Though Monique Rodriguez always had an interest in beauty, she initially started her career as a nurse. Monique spent eight years in the medical field, but after experiencing a tragic life event, she returned to her passion for beauty to help work through her grief. She began experimenting with hair product formulations in the kitchen, sharing her personal haircare journey and explaining the science behind the ingredients on social media. But when her followers urged her to bottle and sell the haircare mixtures she was creating, Rodriguez realized that her side project had big potential. In 2014, she launched Mielle with one product, a mint almond hair oil, and since then, Mielle has grown to include 10 collections, arrived on shelves in over 100,000 stores, and in 2023, was acquired by Procter & Gamble, marking the largest exit ever for a Black female beauty founder.