IDEAfuel 2023: KMBoobies
The founder highlighted in this blog forms part of the 2023 IDEAfuel cohort .
In 2020, Kaelin Bass founded KMBoobies in her hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. In just three years, amid a pandemic, Kaelin has successfully built a consumer packaged goods (CPG) company that helps black and brown women feel confident in their bodies and clothing through her product, KMBoobies Boob Tape.
"While growing up, I noticed that many [women of color] were excluded from wearing certain outfits and clothing [because of their breasts]. It was something I observed for years, until I reached adulthood and experienced puberty myself. That's when I realized I, too, felt left out," shared Kaelin.
"The fashion trends are constantly evolving, and women's breast sizes are constantly changing and growing. There needs to be an easy and affordable way for women to lift their breasts without resorting to surgery. I want all women to feel included and empowered to wear what they want," she explained.
Upon researching the boob tape market, Kaelin quickly realized that women of color had limited options when it came to finding boob tape in shades that matched their skin tone. "I decided that my mission was to provide women of all colors with a product that offers a non-surgical breast lift and reshaping for any outfit, in under 10 minutes. We developed a skin-friendly adhesive boob tape that can lift breasts of any cup size," Kaelin shared.
By recognizing the gaps in the undergarment boob tape industry for women of color, KMBoobies is catering to black and brown women by offering a non-surgical breast lift solution for all breast sizes. KMBoobies currently offers three different shades of boobie tape and plans to invest the $15,000 IDEAfuel non-dilutive funding in product inventory and marketing.
About IDEAfuel
Launched in 2022, IDEAfuel is an accelerator program designed specifically for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) who are building startups in the Gulf South region. Presented by Regions Foundation, this program offers founders across SaaS and CPG industries the opportunity to connect with mentors, learn from their cohort members, and receive non-dilutive funding to support their growth. The aim is to prepare them to build for scale and be ready to raise a seed round of investment capital.
This year, we proudly announced at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) 2023 that four founders have been accepted into the program, doubling the cohort size compared to last year! Under the leadership of Rhenita Brade the selected companies, RIZE, KMboobies, Port Lookout, and bEHR Health Systems, were chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants. Each company will be paired with a dedicated mentor throughout the 12-week program and granted $15,000.
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Want to connect with founder and CEO directly? Contact Kaelin at kaelinmbass@gmail.com