Kenyan entrepreneur Suzie Wokabi is helping African women put their best face forward through her cosmetic company, SuzieBeauty Cosmetics.

Since 2011 she has been making products for African women and claims to have Kenya’s first homegrown cosmetics company.

Wokabi, who studied in the U.S, is no stranger to the worlds of fashion and beauty.

Right after graduating from college, she trained at world-famous MAC Cosmetics and completed an intensive media makeup certificate course at the Award Studio Makeup School in Los Angeles.

Wokabi also worked in New York’s fashion and beauty industries from 2001 until 2007, when she returned to her hometown of Nairobi. Today, Wokabi is one of the top local makeup artists in the country.

Recognized for her business acumen, in 2013, she was a finalist for Most Influential Women in Business & Government in Africa. SuzieBeauty was second runner-up in the Trade category of the 2013 Africa Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa; and Wokabi won the 2014 Most Influential Women in Business & Government Awards in the wholesale and retail category for her region. This year she was invited to be a speaker at the Retail Congress Africa in Cape Town.

Oscar Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has become a fan of SuzieBeauty products. She wore SuzieBeauty’s Zamba lipstick on the “Queen Latifah Show” and posted it on her social media.

SuzieBeauty products are available online and in retail outlets in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Kampala, Uganda; Addis Ababa, and Cote D’Ivoire, and will soon be offered in Nigeria and South Africa.

Wokabi talked about beauty and her plans to build a global cosmetics firm with AFKInsider.

AFKInsider: Why did you start of the company?

Suzie Wokabi: SuzieBeauty came from a place of need and frustration based on the state of the retail cosmetics industry. All products I found, either for work or personal use, were imported and overpriced. I decided that with my strong makeup artistry and product development background, I would try to create my own product line to cater to others who needed great quality affordable product in the market.

AFKInsider.com: You worked in beauty and fashion in New York City. How did this experience help you launch and expand your own business?

Suzie Wokabi: It was priceless. Working for well established brands which trained me from scratch, on the job, was perfect for my SuzieBeauty career. Everything really happened for a reason. I also learned a lot from the inside of these international brands operating in the retail space and some issues I have experienced are not different from theirs. That helps to keep me focused on my journey and understand that every company has issues, however big or small, narrowed down to the beauty industry. I understand certain intricacies that no college could ever have taught me. Working with international partners is easier, since I did this on many levels on many continents. Every job and encounter I had–I believe–was leading up to this.

AFKInsider.com: How did you fund the startup?

Suzie Wokabi: After a grueling year of fundraising, we finally found two investment groups as well as a bank loan from Chase Bank to launch the product.

AFKInsider.com: What startup challenges did you have and how did you overcome them?

Suzie Wokabi: Funding was the biggest challenge. The other part of starting up a business and creating the product range were all exciting and fun. Explaining to potential investors, banks, etc. what I was trying to launch into the market was very difficult for them to understand and it took a bunch of open minds to help this initial fundraising round. Never giving up and never getting tired of pitching was my secret to this success.

AFKInsider.com: You studied in the U.S. What prompted you to return to Kenya?

Suzie Wokabi: Coming back home was always that plan or hope. Home is home. I always planned to bring back the experience I gained out there and build my Kenya and its beauty industry.

AFKInsider: Is Kenya helpful to new business?

Suzie Wokabi: Yes, Kenya is helpful and ready for new business. It is a ripe market, and with our young, educated, entrepreneurial population–the sky’s the limit. We have our infrastructure coming into place, support to businesses, international investors are looking in and being attracted…I’m excited for the next few years to see the developments that will come up.

AFKInsider: How do you stand out from your competitors in Kenya?

Suzie Wokabi:  We only compete with international brands. Being Kenya’s first makeup brand, my customer has full access to me so I get immediate feedback in order to react to her needs. Being the decision maker (no red tape or long processes), our partners are happy to do business with us. Our product speaks for itself, since it caters to an underserved market and offers color ranges and textures that work with our target market.

AFKInsider.com: What are some goals for 2016?

Suzie Wokabi: We have just signed on a new partner in order to take SuzieBeauty to the next level. I am so excited for 2016. We will be launching new products — new colors, our skin care range — increasing distribution, perfecting current outlets and distribution.

AFKInsider: What are some long-term goals?

Suzie Wokabi: To go global.

AFKInsider: What has been your most important business lesson?

Suzie Wokabi: How difficult it is to get the right partnerships. Be it investors (we have got this wrong every time, but realize it in hindsight) or distribution partners. Alignment is a simple but life-changing word. I have been forced to be extremely careful and make sure that whoever we deal with, we are aligned with.

AFKInsider.com: What do you enjoy the most about what you do?

Suzie Wokabi: I am a true creative at heart, so all things creative make my blood rush. My forté is product development and public relations. I have always been forced to run parts of the business that I do not enjoy nor am I necessarily good at. With our new partner, I will for the first time be able to have my dream job — chief creative officer and brand ambassador.