Scarlet by RedDrop, an Atlanta-born puberty care company, recently expanded into more than 350 Ulta Beauty stores nationwide. The expansion, as the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports, followed a $1 million award in 2024 from Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition, a nonprofit initiative providing resources and guidance to help underrepresented entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses.
The funding allowed the company to focus on building its brand and scaling operations. According to the outlet, Scarlet by RedDrop was also named to Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School list of “Most Fundable Companies” in 2025. The annual list highlights high-growth startups, and this year selected 14 winners from over 2,300 applicants.
Monica Williams, M.D., and Dana Roberts founded Scarlet by RedDrop in 2019. The idea started earlier, when Roberts taught at an Atlanta charter school and a student experiencing her first period thought she was going to die. That experience inspired the founders to create products, including a period kit, mixed pad sizes, and education material, specifically designed for tweens and teens, according to Ulta Beauty’s website.
Williams told the Atlanta Business Chronicle that less than 1% of period products are made for young bodies and first-time users.
“We have grown this business pretty much bootstrap, outside the Pharrell Williams opportunity,” she said. “To become a category-defining brand, it takes money. And we’re hoping this (list) is the validation that some VCs need.”
The $1 million award from Black Ambition helped Scarlet by RedDrop rebrand from its original name, RedDrop, to soften the branding, as the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports. Williams said the funding also allowed them to hire a larger team and expand operations, including opening a warehouse in Compton, CA, bringing their numbers to about 27 employees and contractors.
Already, the company has been able to reach out to over 1 million tweens and teens with its products and education materials.
“I highlighted (during a recent funding call) … that with that $1 million we were able to transform our business. One of the biggest things was the rebrand,” Williams said.
She added, “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback about what we’ve been able to do with the packaging and the brand to make it more approachable and accessible.”
According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Williams, a Meharry Medical College graduate, previously launched other startups, including a pacifier company and a haircare brand. Roberts’ experience as an educator and parent of two daughters shaped her approach to building the company.
Scarlet by RedDrop is among several startups that have received funding from Black Ambition. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the nonprofit has awarded nearly $13 million to 131 entrepreneurs since its inception, offering capital, mentorship, and resources through its annual Black Ambition Prize Competition.
In addition, in 2025, Black Ambition launched the Fundable Founders Learning Lab, a 10-week virtual program for entrepreneurs across Florida. The program emphasizes participants from underrepresented communities, which AFROTECH™ also previously reported.

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