? I became very sort of socially active, more active around students’ rights, education rights. Back then, teachers beat the students. I didn’t think that was right. I was very vocal about that, so I got beaten a lot. I saw the inequalities and injustices around women and economics.