MEET THE FOUNDER
Chris-Tia Donaldson
Chris-Tia Donaldson founded tgin. After years of feeling pressured to conform to outdated beauty standards and relying on wigs and other styles, Chris-Tia decided to stop hiding her natural hair. She created tgin to empower women to embrace and care for their natural hair, and the name comes from Thank God It’s Natural®.
Today, tgin products are sold at many major retailers globally. Chris-Tia was featured in many well-known publications. Her book, Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Natural Hair, became a #1 Amazon bestseller and was called the “Natural Hair Bible”.
Before founding tgin, Chris-Tia represented Fortune 500 companies in complex business transactions. She earned an A.B. in Economics with high honors from Harvard University and graduated from Harvard Law School. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, Chris-Tia used her experience to advocate for women facing the financial and social challenges of cancer treatment, while raising awareness of racial health disparities.
Until her passing in November 2021, she continued this work through the tgin Foundation and her book, This Is Only a Test: What Breast Cancer Taught Me About Faith, Love, Hair, and Business. Visit the link below to learn more.
“Cancer is just one storm, it didn't define me, and you don't have to allow your storms to define you.”
CHRIS-TIA DONALDSON
MEET THE CEO
Aris Singleton
Aris Singleton is the dynamic CEO of tgin, a leading textured hair care brand sold in over 20,000 stores worldwide.
Her journey with tgin started early on in July 2009. After completing her BA in Finance from Texas Southern University, she rejoined tgin as a rotational employee in May 2017.
As one of the youngest CEOs in the beauty industry, Aris has been featured in esteemed publications such as Rolling Out and The Chicago Defender's Women of Excellence, and was also recently highlighted as Walmart's SheEO Beauty Disruptor.
She also recently joined the Young Presidents Organization - Chicago Chapter, a community of business executives. She also celebrated her debut on the tgin x Jet Magazine Collector's Edition. To learn more about Aris, click the link below.
MEET THE COO
Dr. Piper A. Farrell
Dr. Piper Farrell transitioned into the role of Chief Operating Officer at tgin in October 2021. With a rich background as an educator, leader, and researcher, Dr. Farrell assumed this position following in the footsteps of her sister, Chris-Tia Donaldson, the esteemed visionary and Founder of tgin.
Her career across academia, government, and healthcare has focused on empowering women. Her unwavering commitment to coaching and making vital social and community resources accessible has helped women reach their life goals.
Dr. Farrell is a distinguished scholar who earned her PhD in Education Evaluation and Research from Wayne State University, a MA in Mathematics Education from the University of Detroit - Mercy, an advanced degree in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University, and a BA in Journalism from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
Outside of work, she lives in Chicago with her family. She finds joy in travel, exploring fashion and interior design, and indulging in culinary creations. To learn more about Dr. Piper, visit the link below.
Our Values & Mission
Our core values direct our work. They shape our culture, guide our decisions, and define how we build relationships with our customers, community, and one another. Our values are deeply rooted in our commitment to representation, empowerment, community, and creating opportunities for others to thrive. We wake up believing in them every day. They inspire us to lead with purpose, celebrate individuality, and always strive to do our best as we work toward our mission: to redefine beauty by cultivating a community that empowers women to be the best versions of themselves.
We possess “Yes I can!” and “Yes I will” attitudes. We maintain an optimistic outlook by turning challenges into opportunities. We are motivated, driven, and passionate about success. We think outside of the box to create bold ideas, innovate better products, and develop new processes.
tgin Foundation
The tgin Foundation’s mission is to support uninsured women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, highlight the impact of health disparities on survivor outcomes, and stress the importance of early detection for Black and brown women under the age of 40.