Tristan Walker is becoming, if he’s not already, a household name in Silicon Valley. He’s the founder and CEO of Walker & Company Brands, the startup behind the successful Bevel razor and shaving cream products for people of color.
I first spoke with Walker in December 2013, when he launched his company, while writing for Business Insider. He was in the San Francisco Bay Area and I was in New York, so we could only chat over the phone. So, I was super pumped (proof at bottom of post) to finally meet him IRL for what turned out to be an amazing episode of Bullish.
In today’s episode of Bullish, Walker and I chatted about how personal health and beauty startups fit into Silicon Valley (spoiler: they don’t), getting VCs to back these kinds of startups, misconceptions around Walker & Co. Brand’s market opportunity, and a lot more.
The “funny thing” about Walker & Co. Brands being a niche opportunity is that “it’s not at all,” Walker told me. “We’re targeting a consumer group that’s the majority of the world, if you think about black, Latino, Asian consumers.” And by 2040, they’ll make up the majority of the U.S. Walker went on to say that what he’s doing is actually the opposite of niche.
“If there’s anything I’ve said that I’d like folks to really take with them is, really don’t let your lack of context cloud your judgment,” Walker said. “There are opportunities out there that are significant, and just because you’re not a part of the demographic that we’re serving, doesn’t mean there’s not a significant opportunity.”
Me before the shoot with Tristan Walker
Scroll back up to the top to watch the whole interview. Peace!