An accomplished chemist and product innovator, Alec has spent the past 30+ years bringing some of the world’s most  beloved products to market, working with companies such as Pfizer, Shiseido, L’Oréal Group/Kiehl’s, and NARS.

Appearing in the Emmy-nominated documentary Toxic Beauty, he has a vision for skin health and is now sharing the first-of-their-kind formulas that he’s used for over 30 years—ones that optimize activity and modulate emollience by rethinking emulsion processes—utilizing functional levels of actives instead of marketing levels, eliminating  microbiome-damaging pesticides, and innovating packaging and preservation techniques.

In partnership with Xylyx Bio, a spinout of Columbia University’s Laboratory for Stem Cells and Functional Tissue Engineering, Alec launched his own skincare brand, Sweet Chemistry, in the Summer of 2023 with two products: the Elasticity  Reinforcing Cream, the first treatment moisturizer to use 30% less water and 4x the actives, and the Reparative Oil Serum Infusion, both of which contain 3% Matrikynes Regenerative Bone Peptides.

Alexandra Keating is the Founder & CEO of leading sustainable body care brand Uni. Uni is Alexandra's third company. She is also an angel investor and venture advisor.

Allie Egan experienced firsthand the effects of compromised metabolic health—struggling for years with undiagnosed Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that impacts the thyroid. Despite running marathons and appearing outwardly healthy, Allie found herself in a battle with infertility. Only by discovering functional medicine and treating the underlying cause through lifestyle and dietary changes was she able to take her health into her own hands. Today, she has two beautiful children and is Hashimoto’s-free.

Allie started Veracity to help others avoid the suffering she endured, providing access to holistic solutions. Veracity is dedicated to optimizing metabolic health with drug-free solutions and proven results.

Before founding Veracity, Allie was the CEO of Cynthia Rowley and gained extensive experience in the beauty industry at Estée Lauder. She began her career in consumer investing at L Catterton. Allie is a board member of the Global Wellness Institute's Hormone Wellness Initiative, was selected as one of Forbes Next 1000, and was named one of the Top Women in Retail by the Women’s Leadership Network. She holds a bachelor of science degree in finance and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a master of business administration degree with high distinction from Harvard Business School.

Andrew Stanleick is a beauty and aesthetics industry executive and the recent President and CEO of The Beauty Health Company (NASDAQ: SKIN). He led the company to its first profitable performance after becoming public in 2021 through the rapid global development of its category-creating Hydra facial brand and innovative partnership expansions.
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Prior to BeautyHealth, Andrew led Coty Americas as Executive Vice President, overseeing aportfolio of iconic luxury and consumer brands across North America and Latin America.Andrew also served as the Global CEO for Coty’s joint venture with Kylie Jenner Beauty and oversaw the Kim Kardashian West business for Coty.

Andrew began his career in consumer goods at Unilever, L'Oréal, and Coach, where heheld progressive marketing and country management roles. He currently advises privateequity and beauty companies on brand strategy and M&A.
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A native of England, Andrew graduated with a master’s degree in economics and law from the University of Cambridge and has lived and served in leadership roles in eight countries across four continents, including seven years in Asia.

Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger is a serial entrepreneur, internationally acclaimed violinist, and co-founder of biotech skincare brand Mother Science. As a rock violinist, Simpson-Einziger has collaborated with artists including The Dave Matthews Band, Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Pharrell Williams, Jethro Tull, and A.R. Rahman. She has also worked with renowned composer Hans Zimmer on numerous film scores including 12 Years a Slave and Sherlock Holmes.

Simpson-Einziger’s love of music is paralleled by a passion for science. She studied biology at The University of Virginia and was a high school physics and chemistry teacher prior to her music career. In 2016, while on tour, Simpson-Einziger experienced a harmless skin condition that led her to discover the power of Malassezin, a naturally occurring molecule with dramatic dark spot reduction benefits. After six years of research and development alongside leading scientists, she and her husband Mike Einziger launched Mother Science, a biotech beauty brand creating next-generation skincare solutions harnessing their breakthrough patented ingredient Malassezin. Mother Science offers two products: Molecular Hero Serum, a first-of-its-kind serum that dramatically reduces the appearance of dark spots and sun damage and Retinol Synergist, a next-generation treatment for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.

CEO and co-founder of THE BOARD, a vetted community of over 220 value-driven consultants bringing c-level “dream team” expertise to companies like Farfetch and  Moda Operandi. She is the former CEO at Violet Grey, where she led and executed the company's growth strategy across all channels to become primed for acquisition. As the CBO at tech start-up and digital shopping destination Spring, April led brand strategy and curation, bringing over 1,600 brands (from Warby Parker to Gucci) to the platform. Prior to Spring, she spent 25 years in fashion and for nine years was the EVP of Global Sales and Strategy at DVF, where she played an essential role in developing DVF into an iconic global brand.

April has long been considered a thought leader and is a sought-after participant for panels and podcasts. April served as a mentor in the prestigious CFDA Incubator program for six years and sits on the board of Lake & Skye, GLAM4GOOD, and on the Advisory Boards for TryNow, and ShopMy. April is a self-proclaimed “accidental activist” and is a founding member of I am a voter.―a nonpartisan coalition that aims to create a cultural shift around voting and civic engagement.

Caroline Turim Irizarry is a strategic brand leader with a keen ability to shape brand identities and drive growth through innovative go-to-market strategies. At Ritual, she oversees brand development, leads social and customer experience initiatives, and manages a diverse portfolio of core products. Her deep understanding of consumer insights and her proven track record in executing cross-functional campaigns have made her instrumental in elevating Ritual’s market presence.
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Before joining Ritual, Caroline honed her skills at leading consumer packaged goods companies, including The Honest Company, where she spearheaded the baby portfolio, focusing on diapers, wipes, and baby personal care. She drove omnichannel expansion, launched new products, and crafted innovative brand narratives. Her experience also includes impactful roles at Kraft Heinz and Nature Made, where she enhanced cultural relevance and achieved significant top and bottom-line growth through strategic initiatives.
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Caroline excels at blending creativity with data-driven strategies to create compelling brand experiences that resonate with consumers. Her expertise in product launches, strategic communications, and brand positioning has established her as a prominent voice in the wellness and beauty industry.

Carolyn Aronson is a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the founder and CEO of It’s A 10 Haircare, one of the only Latina-owned professional hair care brands in the world. She announced full ownership of the company in 2017 and bought out her partner's share. From its inception, It’s A 10 Haircare was born out of Carolyn’s frustration with brands that produced dozens of products with single benefits and hard-to-follow claims. She envisioned a line that was for everyone and delivered full, salon-quality results in just one bottle. She began with a star product, Miracle Leave-In, and the line quickly rose to fame through pro hair stylists, who shared the cult-favorite product with their clients. Since then, over 10 million bottles of the Miracle Leave-In are sold annually and the brand is sold in 107 countries (and counting).

Colette Laxton and Mark Curry co-founded The INKEY List in the U.K. in 2018. The brand was born from a belief that better knowledge powers better decisions. On a mission to simplify skincare for the masses, they exist to break down complicated beauty jargon and empower their ever-growing community with the knowledge they need to make personalized decisions for their skin. With 24/7, 365 askINKEY Services, The INKEY List has helped over 7 million people globally to unlock a routine that works for them. Science-backed, results-driven, and community first, The INKEY List is available exclusively in Sephora, on Sephora.com in over 32 countries, and on theinkeylist.com.
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A true brand and marketing visionary who thrives in developing brand identity and purpose, Colette’s career has spanned across multiple brands and roles within the beauty industry. With a passion for understanding the customer experience at all touchpoints, she has worked across marketing, branding, and product development for Boots brands including No. 7, Soap & Glory, and Liz Earle, as well as UK start-up WAH Nails.

Csaba Lucas is a distinguished business advisor and entrepreneur celebrated for his expertise in regenerative technologies and transformative processes. With over 30 years of experience, his insights have graced esteemed publications, establishing him as a premier thought leader and sought-after speaker on peak performance.

Globally recognized for his advisory and coaching acumen, Csaba has guided Wall Street executives, Fortune 100 leaders, professional athletes, and celebrities as well as individuals navigating significant challenges. His academic credentials span business, sports science, and performance arts, reflecting his multifaceted approach.

Csaba's unique experiences include living with tribes in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Amazon and engaging with wisdom keepers from Siberia to Australia. This rich cultural tapestry informs his holistic advisory work, blending art, science, ancient wisdom, and business acumen.

Driven by a passion for leading transformative change, Csaba remains a pivotal figure in shaping the future of business advising. His diverse expertise and deep dedication to mastering the art of living make him an invaluable mentor in the realms of cutting-edge technologies and entrepreneurial ventures.

David DiLorenzo is the founder and CEO of V Beauty Pure (VBP). After visiting his father’s hair salon in New York, David set out on a mission to eliminate the acrylic fumes and dust from nail artists. This brought him to invent the Dust Collector—VBP’s first product.
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Since then, David has accumulated quite the following and favor in the nail community due to his deep bond with nail techs, distributors, and creators. He has developed an education and ambassador program within the community that is extremely supportive, both financially and professionally. Today, David is highly respected in the nail industry and has frequent meet and greets, with lines wrapped around the block waiting to meet him.

Although David is not the face of V Beauty Pure, he is an extremely important figure to the brand and is responsible for the cult-like following VBP has earned.

David Gaylord is the current Chief Executive Officer at Bushbalm, a skincare and technology brand focused solely on the bikini line. After spending 7+ years at Shopify, he took his e-commerce expertise to launch Bushbalm direct-to-consumer where it grew quickly to over eight figures. The brand is now available nationwide at Ulta Beauty and in over 5,000 waxing salons.

As a C-level executive with more than 25 years of experience creating and building visionary brands, Deanna Kangas is a proven industry leader when it comes to turning around both growing and established businesses. Deanna works with top private equity firms to analyze the purchase potential of beauty companies and was instrumental in the launch of Florence by Mills and the new brand GXVE Beauty by Gwen Steffani. She was also part of the founding team of Ouai, the social media-driven, global haircare brand.
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A true expert in the industry, Deanna has lent her considerable skills in growing companies and her exceptional creativity to a number of corporations in various stages of growth. She spent five years as CEO at Stila Cosmetics where she was charged with (and succeeded at) getting the company back on track. Prior to her work at Stila, Deanna turned around the Barbie Collectors division of Mattel, founded online beauty retailer Gloss.com, and launched Michael Jordan Cologne at XEL.
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Deanna is an active board member of Communities in Schools of Los Angeles (CISLA), Cosmetics Executive Women (CEW), and Young Presidents' Organization (YPO).

Jeff Lee is CEO and co-founder of DIBS Beauty, a groundbreaking color cosmetics brand backed by L Catterton. Jeff was previously COO of ARod Corp, where he managed and developed a wide-ranging portfolio of brands and investments by legendary baseball player Alex Rodriguez and was also a mergers and acquisitions attorney at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Jeff holds a masters of business administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a juris doctor degree from Yale Law School, and a bachelor of arts degree from Stanford University. Lee is also a certified personal trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He is one of the world’s leading trainers for national winners competing in the Miss Universe Competition and lectures annually on business ethics, branding, and reputation management at the MBA programs of Wharton, Chicago, and Stanford.

JuE Wong, Board Director of The Honey Pot Co., has a robust track record of scaling emerging brands such as Murad Inc., NV Perricone MD Ltd., ZO Skin Health by Dr. Zein Obagi, Astral Health & Beauty, and StriVectin. She has also globalized established brands that include Cargill Inc., PepsiCo, and Dial Corp. JuE was the former President of Elizabeth Arden, Global CEO of Moroccanoil, and most recently President and CEO of Olaplex (Nasdaq: OLPX).

A proven global senior executive with experience and exposure in four continents and seven countries, JuE is considered one of the go-to progressive executives in driving intrinsic change to increase portfolio value in omnichannel, international, and digital transformation (DX)/Disruption.

JuE serves on the corporate boards of Mila Moursi Advanced Skin Care and Versicolor Technologies as well as on the trade board Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW). She is also a board member of C200, the world’s premier women’s business leadership organization where membership is by invitation only.

Ju Rhyu is the co-founder of Hero Cosmetics, a brand focused on reimagining acne care best known for their Mighty Patch acne patches. Hero Cosmetics is now the #1 brand in acne patches and the #1 brand in acne care in the US, with over 20 award-winning products. Hero products are sold in over 17,000 points of distribution and are consistently #1 in beauty and personal care on Amazon. In October of 2022, Hero Cosmetics was acquired by Church & Dwight and is now part of their Specialty Hair and Skincare portfolio.

As Global Group Director for Beauty at Roblox, Justine and her team are focused on creating new ecosystems for people to express themselves through digital beauty and helping brands create and scale their presence on the platform―be it through immersive experiences and digital items, or Roblox’s growing Immersive ads and other innovative immersive media offerings. Justine’s group also oversees CPG and QSR verticals, and she had previously led emerging verticals at Roblox, leveraging her 15 years of partnerships experience working with Fortune 100 brands. Prior to Roblox, Justine held roles at Pinterest and TikTok, leading West Coast partnerships with top technology and telecommunications brands like Google, Apple, and Microsoft for Pinterest, and managing business, measurement, creator, and creative strategy for key technology partners at TikTok.

“Head, Vulva, Knees and Toes”… meet Katy Cottam, founder & CEO of Luna Daily. On a mission to connect women of all ages and stages to each other and their entire bodies with their range of microbiome balancing body care products for all skin, even intimate, female-founded Luna Daily was born out of beauty veteran Katy’s lifelong frustrations with the outdated “feminine hygiene” category. After a successful career in the beauty industry, first at L’Oreal and most recently at Charlotte Tilbury, Katy gave up her job during the pandemic to set up Luna Daily. Inspired by her own experiences as a teenager, after an intense course of antibiotics impacted her gut and skin microbiome, she was forced to use so-called “feminine hygiene” products, which created lasting feelings of shame and embarrassment. Through research, she also found the same lack of great products, education, and conversation existed at all womanhood stages, including motherhood and menopause. Fifteen years later, working at the heart of the beauty industry, Katy could see no progress had been made. She knew something had to change, so with the help of expert dermatologists and gynecologists (the Luna Daily Collective), Luna Daily was born.

BYOMA founder and CEO Marc Elrick has always been driven by a love for the industry, a fascination with the consumer, and a desire to change how people feel through beauty.
With a skill for identifying gaps in the market and finding solutions to unmet consumer needs, he created Future Beauty Labs in 2015, launching #1 category-leading brands across some of the world’s largest beauty retailers.

Marc’s dedication to his vision of building better beauty and inspiring positive change is where BYOMA was born from in 2022. Since launch, BYOMA has pioneered clinically proven science and innovation while demystifying and democratizing skincare—empowering consumers to make smart, informed, educated choices when it comes to their skin and bringing the skin barrier conversation into the mainstream.

Iris&Romeo was founded by Michele Gough-Baril after two decades in the beauty industry, climbing her way to the top. Burned out by the persistent excess and hustle culture, she stepped away to the healing rhythms of Northern California and gave herself permission to reprioritize her relationship with her body and herself. Iris&Romeo was born as the antidote to the beauty hustle culture and the “more is more” mentality. At Iris&Romeo, products are brought into the world thoughtfully, consciously, and beautifully. We are committed to multifunctional, all-in-one, tinted skincare solutions of the highest quality and efficacy. We simplify your morning routine and deliver skin wellness—instantly and over time. This kind of beauty—this undone, well-hydrated look combined with serum strength actives—is the effortless bare-faced beauty we all want. Less makeup. More you.

Meloney Moore is a dynamic educator and marketing professional who currently serves as the Associate Dean of The De Sole School of Business Innovation at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Moore’s unique approach to teaching has cultivated a “funnel of creative talent” within the classroom, contributing significantly to the creative business landscape.

Before joining SCAD, Moore spent over 17 years building global brands and creating engaging retail experiences for industry giants such as Estée Lauder, Toys “R” Us, Diageo, and Liz Claiborne. Her work has been recognized in Glamour, Elle, and Dazed. Moore holds a bachelor of arts degree in marketing and government from the University of Notre Dame and a master of business administration degree from Cornell University.

Michelle Miller is a global marketer specializing in fast growth beauty brands. Her early roots in print journalism drive her brand storytelling philosophy today. Along the way, she’s created award-winning campaigns in high impact roles at Too Faced Cosmetics, IGK, Kosas and is now in biotech haircare with K18 Biomimetic Hairscience.

K18 is a biology-first brand breaking the rules on haircare. Beloved by the PRO stylist community and at-home users in 100+ countries, with 25+ billion TikTok views and 25+ prestigious awards, its growing lineup of intentional, science-backed haircare is all about unlocking next-level expression for all.

In Michelle’s day-to-day as Chief Marketing Officer at K18, she leads high-growth teams and marketing strategy engaging conversations around the future of beauty.

Robbie Salter is a co-founder and the Co-CEO of Jupiter. Before founding the company, Robbie spent 12 years working at the cross-section between technology, entertainment, media, and finance at Jerry Bruckheimer Films Television, as well as the strategic consulting firm MediaLink, where he held leadership positions prior to its ultimate acquisition. He holds a juris doctor degree and a master’s of business administration degree from Northwestern University, as well as a bachelor’s of business administration from University of Michigan. Robbie is a Detroit native, triathlete, husband, father, and the owner of a labradoodle named Doctor Salter.

Scott Gurfein is the founder and CEO of Brand-OS, a finance and operations platform purpose-built for brands, and co-founder of AllWork, the beauty industry’s preeminent freelancer payment and management platform.

A career entrepreneur in consumer product and technology companies, Scott has been a founder of brands, services companies, and platforms that support brands. In 2003, Scott acquired and scaled his first beauty brand Freeze 24/7 from $150K to $150M in sales in under four years as a pioneer of the Indie beauty category earning him CEW’s Enterprising Beauty Award. Scott also co-founded children’s haircare brand SoCozy, and with Target, he established the children’s haircare category at retail.

As a brand operator, Scott went from client to owner of Socket Managed Services, the world’s only holistic provider of finance and operations solutions to brands like True Botanicals and Parfums de Marly off his conviction for the potential to create an industry-wide standard outsourced solution for back-of-house functions. This led him to conceiving and launching AllWork in 2016, and most recently, Brand-OS, the tech-enabled back-office management system for brands.

Susanah is an accomplished media leader helping to advance brands via innovation and new technology. After beginning her career in mobile, she went on to excel at Spotify, the world's #1 audio entertainment platform. During her five-year tenure, she sought and launched Spotify's first Beauty Partnerships Team, addressing a gap in nonvisual storytelling within the beauty industry. Aside from building the team, she developed the initial go-to-market strategy yielding multiyear music and podcast partnerships with the world's biggest beauty portfolios. Fueled by a constant curiosity for new and emerging channels, she transitioned to lead beauty at SuperAwesome, a division within Epic Games in 2022. Currently serving as Head of Growth Verticals, encompassing beauty, retail, and tech, she's focused on facilitating connections between brands and Gen Z/A audiences in top gaming platforms like Fortnite and Roblox. Along with her team, she guides marketers in crafting responsibly designed virtual experiences with a suite of services including concept ideation, compliance, game development, influencer/media, and measurement.

Vennette Ho leads Raymond James’s industry-leading beauty and personal care practice around the globe. Over the course of her 20-year investment banking career, Vennette has focused on M&A and equity capital raises for rapidly growing companies. She has received numerous accolades for her work and was recently named by Mergers & Acquisitions magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A, and by Women’s Wear Daily as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Beauty.

Aside from her past roles with Raymond James and Financo, Vennette worked at Lazard in equity research and at Bloomingdale’s in merchandising. She received a master of business administration degree with honors from Columbia Business School and a bachelor of arts degree with honors from Brown University. Vennette is a member of the Board of Governors of Cosmetic Executive Women.