THE SPEAKERS

Carolyn Bojanowski is the Executive Vice President of Merchandising at Sephora and a member of its Operating Committee.  Carolyn is responsible for driving Sephora’s product vision and ensuring market leadership through product differentiation across the makeup, skincare, fragrance, hair, and wellness categories, as well as Sephora’s in house brand, Sephora Collection.

Since joining Sephora in 2005, Carolyn has held a variety of leadership positions. She began her career as a Dotcom Merchant and transitioned to brand marketing, where she played a vital role in the introduction of Sephora’s best-in-class Beauty Insider Loyalty program. Carolyn then became the Director of Clinical Skincare Retail Merchandising and Vice President of Dotcom Merchandising and .CA.

Most recently, Carolyn was responsible for Sephora’s e-commerce business. Her teams led the launch of Same-Day Delivery, Live Beauty Help, Buy Online Pick Up In-Store, and digital collaborations such as Klarna.

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Cassandra Morales Thurswell founded Kitsch at the age of 25 selling handcrafted hair ties door-to-door. She bootstrapped it without any outside investment or revolving credit lines into a global beauty powerhouse offering a comprehensive suite of products for every moment of the day from shower to sleep.

Leading a seismic shift from traditional shampoo bottles to solid bars, Cassandra’s advocacy for sustainable alternatives and responsible entrepreneurship marked her as a pioneer in the industry. She is also credited with reviving a tired category and redefining haircare from just a routine into a 360° holistic and healthy lifestyle. Today, she continues to bring sustainability, attainability, and accessibility to the haircare space in over 27,000 stores worldwide including Target, Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, CVS, Whole Foods, Selfridges, Sephora Asia, Mecca, and other specialty stores, hotels, spas, and salons.

David Yi is the founder and CEO of good light cosmetics, an inclusive skincare brand that promotes beauty beyond the binary. A pioneering voice in beauty and identity, David launched the brand to democratize skincare while celebrating authenticity and self-expression. He was also the founder of Very Good Light, a publication that redefined masculinity and championed diverse narratives in beauty. A recipient of Logo30, TikTok Visionary Voices, Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) Best Brands, among others, he's the author of Pretty Boys. David continues to lead conversations at the intersection of beauty, culture, and representation.

Erin Potempa-Wall is the co-founder and CEO of Beachwaver Co., an independent, women-owned haircare and styling brand that’s taking the beauty world by storm. Alongside her sisters, celebrity hairstylist Sarah Potempa and Beachwaver Co. Creative Director Emily Potempa, Erin helped turn a big idea into a global brand known for its award-winning, rotating curling irons and innovative haircare products.

Originally a lawyer, Erin took a chance on her sister’s vision and made a bold career change. She quickly became a driving force behind the brand, traveling overseas to personally find the best manufacturers and ensure top quality from day one. Her leadership has helped shape Beachwaver into a standout brand known not only for its products, but for its creativity, inclusivity, and strong community.

Her strategic thinking and dedication have helped grow Beachwaver into a beloved name in beauty, trusted by professionals and everyday users alike.

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Greg Starkman is the founder, CEO, and formulator of Innersense Organic Beauty, a global leader in clean haircare. A pioneer of the clean beauty movement, he brings decades of salon and cosmetic industry expertise, with a deep focus on ingredient safety and sustainable product innovation.

Greg’s journey into clean beauty was sparked by a personal awakening after the birth of his daughter with special needs—an experience that revealed the risks of toxic ingredients in conventional products. Alongside his wife and co-founder Joanne Starkman, he launched Innersense Organic Beauty over 20 years ago to create safe, high-performance haircare grounded in trust and transparency.

Under his leadership, the brand has earned international acclaim, including multiple Allure Best of Beauty awards. With Greg’s vision, the company is a certified B Corporation and member of 1% for the Planet, reflecting its strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

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Hillary Peterson is the founder of True Botanicals, the award-winning skincare brand known for its clinically proven, sustainably sourced formulas that deliver luxurious results without compromise. After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in her 30s, Hillary turned her passion for wellness into purpose—channeling her background in brand marketing for companies like Levi Strauss & Co. into building a clean beauty brand rooted in radical transparency and high performance. Under her leadership, True Botanicals has become a category-defining leader in nontoxic skincare, earning accolades for its results-driven innovation and MADE SAFE certification.

Matthew Berkson is the co-founder and CEO of Maison Louis Marie, a modern fragrance house rooted in botanical tradition and clean formulations. A native of Los Angeles, Matthew began his career producing branded music programs before moving into fashion, where he launched a manufacturing agency focused on US-based production for the high-end contemporary market.

Since co-founding Maison Louis Marie, he has helped scale the brand into a globally recognized name in niche fragrance. His cross-industry experience allows him to bridge creative direction with operational strategy, guiding the brand’s thoughtful expansion while staying true to its core values.

Maison Louis Marie is now known for its cult-favorite scents, sustainable and clean practices, and presence at leading retailers including Sephora, Bluemercury, Credo Beauty, and Goop. With the recent opening of the brand’s first flagship store in Los Angeles, Matthew continues to shape its future with a focus on emotional connection, visual identity, and long-term brand integrity.