Chicago breast cancer survivor builds natural haircare empire
In a twist of fate, Donaldson lost her hair during chemotherapy. It prompted her to create a new hair care line called Miracle RepaiRx, which is designed to restore hair. “When my hair grew back from cancer, it was dry, brittle and very patchy,” Donaldson said. “So, I went back into the lab to develop something with new ingredients that were more powerful when it came to hair growth.” Looking back, Donaldson believes her grueling schedule of holding down a day job and hustling on the side contributed to her health crisis. It’s something she reflects on in her new book: “This is Only a Test: What Breast Cancer Taught Me About Faith, Business, Love and Hair.” She hopes it starts a conversation about self-care. Donaldson has also launched the TGIN Foundation to raise awareness about breast cancer risks among women of color under age 40.
Crain's 2019 Notable Women In Manufacturing
Chris-Tia Donaldson launched Chicago-headquartered hair-products company Thank God It’s Natural in 2009 while working at Oracle, where the Harvard Law School graduate was senior corporate counsel for 10 years. In 2016, Donaldson was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at the age of 36 and suffered complete hair loss from chemotherapy treatments. In 2018, she launched Miracle RepaiRx, a collection of hair-restoration products that has doubled Thank God It’s Natural’s business. The multimillion-dollar company’s products are carried by national retailers including Target, Amazon, Walmart and Ulta. In 2018, she launched the TGIN Foundation, a nonprofit that raises awareness of breast cancer in women under 40, advocates for breast cancer patients and raises funds for breast cancer patient services.
Chicago breast cancer survivor builds natural haircare empire
In a twist of fate, Donaldson lost her hair during chemotherapy. It prompted her to create a new hair care line called Miracle RepaiRx, which is designed to restore hair. “When my hair grew back from cancer, it was dry, brittle and very patchy,” Donaldson said. “So, I went back into the lab to develop something with new ingredients that were more powerful when it came to hair growth.” Looking back, Donaldson believes her grueling schedule of holding down a day job and hustling on the side contributed to her health crisis. It’s something she reflects on in her new book: “This is Only a Test: What Breast Cancer Taught Me About Faith, Business, Love and Hair.” She hopes it starts a conversation about self-care. Donaldson has also launched the TGIN Foundation to raise awareness about breast cancer risks among women of color under age 40.
Crain's 2019 Notable Women In Manufacturing
Chris-Tia Donaldson launched Chicago-headquartered hair-products company Thank God It’s Natural in 2009 while working at Oracle, where the Harvard Law School graduate was senior corporate counsel for 10 years. In 2016, Donaldson was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at the age of 36 and suffered complete hair loss from chemotherapy treatments. In 2018, she launched Miracle RepaiRx, a collection of hair-restoration products that has doubled Thank God It’s Natural’s business. The multimillion-dollar company’s products are carried by national retailers including Target, Amazon, Walmart and Ulta. In 2018, she launched the TGIN Foundation, a nonprofit that raises awareness of breast cancer in women under 40, advocates for breast cancer patients and raises funds for breast cancer patient services.
Black Women Are More Likely to Die From Cancer — How This CEO and Cancer Survivor Is Changing That
Today as the Founder and CEO of Thank God It’s Natural (tgin), a natural hair and skin care company, Donaldson is an accomplished advocate for Black women’s wellness in more ways than one. After having found success in the beauty space through tgin, in 2015, she was diagnosed with breast cancer — and while battling it, learned of the role that race and socioeconomic status play in determining women’s health outcomes. (In Chicago, where Donaldson lives and received treatment, for instance, Black women are 42 percent more likely to die from breast cancer compared to white women.) Now, through her company’s sister tgin Foundation, she’s taking a grassroots approach to ensuring that Black women not only survive, but thrive following a cancer diagnosis.
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"Breast cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence"
Chris-Tia Donaldson, Breast Cancer Survivor and CEO Of the tgin Foundation
Chris-Tia Donaldson, Breast Cancer Survivor and CEO of tgin Foundation
Thank God It's Natural to host 3rd Annual 'Cocktails For The Cure' breast cancer fundraiser
Thank God It’s Natural will hold its’ annual breast cancer fundraiser on Friday, October 25 at Loft on Lake in Chicago to raise funds for uninsured women undergoing cancer treatment and the TGIN Waiting Room Renovation Project. Breast Cancer Survivor and CEO of Thank God It’s Natural Chris-Tia Donaldson is hosting the cocktail party in conjunction with her nonprofit,The TGIN Foundation. Donaldson stopped by the ABC7 studio to talk about this year’s event.
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