Investopedia / Lara Antal Madam C.J. Walker (1867 to 1919) was an early 20th-century entrepreneur who created a successful business manufacturing and selling hair-care products for Black women.

Koehn, Nancy F., Anne Dwojeski, William Grundy, Erica Helms, and Katherine Miller. "Madam C.J. Walker: Entrepreneur, Leader, and Philanthropist." Harvard Business ...

The intensity of Walker’s early jobs began to cause hair loss, and it was out of this unfortunate circumstance that grew her “secret” formula for a scalp ointment that promoted healthy hair growth.