As I Am is 100% owned and operated by the Syed Family and is 100% Self Funded thanks to our loyal customers. After developing award-winning products and patents at Johnson Products and Soft Sheen in the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Syed became a renowned expert on the research and care of African descent hair texture.
In 1984, he started Avalon out of his garage. Avlon grew quickly and became a popular brand for professional hair stylists around the world. But in the mid-2000s, women of color with naturally oily and curly hair textures began asking more and more.
It took no less than a dozen professional hair care chemists, at least 10 professional hairstylists; countless happy “testers” among employees and the community at large; hundreds of research & development hours, and hundreds of thousands of investment dollars to make the vision a reality.
