Kuldeep Knox is a beauty innovator and entrepreneur of Chāmpo, one of the fastest-growing haircare brands in the UK and first exclusive haircare brand to launch in Harrods.

Kuldeep graduated with a Masters degree from the London School of Economics and began her early career in private equity and cosmetics. This combined with her passion for beauty innovation led her to launch Chåmpo, the now multi-award winning luxury haircare brand, in 2019.

The product range is inspired by a mission to create high-performance, natural products with a luxury and fashion led visual aesthetic. The range has won numerous accolades including twice consecutively at the prestigious Marie Claire Hair Awards.

Kuldeep is also a successful art collector and NFT investor.

There’s always a lightbulb moment before the beginning of a new venture. What was that moment for you?

My grandmother was the source of inspiration behind Chāmpo and I sought her wisdom during my own experience of hair thinning. She shared with me the Ayurvedic oils she had used to preserve the natural beauty of her own hair.

They transformed my hair’s condition, strength and health – proving a real light bulb moment in my career. This was also the inspiration behind our hero range, the Pitta Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner that has now helped thousands of other women suffering with fine or thinning hair.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

Pain points are an inherent part of running a high-growth business. It’s important to remember when these challenges arise that they are valuable learning experiences and if you’re not experiencing them, it may be a sign that the business isn’t accelerating as quickly as it could be.

What does your business offer its target audience?

Chāmpo provides high-performance, personalised, luxury haircare products with a fashion and design-led look and feel and eco-conscious, natural formulations. We have an incredibly loyal repeat customer base as our products deliver noticeable results, good value for money and a seamless customer experience.

What’s the most common problem your customers approach you with?

A woman’s hair is a huge part of her core identity and I know from my personal experience with hair thinning how much of an impact it can have on self-confidence. That’s why we’ve worked so hard on creating the multi-award winning Pitta growth serum, Pitta volumising shampoo and Pitta volumising conditioner. This high-performance, naturally powered system has helped thousands of women suffering with fine or thinning hair. It’s hugely rewarding to know that our products are helping women feel happier and more confident. It’s our best-selling range – more than one Pitta growth serum is sold every minute.

How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?

Haircare as a category has traditionally been overlooked and lacked innovation. Modern haircare consumers want innovative, natural ingredients and environmentally conscious formulations that are still performance-led and solution-focused. We have capitalised on the opportunity to deliver this to a new generation of haircare consumer, whilst also creating a unique visual aesthetic and engaging brand experience that consumers connect with.

What plans do you have for Chāmpo over the next two years?

We plan to focus on new market, new channel and new product expansion. We plan to move into Europe and the US with our D2C offering in early 2022 and expand our wholesale presence internationally by Q4 2022. We plan to continue working hard to innovate in the space and create more high-performance products for our customers

How much time do you spend on things that don’t add customer value?

As a customer-centric company, everything we do from product innovation to website journey is focused on creating the best possible experience for our customers. It’s not in our commercial interest to focus on areas that aren’t adding customer value.

What impact would you like to have on women around the world through your business?

It is a privilege to work in an industry that serves women. I found it confusing when I learned that many products for women were not designed by women! I believed the haircare sector had significant scope for innovation and creativity, and I wanted to create products with a focus on natural ingredients that were higher performance than those currently available.

Why do you think your business has had such a positive impact across your industry?

All of our products are vegan, cruelty-free, silicone and sulphate-free and sustainably formulated. We offer a modern solution for consumers wanting results-driven products without the detrimental effect on the environment or long-term hair health.

Do you prioritise self-care as an entrepreneur?

I often reach out to other founders who have been on a similar journey and I find that it really helps to connect with others who have successfully navigated through similar challenges. As well as this, I meditate daily, exercise well and do a lot of gratitude journaling. I try to be kind to myself and remind myself that it takes courage to take yourself out of your comfort zone everyday, and that’s what it takes to build a successful business.

How do you think NFTs will impact the retail industry?

NFTs will likely become a utility that can be used in a similar way to currency, for example – in the future you may be able to purchase from our website using a Chāmpo NFT!