Meet Shawna! She is a pro in the kitchen... You can find her roasting coconut, filling jars or mixing nut butter. She is a huge fan of 2000's R&B and loves encouraging the team to take much needed dance breaks in the kitchen! Shawna also makes her own incredible homemade shea butters, which you can learn more about below.

Shawna's Moisturizing Shea Butters:

After experiencing dry skin and severely damaged hair for a while, Shawna wanted a natural product that could treat both of these conditions. When she couldn’t find anything on the market that would combat what she was experiencing while remaining affordable, she decided to do it herself, which led to the creation of Shawna’s Moisturizing Butters!

Shawna researched the fruits, vegetables, and vitamins she wasn’t getting through her current diet along with healthy oils that could be blended into the butters. She began adding grape seed, flaxseed, vanilla bean husks, and a variety of essential oils to shea butter and created the first variation of shea butter. She has since expanded her skincare line to include cocoa butter and coconut butter.

The varieties of moisturizing butters are a 2:1 product for both healthier hair and skin. Her moisturizing butters can be used as both a hair mask to revive damaged hair and rubbed straight into the skin to treat eczema and other dry skin conditions.

Shawna's Moisturizing Butters will be available in the near future! We'll be sharing the launch on our Instagram, so stay tuned.

What has your experience with Ground Up been like? How has it helped your confidence?

I would have to go with structure and discipline. As far as my confidence, I really feel the push. There are times where my own thinking is made to be positive thoughts. 

What does it mean to you to have a job and be back in the workforce?

I am grateful for the opportunity. Reminds me of a few other jobs I had, only here there's even more of a support and friendly feeling. 

What is the community at Ground Up like? What does having this community mean to you?

Everyone is very supporting and understanding. There's sharing, listening and even mentorship. I really love that part about Ground Up. 

What do you like to do for fun? 

I love to sight see at places like Washington Park and Multnomah Falls. Just to walk and take in the natural beautiful sights and surroundings. I love to create natural hair and skin care moisturizers and sometimes draw.

What is your favorite Ground Up nut butter flavor + favorite way to enjoy it?

Snickerdoodle, right out of the jar!

What do you hope to do after Ground Up / what is your dream job?

Grow. Create and grow a natural herb garden. Maybe take up some herbal courses.