Vending

Vending machine offering diverse beauty products installed at Colorado State University

Photo: pabrady63 - stock.adobe.com

April 9, 2025

Colorado State University in Fort Collins has installed a B.O.V.I. (Black Owned Vending International) vending machine on the third floor of its Lory Student Center, providing students with access to a variety of Black hair, skin and beauty products, according to a report by The Rocky Mountain Collegian. Co-founders Dorothy Bee and Taj Stokes established B.O.V.I. to address the lack of accessible and tailored beauty products for African Americans and people of color, particularly in suburban areas.

The vending machine offers items such as bonnets, scarves, durags, shampoo, conditioner, mousse and eyelashes. The initiative aims to "enter into a dialogue with the students... to be responsive so that it's a spot where people can go to get what they need," Stokes told the news outlet. The products offered are adjusted based on student feedback gathered through surveys conducted by the Black/African American Cultural Center.

Bee's inspiration stemmed from her daughter's experience as a CSU student lacking access to familiar hair care products. Stokes also recalled similar challenges during his own college years. The B/AACC collaborated with B.O.V.I. to bring the vending machine to campus, aiming to increase accessibility for a diverse student body. B.O.V.I. intends to keep prices competitive with major retailers and reinvests 10% of profits from each unit into a local charity, with a portion of the CSU machine's proceeds benefiting the B/AACC.