ABOUT US:

OUR STORY

Hello and welcome to the Toffie Shop! My name is Lisa & I'm the founder of Toffie. I'm a young marketing professional from Ghana currently based in Austin (formerly Chicago-based). I run Toffie in my spare time as a passion project - I love the fact that it allows me to celebrate womanhood while sharing a long-standing African tradition with others and connecting with my personal heritage.

I often get a lot of questions about our name: Toffie (pronounced toh·fee, similar to "coffee"). Why name yourself after a candy? Well, for me, the term “toffee” is symbolic of love and care. Growing up, I would ask my mom for candy: “Mummy, can I have toffee please?”. The question was a vulnerable one that I didn’t ask often, yet, every time I asked, my mom would lovingly oblige.

There truly is so much depth to a mother’s love. It was the same love she expressed when she tied on my first real set of waist beads ten years ago. They were a lovely gift, and I still wear them every day, even after all these years.

ABOUT US:

OUR BUSINESS

In honor of my mom's love, Toffie and its products are a dedication to the little girls we once were and a celebration of the women we have now become (see Collection). Our philosophy is to embody, distill, and share a genuine care with the world in a way that gets instilled in others and passed on.

We do this through the bestowing of waist beads. I truly believe every woman deserves to wrap herself in something beautiful, and so it is my personal mission to help demystify African waist beads and keep the tradition alive while supporting others (see Social Impact).

Thank you for your support - I sincerely hope you can find joy in your waist beads as well! With love, Lisa 💕

📸: Deborah (our beader) on Left + Charity (my mom) on Right