Ugandan-Born Congolese Fashion Entrepreneur Competes for $25K Daymond John Prize

NEW YORK - EntSun -- Kahindo Mateene, founder of KAHINDO ethical luxury womenswear, has been named a finalist in the 2026 Entrepreneur of Impact Competition — a national campaign hosted by Entrepreneur Magazine and Colossal that awards a cash grant, an advertorial feature in Entrepreneur Magazine, and direct mentorship with Shark Tank investor Daymond John. Public voting is open now and closes in May 2026. Every vote is free and takes 30 seconds at entrepreneurofimpact.org/2026/kahindo-mateene

KAHINDO is an ethical luxury womenswear brand designed in New York and handcrafted by a network of skilled female artisans in Africa. Specializing in bold occasionwear — wedding guest dresses, bridesmaid gowns, mother-of-the-bride looks, and eveningwear — the brand is rooted in African-inspired prints, modern silhouettes, and a fair-trade production model that creates sustainable employment for women on the African continent. KAHINDO is carried at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and Anthropologie, and has been featured in Vogue, Elle, WWD, The New York Times, and Essence.

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Mateene was born in Uganda to Congolese parents and arrived in the United States without connections in the American fashion industry. She graduated from Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois in 1999 — six months after losing her father — and built KAHINDO over nine years without outside investors. She appeared on Season 12 of Project Runway, was named a Tory Burch Fellow in 2021, and completed the Workshop at Macy's program in 2023. Every collection she designs is a reflection of the African heritage that shaped her sense of color, craft, and community.

The Entrepreneur of Impact prize would directly fuel KAHINDO's next chapter: expanding the artisan network in Africa, launching the FW26 Reign collection — inspired by African sovereignty as luxury — and growing the brand's presence in wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels including kahindo.com

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On May 16, 2026, Mateene will return to Blackburn College to deliver the 157th Commencement Address — completing a journey that began when she arrived there as a young African woman with no roadmap and no guarantee her path would work. She will stand on that stage and tell the graduating class what she knows firsthand: that the hardest chapters of your life can become the source of your greatest strength.

To cast a free vote and help KAHINDO win: entrepreneurofimpact.org/2026/kahindo-mateene

https://kahindobykahindo.etsy.com