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How Naomi Osaka’s road to business mogul is opening doors for minorities
Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka is not only championing women of color on the court but also in the board room with multiple business ventures. And she’s just getting started.
This includes launching a new media company with LeBron James and her popular skincare line KINLÒ which she started from the ground up.
Historic wins from the 24-year-old American, Haitian, and Japanese tennis superstar brought cultural representation in sports to a whole new level.
Naomi recently lost to Zhang Shuai in Cincinnati back-to-back open match and failed to proceed to the next round. This heartbreaking loss for Osaka and her fans has not fazed a single fan of the cultural icon.
Birth of her grand slam tennis career
Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a father who’s of Haitian-American descent, Naomi is no stranger to the struggles of a mixed-race child.
Documented in the Netflix docu-series titled “Naomi Osaka” is her journey to finding her voice, building a name in tennis, her mental health, and contributing to the changes in post-match conferences.
At just 16, Osaka made her mark in Tennis during her WTA Tour debut back in the 2014 Stanford Classic, when she defeated former US Open champion Samantha Stosur.
At 24 years old, Osaka is the 20th highest paid athlete according to Sportico with a net worth of $53.2 million.
What with her own skincare line and major deals with big brands such as Nissan, Tag Heuer, and Louis Vuitton, Naomi’s all set to continuously dominate more than her beloved sports.
Acing outside the court
True to her role as a cultural icon, Naomi Osaka ventured to break old myths and stigmas about skincare by launching her own skincare line catered to melanated skin just like hers, KINLÒ.
Debunking skin myths that are harmful to melatonin-rick skins, KINLÒ ensures their brand and their products go beyond the promise of healthy glowing skin.
Growing an inclusive and informed community is only just one of Osaka’s many accomplishments.
Sharing the glow with student-athletes
Naomi Osaka recently signed 5 student-athletes with their #GlowOutside campaign.
These five student-athletes are Deja Kelly (UNC women’s basketball), Reilyn Turner (UCLA women’s soccer), Robert Dillingham (Kentucky men’s basketball), Xolani Hodel (Stanford women’s beach volleyball), and Ziyah Leigh Holman (Michigan women’s track and field).
“I’m so excited to partner with these amazing student-athletes to help spread awareness for our Glow Outside campaign. As young, influential voices in the space, they are the perfect fit to help champion such an important initiative and as a brand, we couldn’t be prouder to empower and support NCAA athletes.”
Naomi Osaka, Forbes
These five student-athletes are the perfect brand ambassadors for Osaka’s KINLÒ suncare line as they prove to their communities the benefits of using sun protection during their sports seasons and year-round day-to-day activities.
Media company to cryptocurrencies
Naomi also recently launched her own media company in partnership with Lebron James through The SpringHill company.
With the goal of providing media platforms to people of color (POC) student-athletes and increasing their media representation. Osaka also launched Evolve, an athlete representation agency.
“There has been an explosion of creators of color finally being equipped with resources and a huge platform. In the streaming age, content has a more global perspective. You can see this in the popularity of television from Asia, Europe and Latin America that the unique can also be universal. My story is a testament to that as well.”
Naomi Osaka, CNBC
An unstoppable future for Naomi
Going beyond medals and trophies, Naomi Osaka has shown the world how inspiring stories are built and how a huge platform as big as hers can be used to do great things for others with their own stories to tell.
Naomi Osaka may have captivated the world with her beast tennis skills, but she is conquering it one community, one company, and one mission at a time. From women’s tennis, crypto, Evolve, and, for now at least, KINLÒ, there is no stopping Naomi Osaka from collecting victories.
It’s no longer just about representation for Naomi Osaka. It is now amplifying the many voices of minorities just like herself.