Our Story
The cleanest waxes, wicks, and oils.
Fragrance combinations that are a whole vibe.
And curated playlists that combine scent with sound to create an immersive sensory experience.
Kobi Co. was founded in 2020 by 17-year-old Kobi Gregory, as a self care ritual to help her cope with the stress of distance learning during the pandemic. (2020 was a lot.) When her candles started selling, we decided to use a portion of the profits to start a college fund—which has since expanded into an annual scholarship we offer to young BIPOC women.
A few months into the pandemic / Kobi’s hobby turning into a full-on business, it was time for Momma to step in and regulate. 😎
Tasha Harris had recently quit her career in corporate finance after nearly two decades, feeling burned out and ready for a reset. She poured herself (get it?) into Kobi Co., helping secure partnerships and retail spots throughout Minneapolis, and growing the company into what it is today.
Throughout every step of our growth, we’ve stayed intentional.
We support independent, Black-owned businesses. We give back. We believe self care is non-negotiable in these crazy and upsetting times, and we want our candles & music to foster a calming, restorative vibe. We want you to be your best self, do your best work, and be the best friend, steward, and ancestor you can be. We are Minneapolis born-and-raised, and you can feel the hometown pride throughout all of our products, our relationships, and our dope taste in music.
We are the vibe-makers. And now, you can be one too.
About The Founders
As a little kid, Kobi Gregory spent hours upon hours trailing her mother through the stacks at Electric Fetus, an iconic Minneapolis record store (and frequent Prince hang). Music is Kobi’s talisman. It helps her balance her mood, soothe her nervous system, and feel alright.
So when Kobi’s anxiety and depression spiked during the covid-19 pandemic, she turned to music to help her cope. And, she got a cool new hobby…
The act of pouring a candle—of mixing oils to create elegant fragrance combinations, pouring the wax, embellishing candles with crystals and charms—was so calming and therapeutic, Kobi realized her candles could help others enhance their self care, too.
She decided to pair each of her candles with a special, curated playlist to help set the vibe. And the rest is candle history. 🎵🕯️🎵
Kobi is a chill introvert who finds joy in her friends, her city, fashion, and TikTok dance challenges. She believes self care & mental health should be a priority for every woman, and she’s honored to (literally) share her light with the world through the products at Kobi Co.
Tasha Harris spent nearly two decades in the corporate world before “retiring” (aka quitting) in late 2019. By the time she left, she was burned out, and she never wanted to work for another person ever again.
She spent months resting, healing, and re-evaluating what was truly important to her. And what she found was that self care, family, and wellness were always at the top of the list. So when her daughter started pouring and selling candles as an escape from the pressures of teenage pandemic life, Tasha was all in. Having seen first-hand what can happen when you de-prioritize self care and burn yourself out, she knew how important it was to support Kobi in the early phases of entrepreneurship.
Tasha is adjusting to life as the mom of adult children. She’s using her extra time to travel, meditate,pine over an English bulldog, and spend time with her husband (even though he won’t let her get a dog). She is thriving on entrepreneur life—the constant learning, the amazing people she gets to work with, and the immense gratification of building a legacy that supports mental well-being and rest.
OUR COMMITMENT
We believe businesses bear a responsibility to take care of their customers, to be stewards of the planet, and to do their part to create a more just and equitable world. We believe in taking care of ourselves, so we can go out into the world and make some good trouble. We believe in Black Girl Magic. We believe mental health, especially Black mental health, is paramount. We believe self care doesn’t have to be expensive, time consuming, or reserved for a privileged few. We believe music has the power to heal. (Especially Prince’s music.)
At Kobi Co. we are committed to giving back. A portion of our profits go toward our annual scholarship for BIPOC women, and our limited edition #BlackLivesMatter candle supports families affected by gun violence & police brutality. We will always do our part to uplift fellow Black-owned, women-owned companies, especially if they’re Minnesota grown (like we are), and we aim to provide a gender-affirming, LGBTQ+ aligned, antiracist workplace.
