THE SESSIONS
Bootstrapping: Building and Scaling On Your Own Terms
To raise or not to raise? Over the last decade, the beauty ecosystem glorified fundraising, but the rise and fall of easy money has made founders think more pragmatically about what it takes to scale a brand and turn a profit. There is no right or wrong choice because every business is different. Still, the decision between bootstrapping and fundraising can reveal a lot about the founder and their business, and it always comes with insightful stories. We’ll dive into what it takes to bootstrap a business.
Moderator: Kelly Kovack, Founder + CEO, BeautyMatter
Cassandra Thurswell, Founder + CEO, Kitsch
Greg Starkman, Founder + CEO, Innersense Organic Beauty
Matthew Berkson, Co-Founder + CEO, Maison Louis Marie
Bigger Than Beauty: Building Brands That Matter
The power of beauty can be transformative, especially in the hands of entrepreneurs with big ideas building cult brands with a cause. For them, profit isn't enough, and words matter, but actions matter more. The idea that businesses should serve the interests of consumers, suppliers, workers, society, and shareholders isn’t new, but striking the right balance between profit and purpose is crucial to achieving long-term success and lasting impact.
Hilary Petersen, Founder, True Botanicals
Daivd Yi, Founder, Very Good Light
From TikTok to Top-Seller: Turning Virality Into Long-Term Brand Power
In today’s beauty landscape, a single viral moment can turn an under-the-radar product into a household name overnight. TikTok has become the epicenter of product discovery, driving shopper behavior, especially on platforms like Amazon. But what happens after the spike? How do brands transform that momentum into lasting relevance? This panel will unpack the lifecycle of a viral beauty product, from becoming a hero SKU to building a sustainable brand strategy and cross-platform playbooks that convert attention into measurable growth.
Moderator: Cristina Montemayor, Editor, BeautyMatter
Erin Potempa-Wall, Co-Founder + COO, The Beachwaver Co.
Michael Malinsky, Founder + CEO, Wonderskin
More sessions will be announced soon