Meet the 10 Finalists of Clean Beauty Summer School
To support the growth of black-owned small beauty businesses, Tower 28 founder Amy Liu is spearheading Clean Beauty Summer School—a new program that is a collective effort by female founders and leaders in the beauty industry.
After reviewing more than 300 applicants, a panel of judges (which included the VP of Skincare Merchandising at Sephora and the VP of Merchandising at Ulta Beauty) has selected 10 black female entrepreneurs to be part of the first class of Clean Beauty Summer School.
Beauty brand founders were selected based on multiple criteria, including product innovation, the overall vision for their business, and more. To qualify to enter, they had to be majority black-owned, a beauty business, focused on clean and/or sustainable CPG/hard goods (or working towards it), and have three or less employees.
#BeautyBoss: Amy Liu, Founder of Tower 28
As part of the virtual Clean Beauty Summer School, the 10 finalists will complete coursework and learn valuable skills in various topics including digital marketing and financial planning, and be assigned a mentor. At the end of the program, they will participate in a “pitch day” on September 16, 2020 where they will present to a panel of judges made up of beauty buyers from Sephora and Ultra, a beauty editor, and potential investors.
The winner will receive:
A $10,000 grant from the New Voices Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that offers female entrepreneurs of color resources to build their businesses
$13,000 worth of services from HeadKount, which helps beauty brands grow their retail business
Be guaranteed meetings with buyers from Sephora and Ulta Beauty
Read on to learn more about the 10 finalists of Clean Beauty Summer School and be sure to keep an eye out for these rising stars in the beauty industry:
1. 54 Thrones
54 Thrones founder Christina Funke.
Named after Africa’s 54 countries, 54 Thrones is a line of authentic, sustainably made beauty products that are inspired by African tradition and feature African-grown, pure and organic plant botanicals that are blended to protect, soothe, and nourish skin. Founder Christina Funke travels to each country to source key ingredients, meeting each artisan and business that the company works with.
2. Alodia
Alodia co-founder Dr. Isfahan Chambers-Harris.
After personal experiences with unnatural and toxic haircare products, Dr. Isfahan Chambers-Harris turned to her expertise as a scientist and spent the next three years researching and experimenting. Along with her husband and the brand’s co-founder, Dr. Rashad Harris, she launched Alodia in 2017. The company uses technology to personalize product choices based on a person’s scalp health, unique hair type, and styling preferences. Alodia provides customizable kits and offers virtual consultations with hair trichologists, in addition to offering curative solutions for scalp conditions that texture hair types are faced with.
3. Aspen Apothecary
Aspen Apothecary co-founder Keta Burke-Williams.
Aspen Apothecary co-founder Kaja Burke-Williams.
Founded by sisters Keta and Kaja Burke-Williams—one a former Dartmouth and Harvard Business School graduate, the other a Northwestern alumni—Aspen Apothecary is an ethical and sustainable indie perfume brand that takes the hassle out of self-care. Their roll-on and solid perfumes combine the powerful effect of scent with healing properties of hemp-based CBD, blending vintage traditions with science-based knowledge.
4. BASE BUTTER
BASE BUTTER co-founder and VP of Product Nicolette Graves.
BASE BUTTER co-founder and CEO She'Neil Johnson.
Founded by Nicolette Graves and She'Neil Johnson, BASE BUTTER is a company on a mission to help make skin care easy for oily and combination skin types through easy to understand products, simple to follow routines, and expert information that can be easily applied. The brand's product philosophy is to design products that nourish and protect your skin.
5. Doubledown Cosmetics
Doubledown Cosmetics founders Marvin and Kristen Speller.
Husband and wife team, Marvin and Kristen Speller, are the dynamic duo behind Doubledown Cosmetics—a non-GMO, organic skincare and cosmetics brand that offers vegan products as well. Their clean products feature the highest quality organic ingredients and are representative of all skin tones. The couple also founded the the Domestic Violence Glam UP Program in 2011, and have partnered with local community organizations to provide makeovers and education on health and wellness.
6. Frigg
Frigg founder Kimberly Dillon.
The former Chief Marketing Officer at Papa & Barkley, Kimberly Dillon eventually left her job and embarked on a jungle retreat to re-center herself. After losing her luggage, all she had was a bottle of CBD at the bottom of her purse, which became her go-to for the next three weeks. After noticing all of the amazing benefits she was experiencing as a result, Dillon eventually launched Frigg—a beauty line that tackles burn-out and stress, and their impact on hair and skin. In conjunction with a scientific advisory board, the brand uses cannabinoids, adaptogens, and nervines to develop topicals and ingestible formulations to address the mind-body-skin connection.
7. Hanahana Beauty
Hanahana founder Abena Boamah-Acheampong.
As a child, Abena Boamah-Acheampong’s mother would heat up shea butter and cloves, and add them to her own body butter concoctions, which the family would use to treat various skin and muscle ailments. All of the information she gathered, along with her experiences, led Boamah-Acheampong to create Hanahana Beauty—a consciously clean skincare and wellness brand that empowers black women globally by creating sustainable access to income and healthcare for shea butter producers. The company purposefully embeds sustainable practices and access to information that creates a level of transparency between producers and consumers, and Hanahana’s promise is that their all-natural products will have you feeling smooth and confident in your own skin.
8. Ode to Self
Ode to Self founder and maker, Kimberlee Alexandria Day.
Kimberlee Alexandria Day is the founder and maker of Ode to Self, a skincare and wellness brand focused on creating effective, lightweight, and luxurious products that prioritize the needs of black and brown-skinned women and men. Relaunched in June 2019, the brand utilizes scent therapy to help calm the senses and center one's self, driving consumers to prioritize themselves in their daily lives, being sure to start with their mental wellness first.
9. Peak and Valley
Peak and Valley founder and CEO Nadine Joseph.
Founded in 2019 by Nadine Joseph, Peak and Valley is a Seattle-based wellness brand that was created with the goal of providing inclusive, science-backed, and honest products. Utilizing organic or wildcrafted, vegan, and mindfully-sourced ingredients, they make adaptogenic blends that manage stress while supporting skin, mood, and mind.
10. ROSEN Skincare
ROSEN Skincare founder Jamika Martin.
ROSEN Skincare is a next generation acne care brand that brings together the best of all worlds when it comes to treating breakouts: quality ingredients, affordable pricing, and mass accessibility. Founder Jamika Martin has developed a line of skincare products that is both aesthetically pleasing and helps people get their acne under control, leading to clearer skin and confidence. The product range includes everything from cleansers and moisturizers, to serums and everything in-between, and helps take the guesswork out of your everyday skincare routine.
For more information about Clean Beauty Summer School, click here.
[Images courtesy of brands]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk