Meet the Founder Behind the Buzzy Wellness Brand That’s Now at Target
Trinity Mouzon Wofford moved from Saratoga Springs, New York, to New York City to study medicine at NYU with plans to become a holistic MD. Raised by a single parent, she was inspired by her mom who has a severe autoimmune disease and saw major changes when she switched to holistic medicine. “All was well until I found out she had to stop seeing that doctor because she couldn’t afford it anymore,” says Trinity. Disillusioned with the role accessibility played in wellness, she decided to pursue a career in tech instead. But after finding herself constantly recommending herbal remedies to co-workers and friends, Trinity launched her own wellness brand, Golde, with her partner, Issey Kobori, in 2016.
Golde began with a single product, a turmeric latte blend, and has since grown to include several other latte blends, an incredibly popular matcha powder, skin-care products, and a brand-new Superwhisk that’s a top seller. Trinity is not only the youngest black woman ever to have products stocked at Sephora but also just launched a collection of “Super-Ades” available at over 500 Target stores across the United States.
To celebrate her big launch, we chatted with Trinity about breaking out of boxes, creating a space in the industry for people of color, and making wellness accessible for all.
What compelled you to start a superfood business?
As a young black woman, I don’t feel represented by the wellness space, so I am constantly thinking about what other young people of color want to see. I think that has been something that has allowed us to stand apart in the space. Wellness is notorious for being a very very white industry, and so with that, you miss out on the opportunity to speak to a diverse customer base.
In a sea of wellness brands, what makes Golde stand out?
We were really centered on this idea of how we can take wellness and make it more easy, approachable, and fun for this next generation of consumers who are really excited to build out their self-care routine but don’t feel like they have a brand to champion just yet.
Minority-owned businesses are usually pegged into a very niche category. What are some of the things you had to do to break that stereotype?
We totally run into people who want to put us in a box, and they say, “OK, this is a black-owned business, so this is a black business and these people create products for black people.” Of course, I create products for my community of black folks, but we’re building something that’s for everyone. Ultimately, what really makes us stand apart is our focus on diversity, inclusion, and making sure that everyone has a seat at the table. And communicating that this is a brand that can sit on the shelf of a major retailer.
What are some of the most exciting new additions to the brand’s lineup?
We just launched our Superwhisk, that has turned out to be one of our top-selling products. And it’s surprising because it’s not one of our ingestibles or skin-care products. It’s a USB rechargeable latte frother, and we’ve just seen people go wild for it. We also have a really big launch with Target: a new line of Golde’s “Super-Ades” available at over 500 Target stores across the country.
The wellness industry can be such a complex space to navigate. How do you ensure that your consumers can easily relate to your products?
Simplicity and ease are the cornerstones of everything we do. We’ve really worked to… make it a feel-good experience from beginning to end. And that means telling very clear but simple stories about superfood ingredients that we’re highlighting, sharing simple recipes for folks who are curious about how to use products at home. We try to engage our community as much as possible to see what they’re excited to see from us next and what benefits or flavor profiles are attractive to them. Our business is very much a dialogue that’s between us as a team and our broader community.
Where do you source your ingredients from?
It depends on the products. But our turmeric is of course coming from India and our cacao is a raw fermented cacao sourced from Peru. The core of our sourcing strategy is doing it with sustainability in mind and ensuring that the chain from us to the farmers is as short as possible. This allows us to ensure they’re fairly compensated for all of the incredible work they’re doing.
For someone new to Golde or superfoods, what product would you recommend as an entry point?
The pure matcha has been blowing up since quarantine. I think people were looking for an easy ritual to bring into their at-home self-care plan, and making matcha is like a lovely treat. And then my personal favorite, our cacao turmeric latte blend. It’s like pithy hot cocoa. It’s really yummy on its own with a little hot water or milk. If I’m drinking coffee, I’ll mix it for like a mocha situation.
As a young black female founder, what are some lessons you would like to share with folks looking to start their own businesses?
Be true to your own vision and don’t feel the need to shift or compromise based on what you see other players in the field doing. What’s going to make your business successful over the long haul is your unique perspective in the space. So don’t lose sight of that.
What are your biggest takeaways from 2020?
The biggest thing I learned was that not everything can go according to plan. And that was actually one of the most beautiful things that came out of 2020. Relinquishing of the concept of illusion of control, the idea that your life is on a schedule. It was exhausting and scary to be living through those moments, and acknowledging that sometimes stuff just happens and you have to just respond from there was a really valuable lesson for someone like me, who tends to be an over planner.
What’s next for Golde?
We’ve been very busy on the product formulation side, and we have a lot of newness coming. Besides the Target launch, we’re expanding our range of wellness SKUs. And our number one priority is making wellness as accessible as possible, so [we’re] keeping an eye out for ways to make Golde available near you!
Explore Golde’s complete latte blends and skin-care collection, and check out their newest launch at Target.