The Power of Partnership: Rahama Wright and Anastasia Soare Prove Collaboration Can Transform Communities

When beauty meets purpose, transformation happens. That’s exactly what unfolded on Benning Road when Anastasia Soare, the legendary founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills, joined Rahama Wright, founder and CEO of Yeleen Beauty Makerspace, for a historic fireside chat and book signing in Washington, D.C. Their powerful exchange wasn’t just about brows or business; it was about access, empowerment, and rewriting the future of beauty entrepreneurship in a city better known for politics than products.

For Wright, this moment was years in the making. The social entrepreneur behind Shea Yeleen has long believed that innovation shouldn’t be confined to Silicon Valley or Beverly Hills. With the opening of Yeleen Beauty Makerspace, she’s creating a new kind of ecosystem;  one where underrepresented founders can move from idea to formulation to manufacturing, all under one roof.

“Too many brilliant founders are shut out of the labs, equipment, and capital required to scale,” Wright shared. “Yeleen Beauty Makerspace changes that. We’re building a pipeline where underrepresented entrepreneurs get the technical support, manufacturing access, and community they need to launch with confidence and scale profitable businesses.”

Hosting Soare and showcasing her memoir Raising Brows: My Story of Building a Billion-Dollar Beauty Empire as the Makerspace’s first major guest set the bar high, and intentionally so.

“Anastasia’s journey from immigrant to global beauty mogul is a masterclass in vision, discipline, and brand building,” Wright said. “Bringing her to Benning Road signals that world-class beauty entrepreneurship belongs everywhere talent lives.”

For Soare, the event was deeply meaningful. “You are incredible. I’m so proud of you,” she told Wright. The two women met in 2021, when Soare awarded Wright a grant at the height of the pandemic. What began as a professional connection has evolved into a mentorship rooted in mutual respect, shared purpose, and a desire to uplift others.

Throughout the conversation, Soare shared lessons from her own entrepreneurial climb;  from doing brows for free in Beverly Hills to selling out product lines around the world.

“I still work like I can’t pay my bills next month,” she said. “It’s not about me; it’s about the people who depend on me.”

That humility, she explained, is the foundation of her success.

“Your character is the same if you have money or if you don’t. Money shouldn’t define you. I hope money didn’t change me. I’m still the same person. I just have better clothes.”

She challenged attendees to drop their ego and meet their customers’ needs; not just with good marketing, but with true innovation. When Soare first entered the beauty industry, there were no dedicated products for eyebrows. She created her first pomade by mixing eyeshadow, aloe vera, and Vaseline... a formula that would later redefine beauty trends worldwide.

“Don’t take no as an answer,” she said. “Push, but you need to understand your brand. Don’t be superficial. Master your craft, and let your work speak for itself.”

Soare’s journey mirrors the mission behind Yeleen Beauty Makerspace: to eliminate barriers and create a foundation for lasting impact. Wright’s approach to entrepreneurship isn’t just about making products... it’s about making a difference; providing a space where local makers, especially women of color, can learn, create, and scale their businesses sustainably.

By attracting industry icons like Soare to Ward 7, Wright is drawing new attention to a community often overlooked. She’s proving that beauty manufacturing can thrive in D.C., creating jobs, fostering innovation, and driving local tourism. Her vision, blending business strategy, social impact, and cultural pride, is reshaping Benning Road into a hub of creativity and commerce.

As the event closed, Wright gifted Soare a box filled with handwritten letters from attendees; heartfelt messages of gratitude and admiration. Soare smiled and said,

“If you know me, you know I don’t like gifts... but I love cards.”

For the women in the room, and those who will one day walk through Yeleen’s doors, the moment was proof that access changes everything. In a city where beauty manufacturing was once unheard of, Wright is building a legacy rooted in collaboration, empowerment, and purpose. With Yeleen Beauty Makerspace, she’s making Benning Road beautiful; not just in appearance, but in opportunity.

Because when women like Rahama Wright and Anastasia Soare unite, they don’t just raise brows, they raise the bar.

For more information on Yeleen Beauty Makerspace, visit yeleenbeauty.com and follow @yeleenbeauty on Instagram.