It is with great sadness in our hearts that we share the news that Chris-Tia Donaldson, the lawyer-turned-beauty-executive who founded hair care brand TGIN, has passed away at age 42.

Aris Singleton, Donaldson’s niece, and employee, announced the news via Instagram on Nov. 13.  The post read in part, “Through her passion for beauty and purpose, she redefined beauty and created a community of women empowerment, teaching us the importance of advocating for ourselves.”

Donaldson’s cause of death has yet to be revealed.

As reported by WWD, Donaldson was inspired to create the brand during her time at a Chicago-based law firm while she was transitioning away from lye-based hair relaxers.

After tapping into her savings, she proudly launched ‘Thank God It’s Natural’ in 2013, and counted Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, and Walgreens among its many retail partners. The natural hair care line offered shampoos, conditioners, and more, which were routinely sold on shelves across the globe.

She went on to receive her A.B. in economics from Harvard University and juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School. She later penned a book, called Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair.

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As a breast cancer survivor, Donaldson made it a point to pay it forward to others by starting the TGIN Foundation, an organization created in 2015 to help uninsured women receive proper treatment.

In fact, part of TGIN’s mission is powered upon the company “empower[ing] women to be the best version of themselves.”

Close friends believe this is the statement that everyone should remember.

“Spend our time trying to figure out how we could be better for other people,” said fellow entrepreneur Farissa Knox. “How can we impact people’s lives in a positive way?”

“Heaven gained its sweetest angel back,” read an online tribute to Chris-Tia Donaldson.

Singleton added in a social media message, “TGIN and the TGIN Foundation has lost a leader and a visionary and the world has lost a selfless and 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.”

She continued: “The entire TGIN family mourns the tremendous loss. No words can adequately express that sadness or the love we have for her.”

BET.com and BET Digital also share our condolences to the family, friends, and fans of this wonderful human being.