There's a reason so many brands and products feel the same: because they are. Innovation is one of those buzzwords that’s frequently used, but it’s often misattributed to marketing rather than actual research and development. Innovation doesn't suddenly appear, and it's not simply tweaking existing ideas. It's reimagining what’s possible and fueled by trial and error. What you see now is the result of bringing true scientific validation into a space that previously relied more on potential than proof. Beauty is moving fast, but the new frontier will not be defined by speed or technology but rather by those who can explain science through storytelling and deliver results, not “hope in a jar.” 

Joshua Britton, Founder + CEO, Debut 

Lauren Bowker, Founder + CEO, Exist

Colleen Quinn, Chief Innovation Officer, KilgourMD

Moderator: Roseanna Roberts, VP, Foresight and Intelligence, BeautyMatter

The future of beauty retail will be shaped by more than products on a shelf. As the lines between shopping, discovery, entertainment, and community continue to blur, success requires an integrated ecosystem. Lauren Brindley and Kelly Mahoney join Kelly Kovack for a candid discussion about the strategic choices shaping the retailer’s next chapter. From assortment and digital innovation to brand building and customer engagement, they’ll offer an inside look at how Ulta Beauty is connecting emerging signals with merchandising strategy, digital experiences, and marketing execution.

Lauren Brindley, Chief Merchandising and Digital Officer, Ulta Beauty

Kelly Mahoney, CMO, Ulta Beauty

Moderator: Kelly Kovack, Founder + CEO, BeautyMatter

Beauty's fiercest competition isn't happening on the shelf; it's happening long before shoppers walk through the door. Consumers now move seamlessly between social media, AI assistants, retailer apps, reviews, and brick-and-mortar stores. Which touchpoints actually influence purchase? How do retailers decide who gets prime real estate? And what separates the brands that get discovered from those that get bought? This conversation will provide actionable strategies to bridge the disconnect between the digital and physical worlds and explain why certain brands win at getting consumers to add their products to their baskets. 

Pilkyung Choi, Brand President, Laneige, Amorepacific

Amber Turley, VP, Omni Convenience and Commerce Partnerships, Sephora

Moderator: Janna Mandell, Editorial Director, BeautyMatter  

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Can a beloved character convert viewers into beauty customers? Licensed collaborations offer brands a built-in audience and bring retailers a steady stream of limited-edition newness. For entertainment companies, they provide a way to extend stories and characters beyond the screen. Anua’s year-long partnership with Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, which delivered character-driven sheet masks and skincare to beauty shelves, shows how the right collaboration can introduce an established beauty brand to an entirely new fandom. In this discussion, we will unpack how these partnerships come together—from identifying the right property and negotiating rights to developing products that satisfy both brand customers and devoted fans, plus how these partnerships can produce lasting customer loyalty and not just a flash-in-the-pan purchase.

Abdellah Mellouk, VP, Integrated Marketing, Scentbird

Michelle Miller, CMO, Anua

Moderator: Sara Spruch-Feiner, Senior Editor, BeautyMatter

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Disruption. White space. Breaking taboos. All powerful words that have become ubiquitous and void of meaning. That is not to say brands are not doing these very things, but it is not as widespread as marketing language would lead you to believe. Truly standing out in the crowd is not often found in the data; it's a gut feeling, a clear vision, thick skin, and a huge appetite for risk. We will take a deep dive with three visionary NEXT50 founders shifting category perception by pushing the boundaries of product form, packaging, visual identity, and language. These founders aren’t just building brands—they’re shaping the next generation of product categories.

Lorne Lucree, Founder + CEO, Wizard Wellness

Joshua Katz, Founder + CEO, Norms 

Lauren Sudeyko, Founder + CEO, Sleep or Die

Moderator: John Cafarelli, Co-Founder + President, BeautyMatter

Gen Alpha is undeniably a dominant group of beauty consumers. According to industry sources, the digitally native generation commands more than $95 billion in spending power. But where are they discovering beauty and sharing on a safe, parent-approved platform? And how are they turning beauty products into tools for creativity and self-expression? For brands, the biggest challenge is holding Gen Alpha’s attention longer than it takes to swipe through a Coverstar challenge or Snapchat filter. This discussion will explore how brands can immerse themselves in Gen Alpha culture, leverage beauty as a creative medium on social media, and gain “aura” without going “cringe” as fast as 6-7 or a Labubu.

Brett Andersen Minetti, VP, Business Operations and Strategy, Bubble

Lynn Casey, Founder + CEO, Shine/Scout

Doug McCracken, Experience Chief Marketing Officer, CoverStar

Moderator: Janna Mandell, Editorial Director, BeautyMatter

While the global beauty market grew by around 6% in 2025, the Middle East and Africa region grew by 16%, making it one of the fastest-growing beauty regions globally, with the GCC at the heart of this momentum. The market is expected to contribute a disproportionate share of incremental global beauty growth through 2030. The region is morphing from a strategically important consumption market to an innovation hub. It is no longer simply preserving cultural beauty codes; it is actively shaping the future of beauty. Global trends are not just followed; the region absorbs them, remixes them, and increasingly sends them back out—stronger, richer, and more expressive. The GCC is emerging as a creator of beauty brands rather than simply a consumer market for imported products.

Mohammad Alshammari, International Business Development Manager, Boutiqaat

Dr. Sari Chairunnisa, Deputy CEO, ParagonCorp

Teresa Heitor, Portfolio Director, Consumer Goods, Messe Frankfurt Middle East

Moderator: John Cafarelli, Co-Founder + President, BeautyMatter 

Does follower count still determine influence? More and more, beauty brands are moving beyond a handful of highly paid mega-influencers and building networks of nano- and microcreators whose smaller audiences are often more specialized, engaged, and ready to purchase. Social-commerce and affiliate platforms have accelerated the shift by showing brands which creators actually drive discovery and sales—not simply views. In this candid conversation, brand executives, microInfluencers and creator-commerce leaders will reveal the metrics that are replacing reach, how they identify partners with genuine authority and trust and what successful relationships look like in practice — and, how to keep this model effective and sustainable at the same time.

Tucker Borgman, VP, Growth and Investment Strategy, Morphe 

Jeremy Lowenstein, CMO, Milani Cosmetics

Kristen Wiley, Founder + CEO,  Statusphere

Moderator: Sara Spruch-Feiner, Senior Editor, BeautyMatter

The beauty market is splitting. Luxury and value are thriving. The middle is disappearing. Brands that built their identity as “prestige indie” are facing a difficult choice: invest heavily to move up-market, or scale down to capture volume. This panel explores how the K-shaped economy is forcing brands to abandon the middle and what that means for indie founders, retail strategy, and brand positioning. We’ll examine which brands are winning by going up, which are finding scale by going down, and whether there’s actually a viable path anymore for brands stuck in between.

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Elizabeth Lafontaine, Director, Analytical Research, Placer.ai

Antonio Statelli, President, North America, Elemis 

Jeffery Wagstaff, CEO, cosnova USA Inc.‍

Moderator: Roseanna Roberts, VP, Foresight and Intelligence, BeautyMatter