Atlanta haircare founder on Target boycott, AI and DEI rollbacks

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Atlanta haircare founder on Target boycott, AI and DEI rollbacks
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The Doux was bracing for impact, but instead saw ‘exponential growth.’

Maya and Brian Smith co-founded the Doux in 2012. (Courtesy of the Doux)

Maya and Brian Smith co-founded the Doux in 2012. (Courtesy of the Doux)

By Jewel Wicker

Dec 19, 2025

Maya Smith was among the Black founders concerned about the impact calls for a Target boycott might have on business toward the beginning of this year.

In February, Atlanta-based pastor Jamal Bryant challenged Black consumers to boycott the major retailer after the company rolled back its DEI initiatives. This left founders facing a dilemma as they didn’t want to alienate their core consumer base, but also didn’t want sales to plummet as a result.

This year, Black beauty brands — from venture-funded to startups — continued to close amid ongoing funding challenges, too.

Despite all of this, Smith says the Doux has experienced a year of growth, adding staff and launching eight new products including their anti-humidity line Block Party Collection. In alignment with the companies’ hip-hop branding, MC Lyte served as the voice for the digital advertisements related to the new line.

Smith spoke with UATL about the past year, her future entrepreneurship plans and experimenting with AI.

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