Chris-Tia Donaldson, founder of Thank God It's Natural (TGIN), passed away from breast cancer on Saturday. The announcement of her death was made by Donaldson's niece, Aris Singleton, on Instagram late Sunday afternoon. Donaldson was 42 years old.
Singleton addressed the camera while donning an accentuated pink jacket over a black shirt, undoubtedly a nod to her aunt's extensive journey with breast cancer.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of our founder and CEO Chris-Tia Donaldson on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 13," Singleton said. "TGIN and the TGIN foundation have lost a leader and a visionary and the world has lost a selfless, beautiful human being."
"Chris-Tia lived a life of service and was a force to be reckoned with inside and outside of the beauty community. Through her passion and purpose, she redefined beauty and created a community of women empowerment, teaching us the importance of advocating for ourselves, especially our health. The entire TGIN family mourns the tremendous loss. No words can adequately express the sadness or the love we have for her," Singleton continued.
TGIN wrote on Instagram, “Thank God for loaning us his angel. Rest easy. We love you and will continue building your legacy and pursuing your mission."
In 2015, Donaldson was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 36 years old.
"I was actually taking a shower and noticed it then. Initially, I thought it was hormonal-related. I had a cyst removed from my breast in my 20s. Given my age and the fact that I felt perfectly healthy, breast cancer was the furthest thing from my mind. After two or three months passed, I made an appointment to see my doctor. Although she did not think it was cancer given the lump's size, shape, and the fact that it was soft and movable, she still recommended a mammogram just to be safe," Donaldson said, speaking to BlackDoctor in a Facebook Live interview.
She was later diagnosed with cancer, which led her to author her second book, This Is Only a Test: What Breast Cancer Taught Me About Faith, Love, Hair, and Business, in 2019. In addition, she also created the TGIN Foundation to advocate for women experiencing financial difficulties while receiving breast cancer treatment, as well as to call attention to health disparities. Donaldson wanted the foundation to educate and empower women to be cognizant of their bodies.
Before establishing TGIN, Donaldson was a Harvard-educated lawyer who oversaw complicated business negotiations that involved technology and open-source code. She acquired her A.B. in Economics from Harvard University and graduated from Harvard Law School. Later on, she would pivot to becoming a beauty entrepreneur and author.
Donaldson was "the founder and chief executive officer of Thank God It’s Natural (TGIN), the line of natural hair and skin-care products currently sold by several national retailers, including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Sally’s Beauty and Walgreens," her company bio reads, also indicating that she was "responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business, as well as sales and strategic partnerships."
Her hair-care line was featured in prominent publications such as USA Today, Marie Claire, Essence, Black Enterprise, Ebony, Heart and Soul and the Chicago Tribune. Her first book, Thank God I'm Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Natural Hair, is a No. 1 Amazon bestseller.
