Meet Dawn Myers, Founder and CEO of The Most

Dawn Myers had no idea she was breaking into the technology ecosystem a few years ago when she was conceptualizing a company that creates appliances for women with textured hair. A few years down the line, she’s still navigating what this new sector means to her. 

“I just saw a need and started making,” Myers told Lifewire in an interview over email. “I'm still not sure how I fell into the tech ecosystem, but it's been the most awesome roller coaster ride since.”

In 2018, Myers founded The Most, a startup that designs and manufactures tech-enabled hardware for women with highly textured curly, coily, and kinky hair. These electric hair styling tools use an internal heating mechanism that can warm conditioners, gels, and other products while in the midst of styling.

She decided to launch the company after struggling with styling her own natural hair, which she said was a more than three hour process prior to tapping into The Most. With these hair appliances, Myers is working to fill a large void that women of color have struggled with for ages. 

“I saw that all the Black women around me were struggling with the same [problems]. We had no tools that were responsive to our needs and there was a real thirst for solutions,” she said. “So I got to work making them.”

Easing the Grooming Process Long Term 

For Myers, easing basic hair hygiene and styling for women with highly textured hair is the main problem she’s working to solve with The Most, even more than beauty. This is an issue she says affects women’s lives, their work, their sleep, and health in a deep way. 

“We're creating culturally informed wash day solutions that make the styling process faster, easier, and more portable than ever.”

The Most sells a portfolio of products spanning from growth serums and oils to electric brushes with interchangeable parts. Myers is not just trying to solve an issue for a hairstyle that will last a day, she’s hoping women will implement her products into their everyday grooming process.   

How Her Hometown Roots Build Confidence

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Myers decided to build The Most in the nation’s capital to be a part of what she describes as the “nascent tech ecosystem” in her hometown. 

“My earliest and fondest memories are from my days at Saint Francis Xavier School on Pennsylvania Ave. in Southeast,” she said. “I'd go on to live in Boston, Paris, Barcelona, Beijing, and Waukesha, Wisconsin before settling back in D.C. It's home.”

She had thoughts of moving to the West Coast, but D.C.’s growing tech space continuously keeps her grounded at home. But even with the support of her hometown, Myers said there’s still substantially more pressure on tech companies to show big numbers when it comes to growth, investment, and employee count. The Most’s team consists of 10 employees spanning technology, law, marketing, and operational leads. Myers prides herself on recruiting a full team of women and/or people of color.

“We're redefining the profile of success in tech,” she said.

Leading a team of women hasn’t always been easy, especially as a Black woman herself, but Myers isn’t intimidated by the adversities. Outside of leading her company, she’s also working to help women entrepreneurs gain better access to venture capital. Since January, Myers has been the director of Vinetta Project’s D.C. chapter, a community that sources and supports women founders by way of events and pitch competitions. 

“To be clear, this has been a thrilling experience filled with learning and twists and turns, but it hasn't been without it's trials,” she said. “I am focused on finding and amplifying our unique strengths to overcome the bevy of obstacles littering our path.”

As Myers continues to grow as a tech founder and CEO, she says she’s going to be most considerate of the fact that scaling her company may be scary and challenging.

“The transition is an emotionally violent process of giving the company the space to take on a life and personality of its own,” she said. “It's kind of like watching your kid go off to Kindergarten—I'm proud, but also having major separation anxiety as we grow and install incredible managers around all the tasks I used to manage on my own.”

Despite the challenges and doubt, Myers has tunnel vision for success as a Black woman founder. In many ways, she’s still learning herself, how to lead as a CEO and how to run a technology company in general. Her humbleness alone will take her far.