Terrayae McCray is taking her hair business beyond the United States by building direct connections with suppliers and communities in India.
The Baltimore entrepreneur is the founder and CEO of Vividae Campaign, a company that sells raw Indian hair wigs and premium extensions. Her regular trips to India have become an important part of how she runs the business, giving her a closer look at where the hair comes from and the people behind the industry.
McCray is also using those experiences to create opportunities for other beauty entrepreneurs. Earlier this year, she launched Vividae Take India, a program that invited five entrepreneurs to travel to India, visit temples and manufacturing facilities, and learn more about hair sourcing, wholesale markets, and supplier relationships.
Terrayae McCray Builds A Global Hair Business From India
For McCray, traveling to India is not simply about purchasing hair. She has made understanding the source a major part of her business strategy.
During her visits, she spends time learning about the hair industry, meeting people, visiting factories, and exploring Indian communities. She has also shared parts of these trips on social media, showing followers a side of the business that customers may not normally see.
“West Baltimore girl with a second home in India,” McCray wrote in an Instagram post showing her riding through an Indian village.
She explained that the trips have become about more than buying hair. For her, they are about building relationships and understanding the source of the products she sells.
“At this point I know the streets, the factories, the people AND where the good hair at. And THAT’S the difference with Vividae,” she wrote.
Vividae Campaign Connects Hair, Culture And Entrepreneurship
McCray’s approach also reflects her interest in the cultural side of the Indian hair industry. While traveling, she has explored how hair is connected to heritage and traditions among Indian women.
That experience has helped shape the way she thinks about her products and their origins. Instead of viewing hair only as a beauty product, McCray has developed a deeper understanding of the people, places, and processes connected to the industry.
That knowledge is especially important for a business built around raw and unprocessed human hair. By spending time where the products are sourced, she can develop relationships and gain a closer understanding of the supply chain behind her company.
Baltimore Entrepreneur Started Selling Hair From Her Car
McCray’s global business began on a much smaller scale. According to Vividae Campaign’s Instagram page, she started selling hair in 2014 while working as a certified nursing assistant in the medical field.
Her early business was far removed from the factories and markets she visits today. She sold her products from a suitcase kept in the trunk of her car while continuing to work as a CNA.
“Would you believe me if I told you I started selling hair out of a suitcase from the trunk of my car, all while working as a CNA?” McCray shared on Instagram.
She said the business started with a small amount of inventory and eventually grew into what she described as “Healthy Inventory.” Her journey shows how a small side business can develop into a larger company when an entrepreneur continues to invest in it.
Vividae Take India Gives Beauty Entrepreneurs New Opportunities
McCray is now using her experience to help other business owners understand the international side of the beauty industry.
Through Vividae Take India, she invited five entrepreneurs to experience India alongside her. The trip included visits to Indian temples and manufacturing facilities, while also giving participants a closer look at ethical hair sourcing.
The program was designed to go beyond sightseeing. Participants could learn about wholesale markets and develop a better understanding of supplier relationships and the hair supply chain.
“This is for beauty entrepreneurs who want clarity, credibility, and control over their supply chain,” McCray wrote.
Her decision to bring other entrepreneurs into the experience adds another layer to her work. Rather than keeping her knowledge of international sourcing within her own company, she is creating a path for other beauty business owners to gain firsthand experience.
McCray Says Her India Trips Are Part Of The Work
Although her trips to India have attracted attention online, McCray has made it clear that they are closely tied to the work behind her business.
In a December Instagram post, she pushed back against the idea that the trips were simply for appearances. She described the long flights, long workdays, and time spent on factory floors as necessary groundwork for running her company.
“Long flights, long days, factory floors, all so every bundle, every dollar, every move goes according to plan,” she wrote.
That hands-on approach has become a defining part of the Vividae Campaign story. McCray is not only selling hair sourced from another country. She is building relationships within the supply chain and learning about the industry at its source.
From West Baltimore To A Growing Global Business
McCray’s journey also highlights how far an entrepreneur can take an idea that starts with limited resources.
Her roots in West Baltimore remain an important part of her story, even as her business takes her across the world. The contrast between selling hair from the trunk of a car and traveling to Indian factories shows the scale of growth she has achieved since starting in 2014.
More importantly, McCray’s story connects entrepreneurship with exploration and cultural understanding. Her work in India has given her access to new markets and relationships while allowing her to learn more about the origins of the products at the center of her business.
For McCray, hair has become more than a product to sell. It has created a pathway from Baltimore to India and opened new possibilities for her business and other entrepreneurs in the beauty industry.
