Shalom Lloyd had a career of over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry and then went on to found two businesses. She is the founder of Naturally Tribal skincare, a beauty line based on traditional remedies including shea butter, which she developed initially to cure her son’s eczema. She is also the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of eMQT, described as “the Bridge between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Africa” which facilitates clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies in Africa. She has been a keynote speaker on the topic of innovation and was a fellow of the Start-Up Leadership Program in London until 2020.

Our conversation starts with Shalom’s upbringing in Nigeria and her taste for adventure which saw her leave for Russia to study pharmacy at the age of 16. Returning from there she found her passion in the pharmaceutical industry and her realization of the gap in use of pharmaceutical trials in Africa was the spark for her business venture eMQT.

Just as necessity is the mother of invention, Naturally Tribal was borne out of kitchen experimentation, and then sourcing the Shea Butter for that saw Shalom embark upon a journey back to her roots in Nigeria, and in particular to the Kingdom of Essan in Nigeria where Shea Butter is sourced. Shalom’s mission is to make an impact on the women in this area, ensuring economic empowerment and a sustainable future. Naturally Tribal was launched in Harrods in Milton Keynes at the end of April 2021. I can’t think of a better definition of impact than that.