Though Colin Kaepernick has been setting his sights on a return to the NFL, he’s certainly been keeping himself busy in the meantime.
The former San Francisco 49ers and social justice activist recently joined forces with tennis star Naomi Osaka for Kinlò, her functional suncare brand formulated specifically for people with melanated skin. He will now be joining alongside Osaka, A-Frame co-founders Hill Harper and Ari Bloom, plus Osaka’s agent Stuart Duguid.
According to the Kinlò website, “Designed for Black and Brown skin tones, Kinlò products are formulated with natural ingredients like jojoba seed oil, hemp seed and green tea to address common melanated skin concerns.”
“I am honored to join Naomi and her amazing KINLÒ team of diverse and experienced leaders as the company works to grow a responsible business all while maintaining its commitment to the community we have set out to serve,” said Kaepernick. “Not only does KINLÒ produce compelling and sustainable personal care products, but it also calls attention to the ways that melanated skin-toned communities are often marginalized in research around suncare and often excluded from clinical studies on skin cancer. I believe KINLÒ has the capacity to right this wrong.”
Kaepernick, along with his partners Canadian businessman Jim Nikopoulos and NHL veteran Akim Aliu, made an undisclosed “seed investment” in Kinlò with Kaepernick joining the company’s board of directors.
“I am really excited about the new leadership we have built around KINLÒ. Colin is such an important and iconic figure in our culture and also brings a smart business mind. There is no one I could think better represents the values of our brand,” said Osaka.
Kinlò also has hired Mia Meachem, former vice president of global marketing at Drunk Elephant, as its new brand president.