BeautyUnited is a mission-based coalition focused on analyzing roadblocks BIPOC and Latinx people face within the beauty and wellness industry and is committed to making it a more inclusive and diverse place. This year’s fellowship is an evolution of previous mentorship programs, and has been pared down to 10 participants maximizing the engagement with industry leaders and mentors focusing on honing entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial skills.
Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, co-founder of BeautyUnited, said, “It’s imperative that we continue the efforts we started in 2020 and expand our program to provide support and mentorship to entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to help further advance their businesses and careers.”
The program consists of three pillars: community, resources, and education, running over the course of 12 months. Fellows can expect quarterly themed 90-minute full-group discussions led by a Community Manager, monthly live guest expert calls with leaders both inside and outside the beauty and wellness industry, and mentorship from the entrepreneurs and executives leading major brands. The 2023 BeautyUnited Fellowship Program will include over 20 hours of programming for professional development and 72+ hours of 1-1 mentorship.
“This program is first-in-class in many ways. The one-on-one mentoring from titans within the beauty industry combined with the thoughtful curriculum is something we are extremely proud of,” said Julee Wilson, Executive Director at BeautyUnited. “But we also know that capital for these fellows is just as transformative—which is why we are fundraising in order to provide grants this year and beyond.”
The mentors participating in this year's fellowship program include Rachel Roff, founder and CEO of UrbanSkinRx; Karla Davis, VP of Integrated Marketing and Media at Ulta Beauty; Tara Foley, founder and CEO of Follain; Karen Adam, SVP of Brand Marketing at Tata Harper; Ron Robinson, founder and CEO of BeautyStat Cosmetics; and Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter.
“As a young organization, I’m so proud that we’ve made such amazing strides since we began only three years ago. We’re incredibly grateful to be able to evolve this program even further to maximize the impact and resources we’re able to provide to our fellows and our wider industry,” shared Moj Mahdara, co-founder of BeautyUnited.
In 2022, BeautyUnited’s mentorship class saw 2x revenue growth, with 74% of mentees continuing relationships with their mentors beyond the program. The organization hopes to nurture this year's participating fellows through even more 1:1 mentorship and additional resources to impact business and personal growth. BeautyUnited is also raising monetary support to provide to fellows upon completion of the program.
Applications are now being taken for the 2023 BeautyUnited Fellowship until March 24, 2023, with the program beginning in April 2023.
