Thibault and Simi Launay, Launching AKIN Minerals, a Supplement Brand for People of Colour

Out of challenging times can come the most powerful solutions. This has been the experience of Thibault and Simi Launay, a family of entrepreneurs who felt that communities of colour were being underserved by the vitamins, minerals and supplements industry. This sparked the development of AKIN Minerals, a brand of vitamins developed specifically for the nutritional requirements of people of colour.

After art, Sini Launay takes on a new challenge with AKIN, a brand of vitamins

www.akinminerals.com Co-Founder and CEO Simi Launay is a British-Nigerian educated as an economist at Queen Mary University in London.

As the global pandemic unfolded, Simi soon found there were two ways she could cope with its terrifying reality; by doing her best to survive in her ongoing role as the Founder of Ungalleried, an online art gallery for emerging artists or facing head on the facts coming to the fore in the world around her.

The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis on AKIN’s brand creation

In lockdown like many of us, she felt the need to connect to the community and understand how the virus was transforming individual lives. As an attentive follower of social, economic and health dynamics, she rapidly became aware that the novel Coronavirus was not impacting all people equally. In the UK, for example, it wasn’t just the elderly or those with pre-existing conditions who were at highest risk. Due to a myriad factors, the highest coronavirus diagnosis rates were among Black and Asian people these ethnic groups were twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than white people, according to a Public Health England report.

Simi Launay wanted to create a supplement that immediately boosts Vitamin D

With a dual cultural identity that made her especially responsive to such headlines and statistics, Simi Launay was driven to create a product that would bolster the overall wellness of people of colour. Low Vitamin D levels were identified as a major contributor to contracting COVID-19, with Vitamin D deficiency cited as leading to a twenty times greater risk of landing in hospital ICU’s. Simi’s solution was to create a supplement that immediately boosts Vitamin D levels, as well as other nutritional requirements, as a head start in building healthier, more resilient communities.

AKIN’s brand was founded to introduce the opportunity of wellness and health for everyone

“Every country, race, and generation face their own unique challenges. We all have a right to optimal health. In my mind AKIN was founded to introduce the opportunity for wellness and health for everyone. I really want AKIN to have a positive impact on people’s lives” Simi Launay declares. 

A new project for the investor Thibault Launay who has already bet on the health sector

Thibault Launay, AKIN’s co-founder, is no stranger to building new projects. A Forbes 30 under 30, both a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, it was obvious to him the Covid-19 pandemic marked a turning point in medical and nutritional practice.  Thibault Launay was the initial backer of Urgence Doctors. With hospital emergency services in France overloaded and having a hard time meeting the demands of so many affected patients, many people who feared contagion were met with successive closing of private clinics. It was obvious to Thibault Launay that Urgence Docteurs could prove a solution in providing highly qualified medical care at home.

No wonder he has been there since day one for AKIN, pitching in on every step of fund-raising, business development, marketing and development strategy.

Thibault Launay declares: ”With Akin, We feel that we can make a difference.”

“It was not just about the healthcare crisis”, Thibault Launay explains. “We (the team and I) wanted to help people get a stronger and healthier immune system. Of course, every person’s body is different — there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. However, most of our customers report a lift in energy, deeper sleep patterns, and reduction in sugar cravings within just one month of use.  And these were very encouraging results. Pairing AKIN rituals with gentle dietary changes can magnify the effects. We felt we could make a difference.”

The nutritional value of vitamins, minerals and supplements is at the heart of AKIN’s products

AKIN products were created to boost the immune systems of people of colour, following the catastrophic – and mostly preventable – loss of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The body is designed to recognise what it needs itself, regardless of the colour of your skin”, says Simi Launay. “Studies have shown that high quality sources of Vitamin D improve health in people of all origins. And AKIN’s quality is of the highest standard.”

“Consumers are the muse, the inspiration and the reason why I built AKIN’s brand” testifies Thibault Launay

Born out of the urgent need to defend humanity in a time when man and nature seemed out of balance, this line of products goes back to the basics in helping our bodies to thrive. “The brand is just taking its first steps in supporting the health of both individuals and a community. It’s this foundation, the blossoming seed, where everything starts – and that’s really exciting. The consumers are the muse, inspiration and reason I built this brand. At the moment, we’re promoting a positive change that literally fits in the palm of your hand.”

AKIN’s brand, currently under development, hopes to offer a complete range of VMS products.

In this black-owned business uniquely responsive to the times, it’s no surprise that its program of daily supplements fuses cutting-edge science with ancient wisdom. Embodying the spirit born of the days of 2020, AKIN looks to the future and to grow and expand into a full line of VMS products.

To be up to date about news and the launch of the brand, sign up at www.akinminerals.com