Christine Martey-Ochola, co-founder of the clean hair care brand Nuele, was selected as the “Most Innovative Hair Care Entrepreneur (Mid-Atlantic USA)” for International Women’s Support Initiatives as a part of the 2021 Influential Businesswoman Awards, sponsored by the UK's Acquisition International. Martey-Ochola was named for demonstrating a high level of excellence within her field, taking into account her dedication to innovation and business development. 

“It's a great honor to win this award,” Martey-Ochola says. “Nuele has been a labor of love for many years. To see this brand from the very beginning as just an idea to now a thriving business is very fulfilling. Not only have we created truly clean hair care products that people with all different types of hair love, but we’ve done so in a way that supports the environment as well as women internationally. We’ve been very intentional every step of the way, and for that I’m truly proud.”

Prior to starting Nuele, Martey-Ochola, who holds a PhD, was a chemist, biochemist, and food science technologist who formulated food and cosmetic products for more than 30 years and conducted cancer research for more than 20 years. Along with her co-founder Anne Cheatham, Martey-Ochola launched Nuele from her personal desire to have healthy and nourished hair without the use of chemical relaxers or certain treatments. Together, after four years of testing they developed the brand's first product, the Hair Serum, an ultra-clean, lightweight, deep moisturizer and heat protectant, appropriate for all hair types and formulated with a residue-free blend of five concentrated oils to detangle, restore, enrich, and protect hair. The brand recently launched a second product, the Hydrating Hair Mask.

The founders say that using high quality, clean and non-toxic ingredients, and promising to never dilute products with water or synthetic oil, is of the utmost importance to them. Both products have achieved "Made Safe" certification, a non-toxic certification seal for human health safety in the marketplace. Additionally, all ingredients used are responsibly sourced from Ghana and Morocco to help drive the economy in rural markets in Africa, promoting fair payment for local female farmers and minimizing environmental impacts.