Queen up on aisle 4. Naomi Osaka (she / her) has already dominated the tennis court, so the beauty world is next, naturally. The Olympian recently launched Kinlò, a skincare line that’s expanded from sunscreen to a whole slate of medicine-cabinet heroes that are available at Walmart. And since both women and AAPIs are woefully underrepresented in business, we stan the athlete’s entrepreneurial pursuits twice as much. Plus, if you’ve been following Naomi’s career, you know she wants to protect more than just our moisture barrier. She’s advocated for Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, and mental health, adding 3 to the list of reasons why she’s our role model.

After fangirling for way too long, we asked Naomi why she got into SPF, how she went from athlete to entrepreneur, and if speaking up for marginalized communities was a no-brainer.

When did you realize you had to start protecting your skin?
I got my first really bad sunburn while playing in Australia, and it was then I realized my natural melanin wouldn’t protect me. I had to think about how I wanted to best protect my skin, so I did research and learned statistics about skin cancer in melanated complexions. That’s when I knew I wanted to start Kinlò.

How is the Walmart partnership taking Kinlò to the next level?
Partnering with Walmart is a huge step towards accessibility. It’s not enough to make suncare for melanated skin. We need to ensure it can get to the people who need it most. Walmart means we can offer affordable and easy-to-access products.

How has being a professional athlete prepared you to be an entrepreneur?
It gave me work ethic, stamina, and an attitude that no matter the hurdle, I need to do my best to move forward. I’ve been fortunate as well that it gave me the platform to bring Kinlò to life.

You’ve been very open about your mental health journey. Has that public honesty helped or hurt your personal growth?
It’s not always easy to speak up about your feelings, but being open about my mental health journey has made me stronger and more confident. It’s also gratifying to know that by speaking up, I may have helped someone else who is struggling.

Was it an easy decision to speak up for Stop Asian Hate and Black Lives Matter?
These are super important topics to me, so I wanted to speak my heart and stand up for what I believe in. I hope in turn it has helped someone else do the same… I am so proud of where I come from and I feel so grateful to represent such rich cultures. I always get super inspired when I stop and think about my ancestors and the sacrifices they made.