Establishing the validity of a business model can be challenging—and it's even more difficult when very few investors understand or identify with the problems or needs your business addresses. Between the case study of pitching a business model, and the intersection of issues like race and gender, we were fascinated by this article on Yelani, which offers hair-care products specifically for natural hair—that is, curly or kinky hair common to many women of color. Read below or click through to learn more about how Yelani's business model looks to understand what women with natural hair need—providing products to an underserved demographic, and making investors take notice.

forbes.com - One of the biggest challenges to startups these days is properly building a business case that will compel investors. Once you’ve developed a great product and placed yourself in the company of good business advisors, funders want to know why they should invest in you. Proving your case with data and confidence is a place that outsiders and seasoned veterans can be a huge asset. So what are investors looking for? And, does Yelani all-natural hair care products have what it takes to make the investor case?

Yetunde Jude is the founder of Yelani, an all-natural hair care line for people with kinky or naturally curly hair. If you don’t have kinky curly hair, you may not be aware of the challenges of maintaining healthy hair and as a business person you may not be aware of what an opportunity that is.

As I participated in the Kennesaw State University The Edge Connection competition with a host of business people, many of them men, it was interesting to watch Jude present her research. Most of the men didn’t appreciate the lengths women—particularly African American, Hispanic and other women with kinky curly hair—go to in order to maintain their hair. They were also unaware of how much these women spend to maintain their hair.

Read more here.