Zuri was founded in 2016 by Gisela Van Houcke. She is originally from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where she lived until her adolescence. She had to flee to the United Kingdom in 2003 due to wars and political instability in the region.

Gisela holds a Bachelor's degree in English and French Law. She left the legal field with the aim of empowering black women and creating the world's first black beauty brand.

In the "Forbes Under 30" ranking, which is predominantly dominated by young entrepreneurs from Anglophone Africa, she was the only francophone African woman in the "business" category. A remarkable performance for this young entrepreneur, married and mother of two children.

« When I came back to Africa, I immediately noticed a gap in the market for extensions and cosmetics, particularly for people with dark skin. People around me were always asking me to bring back extensions and cosmetic products when I traveled. This gap was simply inconceivable; Africa having a large number of people interested in such products.»