<p>In 2013, Gwen Jimmere found herself in an unpredictable situation - having been recently laid off from Ford while going through a grueling divorce and caring for her 1 year old son, Gwen was forced to make quick decisions in order to generate an income. Living in Detroit with only $32 to her name, she decided to turn a hobby of creating all natural hair care products into a business. Since establishing her company, Gwen’s resilience and determination has contributed to the success of a thriving business, which is now sold in major retail stores like <strong>Whole Foods, Sally Beauty and Ulta Beauty.</strong> She cemented her place in history as the first African American woman to hold a patent for a natural hair product. Her team has grown from 1 to 13 with an HQ office in Detroit and the product line has expanded into skincare.<br/><br/>Perhaps most importantly, Gwen has changed the lives of her customers through the Naturalicious products and by simply being her authentic self. Gwen’s intoxicating personality and ‘glass half full’ mentality is one you want to be surrounded by. People shop Naturalicious products for their results, but they stay for the community. Whether it be through the Naturalicious Facebook Group or the Repair Your Hair Challenge, which was born during quarantine and is now providing participant&#x27;s the opportunity to teach and earn money, Naturalicious is bringing women together, empowering them with confidence and giving back time that was once spent on haircare.</p>

<p data-block-key="nz1kv">With a background in advertising and a passion for skincare and all things beauty, Rachel founded Intoxicated Cosmetics with the idea that injectables don&#x27;t have to be the only anti-aging skincare solution on the market. Using unique and top of the line ingredients, Intoxicated Cosmetics was able to create completely custom formulas along with their US-based FDA regulated biochemical company. Rachel is also a licensed Esthetician in the state of Massachusetts.</p>

<p data-block-key="n9v6w">Braelinn Frank is both an artist and a business woman. After falling in love with the rave scene in 2009, she began painting her nails on theme with whichever rave she was attending that weekend. She became well known in the scene for her impressive nails, and started an Instagram account called &quot;Rave Nailz&quot;, not knowing it would become a business one day.</p><p data-block-key="2ehof">Wanting to be able to create more nail art than her own two hands would allow, she began painting on press on nails. These became her preference- she could wear long, extravagant nail art without any of the dry time, and they looked exactly- if not better than- a real salon manicure. Soon, she decided to list a few of these on Etsy under the shop name Rave Nailz.</p><p data-block-key="2i03q">Meanwhile she obtained a Bachelor&#x27;s degree in Business Entrepreneurship, inspired by her entrepreneurial family, and an Associate&#x27;s in Graphic Design. She knew she had a passion for business, art, and music- so she freelanced as a graphic designer in the music industry for years, creating artwork and logos for names such as Cedric Gervais, Rusko, School of Rock, and more.</p><p data-block-key="c6tri">But, she wanted something else- to share Rave Nailz with the world. She continued creating new designs, and explored (just for fun!) packaging designs, and reached out to manufacturers to find out what it would take to get her designs produced. During this time her Etsy shop was gaining traction, and she was getting attention from retailers. Finally in 2019, she got a wholesale order so big that she decided to take the leap- she took the money from that wholesale order (plus a little help from her credit card) to manufacture her designs.</p>

<p data-block-key="5ckdu">Sheena (she/her) considers herself an Entrepreneur-Athlete having founded two start-ups in the last five years. Her first start up, <a href="http://www.workforceathletics.com/">Workforce Athletics</a> (WFA), was founded in 2016. In 2020 during the pandemic, WFA took a brief intermission and Sheena had her first baby, Flo. While WFA was on pause and Flo was napping, she brought the idea for Barb to life. Sheena is especially grateful to her co-founder Megan who without thinking twice agreed to embark on this amazing Barb journey!<br/><br/>Megan (she/they) has spent the majority of her career in the brand identity and activation space working for beloved lifestyle consumer brands across multiple industries, including Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and CLIF Bar. They are ready to put all their amazing brand experience to work.<br/><br/>Sheena and Megan are excited to evolve the industry and build a community for all Barbs around the world.</p>

<p data-block-key="o3hf5">Owner of three life-changing brands, <a href="https://www.onyxandrose.com/">Onyx + Rose</a>, <a href="https://fitbykaty.com/">FIT by Katy</a> and <a href="https://www.alaninu.com/">Alani Nu</a>, Katy has been a business leader in the health + wellness space since 2012.</p>

<p data-block-key="nxzs8">Meet Brittany Lo, CEO and Founder of Beautini, the NYC-based bridal beauty experience featured in <i>People Magazine</i>, <i>The New York Times</i>, <i>The Knot</i>, <i>BRIDES</i> and more, Brittany Lo and her team of 80 stylists have empowered thousands of brides and their closest circles through confidence-skyrocketing makeovers on their big day.<br/></p>

<p>Surbhee has over 20 years of experience working in retail, consumer, and luxury companies across Asia, Europe, and the US. She started her career in personal care in India with industry leaders such as L’Oreal and Marico Industries before moving to New York to work with the global consulting firm Booz Allen, Hamilton - where she advised leading luxury and consumer companies on growth and innovation – all of which played a tremendous part in her entrepreneurial journey. <br/><br/>Being an avid traveler, explorer, and rainbow chaser, Surbhee enjoys capturing moments and crafting stories. Love, Indus helps celebrates Surbhee&#x27;s two homes – India and New York. The brand evokes a journey fueled by nostalgia, culture, energy, and innovation that manifests itself in all that we do.</p>

<p data-block-key="cxlbd">It all began in Marseille in 1934 with Fernand Cohen, the grandfather of now CEO Laurent Cohen. Fernand was 21 years old and what is called a “nose,” in the industry - able to identify thousands of fragrances and use talent and creativity to combine essences. Fernand Cohen was a born entrepreneur and founded the company Parfums CORANIA based on a clear vision: to shake up codes in order to be different. His first innovations and successes were alcohol-free perfumes! Fernand Cohen went on to invent fragrances that went against the tide throughout his career. Fernand’s sons, Jean-Luc and Bernard cultivated this heritage for more than 50 years, passing it on to the 3rd generation, Laurent.<br/><br/>This passion for perfume and the originality of Fernand’s approach is the DNA and heritage behind. Solinote’s. They’ve been writing this family story every day since 1934, and Laurent has continued to carry this through. This passion has been a driving force behind Solinotes reinventing themselves at every key moment of their existence, for over 80 years. Fernand’s mission was to give everybody quality and original cosmetic products made in France, and Laurent is doing just that.</p>

<p data-block-key="osglj">Born in India and transplanted to Australia at 11 years old, Suzanne Dawson learned the struggles and rewards of starting over at an early age. That formative experience gave Suzanne the fearless confidence needed to become a successful beauty business entrepreneur and innovator.</p><p data-block-key="hydj1">Suzanne was an early advocate of natural remedies, wellness and self-care. She developed her belief in the power of plant-based therapies into one of Australia’s first natural beauty brands, Enliven, which harnessed the transformative power of essential oils.</p><p data-block-key="lgo64">Her career path eventually led her to Aveda, which she launched in the Australian marketplace. Aveda’s natural, socially and environmentally responsible culture was a natural fit for Suzanne and she soon relocated to the U.S. and assumed a key leadership role in the organization, Vice President of Global Marketing and Innovation. Over the course of eleven years, she launched some of the most innovative natural products, advanced the mission of the company and helped grow Aveda into a very successful global business. Aveda also introduced her to Emmanuel Rey, her husband and YUNI’s co-founder.</p><p data-block-key="qz3ar">Suzanne reconnected with Yoga that had been part of her early childhood, as a way to create more balance in her life. Her powerful example quickly converted her husband to the practice and culminated in their Ashtanga Yoga teacher certification in 2012. After moving to California, Suzanne has continued to work in key leadership positions as CMO of Murad, CEO of OleHenriksen, Chief Community Officer of YogaWorks, growing these iconic global brands and cultivating her deep passion for beauty and wellness. </p><p data-block-key="4y82q">Today, Suzanne continues to work in the beauty industry, while Emmanuel leads YUNI Beauty with his passionate team in Hermosa Beach, CA.</p>

<p>French-born and one of nine siblings, Rey obtained a degree in engineering in agronomics (agricultural engineering). This technical academic expertise paired with social and political consciousness led Rey to Cameroon and The Ivory Coast, West Africa, where he worked as a cocoa and coffee-buyer in the bush. Rey began to develop his dedication to a win-win-win business model, starting by teaching traditional growers on their small plantations how to produce premium quality product more effectively, increasing the monetary value of their crops as well as empowering them as independent business-people. Leveraging his intimate knowledge of cocoa production, Emmanuel moved to the Netherlands to become a cocoa trader. His personal connection to the people and places behind the commodities gave him a unique perspective. The experience deepened his awareness of exploitative practices in worldwide markets and revealed an emerging opportunity to create products for people who were seeking ethically sourced goods.</p><p>After earning his MBA, Emmanuel began his career in the international beauty business and spent 10 years at L&#x27;Oreal where he ended as tenure as General Manager for L&#x27;Oreal Paris in Portugal. Searching for a way to use his beauty experience as a path to expressing his belief that ecological and profit goals are mutually achievable, Emmanuel joined Aveda. Quickly rising to the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager for Aveda North America, Emmanuel was instrumental in developing Aveda into a natural, sustainable and profitable brand.</p><p>After leaving Aveda to focus on personal growth, Emmanuel intensified his long standing passion for yoga and became certified as an Ashtanga yoga teacher. His experience as a “yogi” gave him new insights regarding the needs of people who strive to make mindfulness a part of their active lifestyle and YUNI was born from those insights.</p>

<p data-block-key="xq95x">Fernanda Gomes is CEO &amp; Co-founder of award-winning clean beauty nail and skin wellness brand: TERRA Beauty Bars &amp; VIBES Beauty. She is a certified and licensed product formulator &amp; cosmetic manufacturer with over a decade of strategic sales, marketing, operations, project management and Clean Beauty Manufacturing experience. Gomes is a motivator with a thorough understanding of goals, B2B / B2C channels and customer relationships, strategy and company metrics. A US Army Veteran that demonstrates competence and poise in any environment, Gomes is inspired by great work, positive social impact, moving the needle and forging great relationships.<br/></p><p data-block-key="1qdap">From beauty, hospitality, destination, technology to consumer goods, Gomes has successfully formulated, launched and managed brands and projects with an ultimate focus on innovation, meaningful connections, consumer engagement, digital and analog experiences.<br/></p>

<p>Kelly Perkins is an innovator at heart. After reading an article in the early 90s, she was horrified to learn about chemicals like Triclosan, an antibacterial agent that is a hormone inhibitor and linked to cancer. Finding brands that were truly clean was hard, so she learned to make her own plant-based soap and skincare from an apothecary book. </p><p>Friends and family fell in love with the formulations, scents, and the cheeky, vintage-inspired branding. She began selling her skin, hair, and bath products at markets &amp; branded pop-up shops, and from there Spinster Sisters was born in 2012. </p><p>Kelly has led the brand to national distribution in retailers across the USA &amp; Canada and online at spinstersistersco.com </p><p>Today, Spinster Sisters is on a mission to reduce plastic consumption, focusing on sustainability and consumer education. Kelly&#x27;s newest Free From innovation is a line of solid, water-free bars for face, body, and hair in plastic-free packaging. </p>

<p data-block-key="7y162">Based in North Vancouver, Patrice Mousseau is a conscious entrepreneur and the owner/creator of Satya Organic Skin Care. Patrice is also a proud single mom and Anishinaabe member of Fort William First Nation.</p><p data-block-key="00j5a">Patrice’s determination to change the world through business began by accident. For years, she was a news anchor for leading television &amp; radio stations in Canada, but that all changed when her baby girl Esme began suffering from eczema at only 8-months old.</p><p data-block-key="8xfnj">Today, Satya has helped thousands of skin warriors around the world access clean, effective skin relief.</p>

<p>Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD is a board-certified dermatologist practicing at MDCS: Medical Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Center on Manhattan&#x27;s Upper East Side and Midtown East. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Garshick has numerous publications in scientific journals, book chapters and has presented at national meetings. Additionally, she has previously worked for the Dr. Oz Show, and has been featured in Travel and Leisure, Huffington Post, Women&#x27;s Health, Shape, Real Simple, Refinery 29, Popsugar, New York Magazine, Business Insider, Health Magazine and more.</p>

<p>Najla is a Cosmetic Scientist, Regulatory Executive and Certified European Safety Assessor with almost 20 years in the Scientific industry, ranging from Cosmetics, Personal Care, Fragrances/Flavors and Pharmaceuticals. With a background in Cosmetic Chemistry and Toxicology, she has been the Regulatory Head at top Cosmetic/OTC Contract Manufacturing firms and Prestige Brands. She is also a member of The Society of Cosmetic Scientist, Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, European Societies of Toxicology and President of Global Regulatory Affairs at NCAL Associates.</p>

<p>Lauren is a lover of community, the environment, and clean skincare. Born on the East Coast, she spent the last decade in New York City grinding in the tenacious environment of Wall Street. As a woman on the go, Lauren tried countless skincare products but nothing seemed to work to combat the stress which led to breakouts, dark circles, and dehydrated skin. Empowered by the idea that she could help people feel their best, she embarked on a mission to create the solution she and others needed. Enter Romer Skincare. Lauren is now living full time in Chicago with her husband, a proud Mom to a golden retriever and her skin has never looked better. She spends less time trying new products and more time on the things that matter. Lauren is continuing to build a community around her brand and helping others discover the joy of healthy, beautiful skin.</p>

<p>Alison Webster is the co-founder and COO of Plaine Products. A trained interior designer, Ali joined her sister, CEO Lindsey McCoy, to bring the idea of Plaine Products to life. With an eye for detail and a master of logistics skills honed through her years of managing design projects for corporate firms, Ali established and continues to manage and perfect the Plaine Products system for bottle intake, cleaning, packaging, and shipping. She leads the warehouse team and has continued to set the standards for an eco-friendly fulfillment system. A community volunteer, Ali has an active role with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, a group dedicated to preservation and access to the city&#x27;s urban park spaces.</p>

<p data-block-key="w5krl">Lindsey McCoy is the CEO of Plaine Products, a hair and body care products company on a mission to rid the world of single-use plastics. After earning a master’s degree from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Lindsey spent ten years running environmental education nonprofits in The Bahamas, islands that are overwhelmingly full of single-use plastics. After her return to the United States, she and her sister co-founded Plaine Products in February of 2017. Lindsey additionally works as an advisor and mentor to other entrepreneurs with a similar mission to eliminate plastic waste. She is active in industry forums for both personal care products and packaging, as she collaborates and partners with other businesses in order to form bigger solutions to stop the spread of single-use plastics. In order to really understand the plastic problem the planet is facing, Lindsey spent ten days aboard eXXpedition, a sailing vessel researching plastic hot spots in oceans around the world. With an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic entering the oceans each year, Lindsey saw firsthand how this has impacted our environment and is further driven to provide more resources for consumers who want to break the plastic habit. Lindsey and her team will continue to expand the Plaine Products product lines and availability so others can join them on their mission.</p>

<p>Amy Chou Granger is Co-Founder and President of M2U NYC. Prior to launching M2U NYC in 2020, Amy had held Director roles with increasing responsibilities at both L’Oréal USA and later The Estée Lauder Companies. With 15+ years of extensive experience in Marketing, Operations, and Strategic Planning for several CPG and beauty conglomerates, Amy has influenced the strategic direction for powerhouse brands including Kiehl’s, Giorgio Armani Beauty, and Michael Kors Beauty.</p><p>Amy was born and raised in Taiwan. She came to the U.S. to pursue her graduate degree (Amy holds a Master of Engineering degree from MIT). Growing up in Asia, she was not exposed to makeup since most people in Taiwan didn’t wear makeup until they started working full-time. Her first makeup experience was in her mid 20’s when her friend took her to Macy’s and got her a beauty makeover. She recalls that she could hardly recognize herself in the mirror because it was not her style and she didn’t feel comfortable looking like someone else. Makeup trends are different in all cultures. With the launch of M2U, she wants to empower everyone to formulate their own beauty standards. She wants to give people tools to experiment, have fun and create new routines without feeling guilty about overspending.<br/></p>

<p data-block-key="5fqhm">Los Angeles-based designer and Laki Naturals founder, Tiffany Lerman lives by the motto &quot;Girls can do anything&quot;! Having a strong entrepreneurial spirit is a common theme for women in her family. She is the daughter of the late bestselling novelist, Jackie Collins. Her mother wrote about courageous heroines who made bold decisions, traits that are inherent in the London-born entrepreneur.  Tiffany graduated from UCLA with a BA in fine art and later studied textile design at FIDM. Her first business was launched out of her parent&#x27;s garage, creating t-shirts and handbags from vintage fabrics found at flea markets in Los Angeles, Paris, and London. Her very first order was from Fred Segal, and at that moment, Tiffany&#x27;s entrepreneurial spirit was ignited! </p><p data-block-key="7z3og">With two small boys at home, Tiffany realized the need for children&#x27;s bath products containing clean ingredients. In 2006, out of necessity and creativity, she launched the children&#x27;s brand Tiny Tillia - a whimsical collection of eco-conscious, paraben-free children&#x27;s bath and body products. Tiffany experienced a &quot;pinch me&quot; moment when Tiny Tillia was acquired by Avon in 2011. In 2018 Tiffany launched her wellness bath and body brand, Laki Naturals. It debuted to rave reviews at the Los Angeles Indie Beauty Expo. Laki was chosen as one of the Top Ten Trends at the show and nominated for two Best in Show Awards! She creates original products that she hopes will help women achieve an enjoyable, meaningful, and empowered state of mind.</p>

<p>Valerie&#x27;s background is in the Fashion industry, as a buyer and planner. Her experience within the industry motivated her to start Klei, a company focused on sustainability and being customer-centric. </p><p>She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and daughter.</p>

<p data-block-key="s3zoz">Dr. Sarah de la Torre is a board certified Ob-Gyn and women’s wellness expert who has been in conventional Ob-Gyn for 20 years and has additional specialized accreditation in Functional Medicine. She was a partner in a private group practice for over 15 years where she excelled at caring for women of all ages. She has delivered over 3,000 babies and has helped countless women have successful pregnancies and improved their gynecologic health. Dr. de la Torre is on the Clinical Teaching Faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine, has spoken internationally and is a published author of clinical and research articles in women’s health. She is a certified NAMS provider and a Fellow of ACOG.</p><p data-block-key="li69c"><br/><br/></p>

<p data-block-key="9cf4e">Colette Courtion has spent more than 12 years working in beauty and with medical aesthetic technologies. However, it was her personal experience of becoming a mother that led her to start Joylux, a menopausal health platform that provides home-use solutions for women. She was recently named by Inc Magazine to their prestigious Top 100 Female Founders list. Prior to founding Joylux, Colette was CEO of JeNu, the first home-use anti-aging device using ultrasound technology. Prior to JeNu, Colette launched Calidora Skin Clinics, a leading anti-aging chain of skin clinics in the NW. Colette began her career in finance at PepsiCo and Maveron (a Seattle venture capital firm) before heading to Starbucks. As a marketing executive for Starbucks, she was responsible for creating and patenting the Duetto Card, named by Business Week as 2003’s Best Product of the Year, while running the largest and most successful retail store value card and loyalty program in the world, the Starbucks Card. She earned a BA in economics from the University of Washington and an MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.</p>

<p>Leo Carrillo is a 27-year-old passionate entrepreneur based out of San Diego, CA. Currently, Carrillo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hair Craft Co.</p><p></p><p>Prior to Hair Craft Co., Carrillo helped scale and co-lead Tinuiti’s (FKA CPC Strategy) Amazon Department for 4 years, becoming the largest Amazon Ad Agency in the world. His primary focus was on growth opportunities and keeping Tinuiti ahead of its competitors by constantly evolving and improving the online experiences of clients so they could thrive on bottom-of-the-funnel and top-of-the-funnel retail search channels.</p><p></p><p>Additionally, Carrillo serves as a mentor to students through the San Diego State University&#x27;s Aztec Mentor Program. Carrillo’s commitment to SDSU is driven by his experience there as Student Body Vice President, which uniquely placed him as COO of Associated Students, a $30M student-directed not-for-profit auxiliary organization of San Diego State University.<br/></p>

<p data-block-key="iw2zy">Owner and co-founder Maude Burns spent over a decade working in luxury beauty marketing in New York City. With a passion for beauty products and a dedication to conscious living, she saw an opportunity to create “clean and green” men’s products that were also sophisticated and spoke to the men in her life.</p>

<p>Alexis lives in Charente, France, land of Cognac and Pineau des Charentes. He is a passionate keeper of traditions and family history. He wanted the Féret Parfumeur brand from his mother&#x27;s side to live on, so he works every day to keep the identity of the brand while developing its ranges. Alexis also heads the family spirits company from his father&#x27;s side, of which he is the fourth generation Cellarmaster of Cognac Richard Delisle. He has developed the spirits trading activity in the traditional French market as well as for international exports. He loves the Western region of France in which he lives, local products made in France, and honoring his family heritage.</p>

<p>Kyle LaFond is the Founder of American Provenance. Kyle started his career as a wildlife biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources but later transitioned into teaching middle school science. During his years as an educator, he became passionate about encouraging his students to use safe, natural personal care products. This led to the launch of American Provenance.</p><p>In his free time, Kyle likes to work on his family farm in Blue Mounds. On nice weekends you can find him hiking or fishing on some of Wisconsin’s wonderful public properties.</p>