Student Success Stories

Audrey Ajakaye

Student Spotlight

Audrey Ajakaye (W’26), CEO and Founder, Audaja

“I had eczema on my arms, I was shy about wearing short sleeves… Sometimes I even had eczema on my face.”

As a child, Audrey Ajakaye was plagued by chronic skin problems—not only eczema but hyperpigmentation and extreme skin sensitivity. She was taken to one dermatologist after another but nothing fully resolved her issues. That difficult experience led Ajakaye to a passion for helping people achieve clearer, healthier skin.

Ajakaye’s company Audaja is a professional-grade skincare company focusing on skin of color. “While there are other players in the market,” she notes, “we really home in on being a holistic solution, offering everything from cleansers to sunscreen. We have your entire skincare routine covered.”

Impressively, this talented entrepreneur is only an undergraduate. It’s even more remarkable that Ajakaye started a related company while in high school. In 2021 she launched LoveMySkin, a skin disease detection AI app that had a reach of 70,000. (The app actually led one of Ajakaye’s volleyball coaches to become alerted to their own skin cancer and seek medical treatment.)

LoveMySkin marked the start of Ajakaye’s product development for Audaja, founded January 2024. Ajakaye partnered with a holistic dermatologist and an FDA-regulated lab. She launched with nine SKUs, introducing colorful packaging that really pops against the white-and-silver spectrum that dominates the market. The cleansers are navy blue, moisturizers are purple, exfoliating pads are orange, and more. “Even when it’s on your countertop you’re excited to use it because it’s a fun addition to your routine,” she says.

Audaja products are now available on Amazon. Ajakaye is also proud to be included in this year’s Ulta Beauty MUSE Accelerator Cohort, which awards a select group of BIPOC beauty startups $50,000 plus a retailing curriculum and mentorship. She calls the experience “transformative,” adding, “It’s really connecting us with industry leaders.”

This ambitious young entrepreneur aims to “work toward a path in retail by the time [she graduates] in 2026” and says she’s excited to see all that this journey has in store. We wish her all the best!

Check Out Audaja Here