MARCH: Chanel Allen and the Making of OohMami Matcha

For the first installment in the return of Good Girl of the Month, we sat down with the owner of OohMami Matcha, Chanel Allen, to talk about her business, her inspiration, and her next moves in the matcha space. We are excited for Chanel to share the passion project she has been nurturing for years.

Chanel grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and later ventured to Washington, DC, where she pursued her undergraduate studies at Howard University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and with over a decade of experience in hospitality and food service, her work has always centered on people, community, and thoughtful operations.

In 2024, her path led her to Kyoto, Japan, where a deep respect for tradition and craftsmanship inspired her to source premium matcha and plant the seeds for what would become OohMami Matcha. Over the past two years, Chanel has nurtured the brand with care and intention, balancing full‑time nannying while building her dream from the ground up.

Today, she is excited to expand OohMami Matcha and share its cozy, intentional moments with a growing community—one pour at a time.

Here is the scoop from Chanel herself

Chanel has always been someone who believes in speaking things into existence, and she will tell you herself that this journey started long before she ever imagined owning a matcha brand. “I always thought I would open a coffee shop when I retired,” she says, remembering the original dream, a cozy space named after her mother and built on warmth and intention. Everything shifted when she started drinking Starbucks matcha. What began as a simple drink quickly became a curiosity, and that curiosity became a mission.

She dove into learning about matcha, not the surface level green tea most people assume it is, but the real history, the origins, and the benefits. “I made it my mission to understand what matcha actually does for the body,” she explains. She learned about its impact on immunity, focus, and overall wellness. Her family and friends noticed how deep her interest ran and encouraged her to take it seriously. They told her she did not need to wait until retirement or open a full coffee shop. She could build something now. A matcha shop. A matcha movement.

Once that seed was planted, Chanel began exploring what it would take to bring her vision to life. She considered brick and mortar spaces, but she also understood the financial and structural challenges many Black business owners face. “In this economy, getting a physical space is hard, especially for us,” she says. So in 2023, she started sourcing custom cart designs, imagining a mobile matcha experience that could meet people where they were.

Those early steps led her across the world. By spring 2024, Chanel traveled to Japan to learn from the source. In Uji, she connected with a family of four who were part of the Global Tea Association, a relationship that would become foundational to her brand. She studied, asked questions, and built trust. By March, she was in direct conversation with their farm, learning from people who had been cultivating matcha for generations.

The path was not linear. Chanel first attempted to build a matcha concept with a friend, and when the partnership ended, she chose to step away and relinquish all rights to that early brand. She speaks about that moment with clarity and without resentment. She was genuinely at peace with the idea evolving into something else. She simply recognized that she needed to walk her own path. “I had to be honest with myself,” she says. “I needed to pick up the pieces and build something that actually fit me, something with an identity that reflected who I am.”

That honesty forced a shift. Chanel credits this chapter as the moment she began seeing herself differently, not just as someone with a dream, but as someone capable of carrying it. “This journey made me look at myself in a new light,” she reflects. “I am thankful for my community and friends who allowed me to keep going, who held space for this passion project even when I was not sure how to move forward.”

With that support and a renewed sense of self, she began creating something new, something that reflected her values, her spirit, and her purpose. That something became OohMami Matcha. Chanel describes it as more than a business. It is a movement rooted in mindfulness, quality, and connection. “My passion for community and hospitality has always been there,” she says. “This just made space for OohMami Matcha to have its own identity.” 

What is it like being a black woman in business?

Chanel describes being a Black woman in business as both empowering and deeply transformative. Those around her see how seriously she carries the weight of legacy, responsibility, and representation. She understands that Black women often do not begin their entrepreneurial journeys from the same starting point as others, and she is honest about the barriers that are built into the system. Instead of letting those obstacles discourage her, she uses them as motivation to stay informed, resourceful, and committed to her growth.

“It is empowering for me,” she says. “This journey has allowed me to reintroduce myself to me. I have learned to create boundaries, protect my vision, and trust my own voice.” Chanel explains that knowing so many people are rooting for her gives her the confidence to keep moving forward. She leans into the positivity surrounding her business and the community that supports her. She says it feels amazing to own something that is hers, and staying grounded in that truth keeps her focused. “I really want to make this work because there are so many women who did it before me, and knowing people are rooting for me keeps me going.”

She is honest about the discipline required to navigate entrepreneurship as a Black woman. She understands that she has to stay on her p’s and q’s, not out of fear, but out of commitment to doing things the right way. “The barriers for Black entrepreneurs are built to make us want to stop and give up,” she says. “But being a Black woman in business has taught me to really do the work myself. I know what my brand is worth, and that knowledge pushes me to keep finding the resources I need to sustain and expand.”

Her faith is central to how she moves. Chanel began this business with God at the forefront because she knows how different things can look when He is not at the center. She also feels a responsibility to the Black women entrepreneurs who came before her. Their resilience inspires her to show up every day and lead by example. “Because of all the incredible Black women who paved the way, I feel a responsibility to my community to work hard and show up,” she says. She also thinks about the young Black women watching her journey, the ones who are excited to see her win. That awareness keeps her steady and intentional.

Through all of it, Chanel continues to grow into the businesswoman she knows she is becoming. She stays savvy, informed, and committed to her purpose, carrying both her community and her calling with intention.

In this work she has become a one woman show in many facets!

What She Ran Into During Her Journey as a Business Owner

Chanel is open about the fact that her journey as a business owner did not begin smoothly. She reflects on the early stages with a mix of honesty and grace, acknowledging the lessons that shaped her into the entrepreneur she is becoming. She explains that in the beginning, she relied on the wrong things to make her business dreams come true. She had to confront herself and understand the role she played in the outcome of her first venture.

“In the very beginning, I relied on the wrong things,” she says. “I had to take a step back and really understand the part I played in it all. I wasn’t moving with the spirit of a business owner, and that caused me to lose my first venture that I had worked so hard to build.” It was a painful moment, one that forced her to pause and reflect. She describes it as a hard pill to swallow, but also a necessary one.

From the outside, it is clear that this setback became a turning point. Chanel talks about how that failure, as difficult as it was, ultimately gave her the confidence to start her own business with complete autonomy. “Had it not been for that failure, I never would have had the confidence to start my own business on my own terms,” she says. “It has been amazing to spread my wings as a new businesswoman.”

She learned that she had to move differently, trust herself more deeply, and build something that reflected her values rather than relying on external validation or partnerships that did not align with her purpose. The experience taught her resilience, accountability, and the importance of grounding her decisions in intention.

What Advice She Would Give to Other Black Women About Starting a Business

Chanel speaks about her advice with a mix of honesty, faith, and lived experience. She believes that starting a business as a Black woman requires courage, clarity, and a deep sense of self‑trust. Those who know her see how much she has grown into her confidence, and how much she wants other Black women to feel that same sense of possibility.

“So far, what I have learned is to keep God at the center and lean on Him,” she says. “You have to make the jump. Believe in yourself and not rely on others. Believe in it more than anyone else and push yourself.” She laughs when she remembers how she kept telling herself she wasn’t ready, even though the vision was already forming. “I kept saying no, I’m not ready. I came up with the name sitting on the couch watching Housewives. That’s how you know the idea was already in me.”

From the outside, Chanel wants other Black women to understand that there will never be a perfect moment. She believes you have to move, even when you feel unsure. “You will never find the right time. You have to move,” she says. Once she did, things began to fall into place. Any time she thought something would delay her, she figured it out. The looming fears stopped bothering her because she kept going. “Yes, there is a lot at stake, but I know my ideas will work because I’m covered.”

She emphasizes the importance of having people in your corner who will hold you accountable. Chanel credits her best friend for helping her see her vision clearly. She believes God placed that support in her life at the exact moment she needed it. “God put it on her heart to help me and make me see this through,” she says. That support, paired with her own determination, helped her step into her confidence. What she once thought she could not do had been in her all along. “The second I started moving like I already had it, things fell into place.”

Chanel also stresses professionalism, preparation, and knowledge. She believes that being well informed is one of the strongest tools a Black woman can have in business. “Believe in your vision more than anyone else,” she says. “If you believe in it with your whole heart, that will fuel the business and success will follow.” She encourages Black women to research deeply, stay organized, and make sure every detail is in order. “Being professional and conducting business with knowledge and confidence will take you far. Research, research, research. Being well informed and making sure all of your ducks are in a row is important and will ensure that no one can come for what you’ve worked hard to build.”

Her advice is rooted in faith, discipline, and self‑belief. She wants other Black women to know that the power is already within them, and that once they move with intention, everything else begins to align.

What Being a Good Girl Means to Her

Chanel speaks about being a Good Girl with a deep sense of gratitude and awareness. She sees it as something rooted in lineage, legacy, and the women who came before her. To her, being a Good Girl is not about perfection or performance. It is about honoring the women who broke the mold long before she ever stepped into her own purpose.

“Being a Good Girl to me means acknowledging the Good Girls before me,” she says. “Because they broke the mold, I get to choose where I’m going and who I want to be.” She believes that recognizing their adversity is essential, because the women who came before her paved the way for her to stand confidently in her identity today. She knows she has choices because they fought for them.

From the outside, it is clear that Chanel carries this legacy with intention. She sees being a Good Girl as showing up as her authentic self, leading with integrity, honesty, and heart. “I am team girl,” she says with a smile. “We shape the world. Without girls, where would we be?”

Her definition is both personal and powerful. She believes that being a Good Girl is about choosing to lead with confidence and love, even after everything she has been through. “I’m a Good Girl because after all I’ve been through, I choose to lead my life with confidence, integrity, and love,” she says. It is a choice she makes daily, a commitment to herself and to the women who made her path possible.

What’s Next for Her Business

Chanel is clear about the direction she wants to take her business, and she speaks about the future with a mix of excitement and purpose. She knows matcha has become increasingly trendy, but she also knows that its roots run much deeper than what most people see on social media. From the outside, it is obvious that she wants to be a bridge between the tradition of matcha and the communities she serves.

“I know matcha has seen a lot of awareness lately and it’s becoming more trendy,” she says. “But I want to take matcha back to its roots. There’s history behind matcha, and I want to be the catalyst behind sharing that history with others.” She wants people to understand that matcha is not just an aesthetic drink but a ritual, a practice, and a cultural tradition that deserves respect.

Remaining community‑grounded is central to her vision. Chanel wants to create spaces where people can learn, taste, and experience matcha without intimidation. “My goal is to let people know they don’t have to be intimidated by matcha and that it can be for everyone,” she explains. She plans to offer matcha‑making classes that are fun, inclusive, and educational, giving people the chance to understand the true meaning behind the drink. Even if matcha is not part of someone’s everyday ritual, she wants them to feel welcome to participate.

She has several events in the works and sees these offerings not as monetization tools but as ways to help others connect with something meaningful. Chanel has already done multiple pop‑ups with her brand, including appearances in Atlanta, where she serves matcha on weekends and connects with her growing community. She believes 2026 looks bright, and her momentum reflects that belief.

The future of OohMami Matcha is rooted in authenticity, education, and joy. She wants to continue shedding a positive light on matcha as both a ritual and a cultural practice, while expanding her reach through classes, community events, and intentional storytelling. “I want people to feel like matcha is for them,” she says. “And I want to be the one who helps them see that.”

Chanel’s next chapter is about honoring tradition, uplifting community, and creating experiences that feel both grounded and accessible. She is building something that lasts, something that teaches, and something that welcomes everyone in.

Now that we know the woman behind the brand, it becomes even clearer why showing up for Chanel and OohMami Matcha matters. Her journey is rooted in intention, community, and a deep respect for the history behind matcha. She is building something that is not only hers, but something that invites others in. “I want people to feel like matcha is for them,” she says, and everything she creates reflects that belief.

OohMami Matcha is continuously expanding, growing from local pop‑ups to a movement that could be coming to a city near you. Chanel’s vision is bright, and the momentum she has built speaks for itself. To see what’s next for Chanel and OohMami Matcha, follow her brand on Instagram @oohmamimatcha and visit oohmamimatcha.com to explore her products and support her work.

Her story is still unfolding, and this is only the beginning.