Maria Lee-Driver, an accomplished entrepreneur from North Carolina, is the founder of Fresh Mink Pets, a Black-owned line of all-natural pet deodorizing products including pet fume, moisturizing shampoo and conditioner and sage. All of her company’s products are 100 percent free of harmful chemicals.
In the summer of 2021, Maria received an invitation to attend SuperZoo in Las Vegas to display her new line. It was there that she would find out
that she was making history as the only African American participant at the conference of more than 1,000 attendees. Maria later discovered that she was the first African American to have a national pet line of products. She took it all in stride and used that momentum from the event to connect with Chewy.com, which was acquired by PetSmart for $3.35 billion in 2017. They saw the potential and offered her an opportunity of a lifetime to carry her Fresh Mink Pets products on their platform.Her journey to manufacture the new product line in mass quantity led her to Herman Moore, the founder and chief executive officer of Team 84. Moore, a serial entrepreneur and NFL All-Pro, was excited to get behind the Fresh MinkTM Pets initiative.
“Maria checks all the boxes for the types of businesses we like to support,” said Moore.
“First, she’s a passionate entrepreneur who has already succeeded in so many areas. Second, championing female and minority-led businesses is at the top of our priority list. Team 84 is looking forward to the partnership.”
Maria’s magnetic personality has catapulted her into the public eye. She is frequently tapped to be interviewed, to host events and to make guest appearances. She has also stepped into the award presenter arena, public special engagements, radio, television and web-based opportunities.
Her lifelong dedication to the beauty industry and passion for helping people of all ages led her to create her own natural and safe product lines. Maria’s vision and desire to provide alternative solutions to mainstream chemical products are a testament to her gifts and talents to society.
For more details about her company, visit her official website at FreshMinkPets.com.
This article first appeared on Blackbusiness.com.