Patricia Kayanga is the founder of Ohhs disposable underwear and an eco-friendly entrepreneur. She recently became the first black woman to be granted a US patent for disposable bamboo underwear.
When asked how it feels to be the first black person to own a patent for disposable underwear, she explained that it is focused on a market that no one has paid attention to.
“I went on the patent website to see what else was out there and couldn’t see anything comparable,” she told Rollingout. In this regard, she added that she was turned down by certain manufacturers in the United States when she reached out to inquire if they could make something for her.
“I finally found someone that said ‘yes.’ We use recycled fabric and bamboo to make it work, you know, in terms of what kind of product you envision, and the process can be challenging,” she noted. “It still doesn’t hit me. It seems like a foreign world I’m living in because all I jump[ed] to do is create something for all of us, not envisioning what else that could mean.”
Kayanga donates a pair of eco-friendly underwear to local domestic violence shelters for every pair of underwear sold. According to Rollingstone, disposable underwear is made of a tissue-like material that is similar to but not the same as baby wipes. It has also become a favorite of vacationers and women on their period, as it makes the month more bearable.
According to Kayanga, the product has come in handy for those in need of feminine products. When discussing the issue of people in domestic shelters, she points out that they are fleeing a difficult situation, which is a lack of quality underwear, which is sometimes available.
She mentioned that underwear is the second most requested item in homeless shelters, and her product can meet that need in a convenient way. “To be honest, our goal is to scale across the country.” “You should have access to it no matter what,” she told Rollingout.