THE SPEAKERS

In his role, Ajay Salpekar works with beauty brands of all sizes, from entrepreneurs and small businesses to large, global brands to craft their TikTok Shop strategy. This includes advising brands on how to get the most out of TikTok Shop, including choosing products that are on-trend, finding creative ways to launch new products through TikTok, and matching them with the most relevant creators. Ajay is a longtime digital commerce leader in the consumer goods space, with experience growing brands on both the brand and platform side. Prior to TikTok Shop, he led Unilever's e-commerce business in the US and held multiple retail and technology roles at Amazon and Microsoft. Ajay's TikTok is filled with cooking recipes, car reviews, #FragranceTok, and stand-up comedy.

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Alexis Androulakis is a beauty industry veteran with almost 20 years experience in the beauty industry. She likes to describe her expertise in the industry as having completed the “tasting menu” across retail makeup artistry, fragrance houses, licensing companies, contract manufacturers, legacy conglomerates, and most recently (before The Lipstick Lesbians), as a beauty product development consultant for A-list celebrities. She self proclaims the influencer part of her menu to work so well because she has sampled the flavors from all the other courses on the menu.

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.

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.

Charlotte Palermino is the co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Dieux, the award-winning, clinically vetted, and price-transparent skincare brand known for turning science-backed formulas into cult favorites. Dieux has grown from a DTC darling into a breakout success at Sephora, crossing eight figures in revenue within its first year of retail launch.

Before becoming an esthetician and building a skincare brand Charlotte led editorial development at Snap Inc., where she launched global publishers like The New York Times, Vogue, Le Monde, and Al Jazeera on Snapchat Discover. Prior to that, she helped launch and scale Cosmopolitan’s Discover Channel at Hearst, growing it into the platform’s top-performing vertical.

As a writer, Charlotte has written on beauty and culture for ELLE, The Cut, Bon Appétit, Marie Claire, Into the Gloss, and more. She’s known for her science-first approach to skincare education and industry commentary, building a loyal following of over 800,000 across social platforms.

Chaz brings over 20 years of technology and AI innovation leadership across global brands and start-ups. As the Managing Partner of Alida Labs, Chaz helps companies apply AI to create real growth. An early leader in AI, Chaz founded Revea, the first precision skincare company, using AI and NASA imaging technology to democratize dermatology. Previously, he built and led External Innovation for The Estée Lauder Companies. Prior to that, Chaz invested in and incubated early-stage companies as a Venture Director at Citi Ventures. Chaz started his career at Procter & Gamble, where he helped create one of P&G’s billion dollar brands, before incubating new businesses in FutureWorks, P&G's corporate innovation group. 

Chaz is published in the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review and is an active start-up investor and advisor focused on the intersection of AI, science, and longevity.

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Christopher Skinner is the Chief Revenue Officer at Front Row, overseeing global sales, business development, marketing, and client value. With over two decades in beauty and wellness, he has shaped industry-leading brands through strategy, creative, and retail innovation.

In 2015, Skinner founded School House, a creative agency specializing in brand strategy, retail environments, and content, which joined Front Row in 2021. He was appointed Front Row’s first Chief Brand Officer in 2023, leading its brand integration and market repositioning.

His career began at Sephora in 2003, progressing to regional leadership in animations and events. He later joined SpaceNK Apothecary, rising to Global Director of Design and Creative. At LVMH’s Fresh (2011-2015), he was part of the executive team responsible for solidifying the brand’s positioning in the market and driving global expansion.

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Connie is the co-founder of Three Ships, an all-natural skincare brand working to turn its high standards into the industry standard.

Connie’s interest in natural skincare began at a young age when she whipped up DIY face masks and concoctions for her skin. She grew up believing in the importance of eating well and taking care of your skin.

Throughout high school, Connie ran her own businesses and was selected to ring the opening bell at the Toronto Stock Exchange due to her natural entrepreneurial spirit. While at Queen’s University, she joined and co-chaired an international entrepreneurs’ competition. After graduating, Connie wanted to combine her passion for wellness with female empowerment. A mutual friend introduced Connie to Laura Thompson. The two began creating their own formulations with the goal to create the most transparent natural beauty brand in the world. In 2020, Three Ships was born.

Three Ships has been recognized by The Globe & Mail as one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies (2023 and 2024) and one of Canada’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies (2025).

Dakota is a multihyphenate brand builder and storyteller. She began her career at DECIEM as the company’s first US employee, eventually serving as Director of DECIEM USA. In that role, she launched and scaled the North American business, opening distribution in more than 2,500 doors, including the brand’s free-standing locations, and laying the foundation for The Ordinary’s meteoric rise to #1 prestige skincare brand in America.

Today Dakota serves as Senior Director of New Global Ventures, where she spearheads DECIEM’s revitalized incubator, helping to build next-generation models of brand building and leading two of the portfolio’s most dynamic emerging brands. An award-winning executive producer named by Digiday and Glossy as “one to watch,” she is recognized for her speed, agility, and entrepreneurial instincts, scaling disruptive ideas quickly while preserving their core essence.

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.

With over 25 years of consumer packaged goods experience, from Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups, Akemi’s experience ranges from product development to sourcing and supply chain transformation. Akemi led chemical procurement at Clorox, formulation and fragrance development at method, and product development and commercialization at J.R. Watkins. Her experience includes overseeing formulation and product design, quality, regulatory compliance, claim support, procurement, innovation sourcing, and contract manufacturing across personal care, home care, and FDA- and EPA-regulated categories. At the Independent Beauty Association (IBA), Akemi developed IBA’s supply chain and sustainability resource programming before taking on the Interim CEO role in 2025. Akemi holds a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Rutgers University and a PhD in chemistry from UCLA.

Dr. Christina Basias Androulakis is an award-winning educator and holds a PhD in education and technology. Before diving into the world of beauty education content creation with her wife Alexis, she taught as a high school teacher and education technology executive in NYC for the largest public school system in the country. Driven by a passion for learning, she took her endless research to the largest global education system: the internet. Christina isn't just good at asking smart questions;she's a pro at getting the message across, making her the ideal quarterback to spearhead learning frameworks across all platforms that have led to robust consumption of The Lipstick Lesbians’ incredibly educational content.

Erin Potempa-Wall is the co-founder and COO 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.

Frank Freeman is Vice President of AI and Digital Disruption at Dermalogica and Unilever Prestige. Since 2017, he has spearheaded digital products such as Face Mapping AI Skin Analysis, The Book GPT for Dermalogica Professionals, and Clean Touch Certification for Skin Therapists, blending technology with education to deliver personalized skincare experiences. Frank now drives cross-brand AI strategy across the Unilever Prestige portfolio, helping shape how emerging technologies transform the future of beauty.

Gabbie is the co-founder of Song Candy Media, an award-winning creative social agency and official TikTok Marketing Partner. With over 15 years of digital marketing experience, she’s helped brands like Toyota, PepsiCo, and e.l.f. Cosmetics connect with audiences in ways that last—most notably spearheading TikTok’s launch into the US market. 

Song Candy Media transforms static engagement into vibrant community connection through entertainment-focused storytelling, creator-driven campaigns, and strategic media integrations. The agency partners with beauty and lifestyle brands, including K18 Hair, Kosas, Amika, and Suave through creator campaigns amplified across paid, earned, and owned channels. It also offers on-going influencer management, social content creation, and customized, brand-safe audio solutions.

Under Gabbie’s leadership, Song Candy Media has been recognized with the BeautyMatter Award for Best Social Media & Influencer Agency two years in a row, cementing its place as the go-to partner for bold brands ready to rise above the noise.

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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.

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.

Jeffery is an accomplished beauty industry executive with over 25 years of international leadership experience. Since 2015, he has served as Chief Executive Officer of cosnova USA Inc., where he successfully oversaw the expansion of the global beauty company’s US operations. Under his leadership, essence and Catrice, two of Europe’s most beloved mass beauty brands, have flourished in the American market—bringing high-quality, trend-driven products at accessible price points to a wide new audience. Jeffery has continued to grow the US footprint through expanded retail partnerships, innovative product launches tailored to the American consumer, and strategic brand activations that keep pace with beauty’s fast-moving trends. 

Previously, Jeffery was CEO of Indeed Laboratories, where he revitalized the brand and launched award-winning skincare innovations. He also held senior leadership roles at Coty, including President and General Manager of Coty Canada and Senior Vice President for Latin America, where he spearheaded growth strategies across global markets.

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.

Michael Malinsky is the Chief Executive Officer of Wonderskin, leading the brand’s global strategy and innovation from its London headquarters. With a distinguished career spanning both the cultural and commercial sectors, Michael brings a unique blend of creative insight and business acumen. Prior to Wonderskin, he held leadership positions at the Victoria and Albert Museum and DCB Labs, where he spearheaded digital and marketing initiatives that elevated brand engagement and growth. A graduate of York University, Michael has deep expertise in advertising, online marketing, social media, and web design.

Since joining Boutiqaat, the leading online beauty platform in the Middle East, Mohammad has progressed from Business Development Officer to Operations Manager to his current role as International Business Development Manager, where he drives growth through strategic partnerships, brand onboarding, and market expansion across the GCC. With a background in industrial and management systems engineering from the University of South Florida, Mohammad combines analytical precision with business acumen.

He represents Boutiqaat at major global exhibitions, including Cosmoprof, Beautyworld, and Intertextile, where he builds relationships with international brands, negotiates distribution opportunities, and strengthens the company’s industry presence.

Passionate about global collaboration, Mohammad strives to bridge brands and markets, creating sustainable growth opportunities that connect beauty brands and concepts with the evolving preferences of Middle Eastern consumers.

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Nichola is the co-founder and CEO of Kate McLeod, a bodycare brand redefining self-care in modern beauty. A builder and strategist who thrives on turning vision into execution, she partnered with Kate to bring the company out of her kitchen and into the world—building a single product into a nationally recognized brand.

Under her leadership, Kate McLeod has grown from a start-up into a multimillion–dollar company celebrated for The Body Stone—a solid moisturizer that melts nature’s most nourishing ingredients directly into the skin. She has expanded the product portfolio with award-winning launches and formalized sustainability commitments, making Kate McLeod the first plastic-free brand at Sephora.

Previously, Nichola worked in management consulting, advising Fortune 500 companies and private equity clients. She began her career as a Teach For America corps member—an experience that continues to shape her leadership style and commitment to mentorship.

Nikki is the co-founder and CEO of ciele Cosmetics. With over 20 years of experience as a celebrity makeup artist, educator, and product developer, Nikki has translated her expertise in complexion and skin into a disruptive vision for modern beauty: makeup that looks good, feels good, and protects.

Since launching in August 2023, Nikki has led ciele’s rapid growth—expanding into all Sephora stores nationwide and recently securing end cap placement in 25 locations, timed with the brand’s second anniversary. Under her leadership, ciele has cultivated a dedicated community of over 50,000 Instagram followers, earned best-seller status, and won industry recognition, including the WWD Editors’ Choice Beauty Awards, Cosmopolitan Acne Awards, Marie Claire Makeup Awards.

As CEO, Nikki steers the brand’s product pipeline and strategy with an artistry-first, consumer-led mindset. With her dual expertise in artistry and entrepreneurship, Nikki has positioned ciele at the forefront of the clean color movement and proven that sun-safe makeup can be both high-performance and accessible.

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Nina is a 2x founder, product innovator, and co-founder of Fazit Beauty, the brand that coined the term “makeup patches” and pioneered the glitter freckles category—defining a new era in beauty. Raised by cosmetic doctor parents, she grew up immersed in aesthetics, sparking an early fascination with beauty and product formulation. Over the past eight years, Nina has built her career in the industry while earning a master’s in nutrition, blending scientific expertise with creative instinct to drive boundary-pushing innovation.

Rosie Jane Johnston is the founder and CEO of By/Rosie Jane. A former celebrity makeup artist, born and raised in Sydney, Australia, now a mom of three and an easy living enthusiast, Rosie draws on a deep understanding of how ingredients and fragrance can affect our mood and sense of well-being. Rosie launched the brand in 2010 as a passion project from her kitchen in Los Angeles. Since then, it’s grown into a multimillion-dollar business where you can find the brand in over 600 retail doors across the US, Australia, Europe, and the UK, gracing the shelves of Sephora, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and other retail heavyweights. By/Roise Jane is beloved for its effortless, feel-good formulas, all still personally developed by Rosie herself. Every product is a reflection of her simple philosophy: Smell Good. Feel Good. Do Good.

Shannon serves as Category Director for Fragrance + Makeup at Space NK. Based in London, Shannon leads strategic development and commercial execution across a diverse brand portfolio, with a focus on scaling both global and emerging brands in the UK market. She’s recognized for her collaborative leadership style and her ability to bridge creative and commercial strategy to meet the needs of today’s evolving beauty consumer.

Stefanie is the Executive Vice President of Assortment + Purchasing for the Douglas Group, Europe's leading omnichannel retailer for premium beauty. In this role, she is responsible for shaping the group's overall assortment strategy for all 22 countries in which Douglas operates, as well as the strategic direction of major pan-European brand partnerships and group-wide European exclusivities. 

Stefanie has over 20 years of experience in the premium beauty industry. In 10 different jobs within the L'Oréal Group, she built up her extensive marketing experience in roles in Germany, France, and Europe before leading strategic business transformations with multicultural teams as a member of executive management teams. Particular highlights were significant turnarounds of brands and establishing strategically aligned profitable business partnerships. 

In addition to her job, she is a certified business coach, member of the German business network “Generation CEO,” and advises start-ups. She also mentors young talents in her professional field as well as high school graduates.

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Éva Goicochea began her career as a legislative aide in healthcare before pivoting to marketing and e-commerce roles for brands like Adidas and Everlane, where she built their social media, culture, and talent strategies. In 2015, she co-founded Tinker Watches and began developing maude, a modern intimacy company launched in 2018. Featured in Vogue, The New York Times, and Sephora stores, maude has redefined sexual wellness with inclusivity and simplicity. One of only 10 Latinas to raise $10M+ in consumer goods, Éva also mentors founders through Founders’ Weekend. A 17th-generation New Mexican, she lives in NYC with her husband and pets.

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