Finalist Rotterdam Business Woman Award 2025

Pretty Curly Girl Owner: 1 of the 3 finalist.

What a journey it’s been… FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING — AND WORLD DOMINATION FROM MY CITY ROTTERDAM!!!

I did not win but every day I feel like a winner: 
I built one of the most well-known brands in the curly hair world, completely on my own — no network, no debt — just by DOING and with fearless Rotterdam spirit! I’m moving like a rocket, and I’m nowhere near done… I set the bar high, and then raise it even higher.
We’ve almost covered the USA, and this summer: Australia!
Wow, what an absolute joy and honor it is to do this.
I’m second-generation in the Netherlands — and to build an empire like this, and then stand on stage in the city hall… #dreamsdocometrue

I am a Rotterdammer. I am a businesswoman.
And I’m proud to have shined alongside the other amazing finalists!

The Journey of Curly Hair has been a long and full with challenges:
Did you know that having curly hair was once considered NOT DONE? It wasn’t “professional” – it wasn’t “polished” – and in some countries, curls were seen as a sign that you couldn’t afford a hairdresser (a sign of poverty).

Five years ago, I started a business journey that would not only change my life but also the lives of thousands of people with curls. What began as a dream — to create a few effective products without harmful ingredients — has grown into Pretty Curly Girl: an INTERNATIONAL brand that’s so much more than just haircare.
It has become a movement. A symbol of pride, self-love, and empowerment.

I know from personal experience how hard it can be to find the right products for curly hair. It's no secret in the curly world that for years, we were bombarded with products that dried out our hair, tried to tame our curls, or simply didn’t understand what curls really need. That frustrated me. I wanted to create real change — not only in the products available, but also in how people see their curls.

With knowledge, passion, and determination, I developed formulas free from sulfates, silicones, drying alcohols — and also free from the cheap filler ingredients the mass cosmetic industry kept using.
Pretty Curly Girl is more than what’s inside the bottle.
It’s a brand with a message: Own your curls. Be happy as you are.

A Personal Mission

For me, Pretty Curly Girl is not just a business. It’s a mission.
I want to help people embrace their natural hair and feel proud of who they are.
I want children to grow up with products made especially for them, so they learn to love their curls from a young age.

The messages I get from customers who are truly happy with their hair for the first time in their lives...
The parents who tell me their kids are now smiling confidently at their reflection…
That gives me all the energy I need.

Thanks to that energy, I’ve made sure — on my own — that Pretty Curly Girl is now sold in over 50 countries, and I’m in the final phase of launching local production in the USA.
How does a “girl” from Rotterdam make that happen?
I’ll share that story later.
First, we keep pushing — proving that everything you want is possible.

My journey is already bigger than big, but it’s far from over. WE ARE CHANGING THE CURLY WORLD AND THE WORLD OF ENTREPENEURSHIP! 
I want to inspire others to believe that anything is possible — no matter who you are or where you come from.
Just jump before you’re ready, and enjoy the ride.

Be Pretty. Be Curly. Be You.