Ninety-nine years after the BAND-AID® brand was formed, the company finally released their iconic product in Black and Brown skin tones—but only in America. This was a huge leap in terms of inclusivity in medicine, but it still left out a lot of people. Addressing this inclusivity gap in the Canadian market independently and motivated by her struggles finding bandages that matched her skin tone, Tianna McFarlane, a 30-year-old administrative assistant at York University and now budding entrepreneur, started Heal in Colour, which currently offers adhesive bandages in three darker skin tones. McFarlane spoke to us about finding opportunities in market gaps, the beginning steps of entrepreneurship, and what’s next for Heal in Colour.
Tell me about yourself and about how Heal in Colour got started.
The idea of Heal in Colour came about when I was going on vacation in the summer of 2019. I had a really bad cut on my leg, [but] when I went into the store, I realized there aren’t adhesive bandages for Black and Brown skin. So, I used the skills that I learned for my operations management diploma [from Durham College] and just started writing a business plan, reaching out to manufacturers. I knew that I wanted to start Heal in Colour, and have other people with Black and Brown skin get the opportunity to feel what it feels like to have a bandage that matches their skin tone.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned about entrepreneurship?
One of the biggest lessons I learned through entrepreneurship is that you absolutely will never be a hundred percent ready to launch any type of product. If you’re waiting to feel a hundred percent ready before you launch, it’s just not going to happen. Of course, you want to make sure you put enough time to feel ready, but I’ve definitely learned that there’s always going to be obstacles every single day. You never know what’s going to come your way. You just have to be ready to put your all into it and solve the problems. It’s very important. You have to be a constant problem solver as an entrepreneur.
Why has it taken so long to address this inclusivity gap in the market?
People might’ve thought about it, but no one’s acted on providing Black and Brown skin tones. [There] hasn’t been much of a need for it, and that’s how the market works. If there is no need, the product isn’t really created. But I think that happens because no one knew that this was even a possibility. With Heal in Colour, I’m now showing that, yes, there is a possibility to have Black and Brown bandages available, and there are people who want to actually use Black and Brown bandages. No one really said they wanted it, but I’m just proving that that’s wrong.
Do you expect to continue to expand in the medical devices market?
Yes. I definitely see Heal in Colour continuing to expand. I have other products that are in the tank right now, waiting to be released. I’ll let you know about one product in the tank. Right now, we have fabric bandages, so I definitely do want to have waterproof bandages because, of course, people are going to want to use their bandages when they go swimming and stuff. So waterproof bandages are going to be the next thing that I expand with. I also want to create first aid kits. We always need first aid kits all over. That’s all I can say for now though. Don’t want to give my ideas away!
How can entrepreneurs create products that are inclusive and focus on diversified markets?
I think that entrepreneurs can look at what’s already offered and just kind of brainstorm products that have the opportunity to be tweaked a little bit for Black and Brown people, or whoever it may be. You might have to do a little bit of research, but there’s definitely room for more inclusion and diversity in our world. Only in 2021, we’re getting Black and Brown bandages, so just imagine how many other things need to be diversified. I think just really looking at the products—even if there’s something for yourself that you feel, “Hey, I wish this was more catered towards me”— you can create the change that you want to see.
The Edge Team
