Hey . Im Lakiesha

I am a Black woman entrepreneur, military spouse, mom, and author. I started The Melanated Cup because I grew up watching the women around me reach for tea in every hard moment. Grief, illness, celebration, transition. And I realized the tea they had access to was not doing them justice. So I built something better.

Every blend is intentional. Every stockist relationship is personal. When you carry our tea, you carry that mission forward. I am grateful for that.
— Lakiesha, Founder and CEO, The Melanated Cup

What we stand for

The principles behind every blend.

✦
Quality without compromise
Full-leaf tea bags always. Biodegradable corn silk always. What you taste is exactly what we put in — nothing added to cut costs ever.
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Wellness that meets you
Not prescriptive. Not a wellness lecture. Just nine blends built for nine feelings and the grace to start wherever it feels right. No wrong order.
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Community over transaction
When you carry our tea you are putting a Black woman-owned brand in the hands of people who need it. That is not just a purchase. That is something.
Our commitment

Corn silk bags. Not plastic. Not ever.

🌿

Most tea bags contain plastic or nylon — which means when you steep your tea you are also steeping microplastics. We made a different choice. Every Melanated Cup tea bag is made from corn silk — a natural compostable material that holds full-leaf tea beautifully, biodegrades completely, and never introduces anything synthetic into your cup. Because what you taste should be exactly what we put in. Nothing more.

🍃  Corn silk · Naturally biodegradable
♻  Fully compostable after use
✕  No plastic · No nylon · No staples
✓  Full-leaf inside · Not dust or fannings
The story so far

How we got here.

20
2020 — The Melanated Cup launches
Three full-leaf tea bag blends, built from scratch. No investors, no shortcuts. Just intention.
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The blend family grows to nine
From three blends to nine moods. Each one built for a specific feeling, moment, and woman.
25
2025 — First wholesale account
A local cafe starts carrying our blends. Proof the model works and the community is ready.
26
2026 — The Melanated Mood Box debuts
Six blends. Twelve bags. Zero pressure. Our most loved product launches and finds its people immediately.
→
What’s next
Expanding into more cafes, spas, and hotels. Building the brand to be everywhere our customers already are.
Part of something bigger

The Melanated Cup is one piece of a wider vision.

Alongside this brand Lakiesha also runs Black Girl Unmuted — a community platform for Black women’s healing and wellness — and is a published author of children’s books on boundaries and confidence. All of it is connected. All of it is intentional.

Ready?

Find your blend.

There is no wrong order. Trust your mood. ✦