BeautyMatter launched the NEXT Summit to bring together the thinkers, makers, and doers in our community whose work raises the bar and defines the future of beauty. How could we create an event focused on the future of the beauty industry when the event might be financially out of reach to the future leaders of the beauty industry?
Integral to our planning was to ensure we found a way to make the event accessible to businesses of all sizes in the beauty ecosystem because access can be as powerful as capital.
Scott Gurfein, founder of Skyefox Ventures and Brand-OS, shares our vision and stepped in to provide the financial support to bring our eight start-up founders to Los Angeles to attend our NEXT Summit and Visionary Dinner. The Independent Beauty Association will also provide this year's cohort with a year of membership—an invaluable resource for independent businesses in the beauty ecosystem.
"Reviewing the entries was inspiring, and it was incredibly difficult to narrow down the nearly 200 entries to just eight winners," BeautyMatter founder and CEO Kelly Kovack shared. "This is a situation where everyone deserves to win, so in that spirit, we are going to provide access, information, and community to everyone if they want it."
She continued, "While we could not bring everyone to LA, we provided another ten founders tickets to join the NEXT Summit and Premium Memberships. Everyone else who entered will be invited to join our Start-up Community."
“One of the critical determining factors of a startup’s success, particularly a beauty startup, is access - access to information, retailers, strategics, capital, suppliers, and, importantly, a network of other founders,” said John Cafarelli, co-founder and President of BeautyMatter. “At NEXT we bring together leaders from across the beauty ecosystem and create meaningful opportunities for connection and networking. It’s an environment that is form fit to inspire and help our 2024 NEXT Grant Cohort assemble the resources they need to take their businesses to the next level.”
The 2024 NEXT Grant Cohort is representative of the global BeautyMatter community traveling from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, and across the United States to join us in LA.
Deon Libra: Devin McGhee Kirkland is the visionary behind a groundbreaking stress care brand designed to address the unique wellness needs of the Black community. It is redefining self-care by focusing on the root cause of modern wellness issues—stress. A range of topical and ingestible products formulated with adaptogens empowers the body’snatural ability to adapt to stress, turning it into a secret superpower. The business launched its products in 2023 and has raised $1 million through friends and family, an angel investor, a Glossier Grant, a Brown Girl Jane x SheaMoisture Grant, and an Ulta Beauty MUSE Accelerator Grant.
Effiderma: Theresa Tobin is a personal care formulation chemist, product professional, and marketer with over 25 years of experience. She created a unique formulation that promotes a healthy skin microbiome, building a natural defense system and containing natural actives to speed the skin’s healing process from deep within. CelRevive is a functional skincare brand specifically designed for people undergoing cancer treatment, suffering from eczema, or sensitive skin. The Australian brand launched in 2022 and is funded through investment by friends and family.
Ellure: Fascinated by the intersection of science, technology, and sustainability, Selah Rui Li decided to study the relationship between digital and physical, as well as between humans and technology. The result was patent-pending technology that combines AI-driven software with an advanced manufacturing platform that can streamline the design, formulation, and production of liquid consumer goods. A state-of-the-art 3D printer—currently in its eighth edition—enables brands and retailers to produce customized products on demand. The Swedish business, launched in 2019, is bootstrapped with the support of a $500,000 innovation grant and is currently raising a pre-seed funding round.
ReMI: A student of innovation, Kiyoung Sung brings a decade of industry experience to create a circular beauty brand at the intersection of art and science by elevating skincare to a simple yet vital daily ritual to reconnect with ourselves in this fast-paced, modern world. Moisturiser Stone, the first product, works like a massage stone, delivering the benefits of the potent ingredients and a facial as it warms up against the skin. The Stones are accompanied by an infinitely refillable ceramic vessel designed and handmade by Ryan L Foote Design Studio in Melbourne. The business launched in 2022 and is self-funded.
The Frontal Queen: As an African woman, Adeola Olaoluwa's journey into entrepreneurship was rooted in the world of hair, driven by her own experiences with hair challenges and the significance of wigs. For black women, hair symbolizes identity, expression, and cultural pride, deeply intertwined with self-worth and confidence. Immersed in the rich culture of hair, Olaoluwa's purpose is to empower Black women with lab-backed products that honor the integrity of their hair. Launched in 2021, the business is 100% bootstrapped.
The Steam Bar: Founder and CEO Judy Koloko collaborated with experts in trichology, fragrance development, and formulation to develop a brand grounded in the art of "skinification" for textured hair where skincare for the scalp meets steaming. She aims to create a space where an underserved community can feel acknowledged, included, and deserving. The launch of The Steam Bar in Selfridges represents the first textured hair salon in a luxury department store. Launched in 2023, the UK-based business has been self-funded with investment from friends and family and a start-up loan from Virgin.
Tonal Cosmetics: With a dual masters degree in cosmetic science and business management tailored to beauty for founder Christal Alert, Tonal is a love letter to her younger self—that little girl playing formulator. She bridges the gap for effective and inclusive sun protection through science-backed, melanin-rich makeup solutions. Sunveil SPF50+/PA++++ Skin Defense Foundation provides broad-spectrum protection while functioning as a foundation. The buildable coverage formula comes in 10 evenly distributed shades, eliminating the dreaded ashy cast. The business, launched in 2020, is self-funded.
Worthy Oui Cosmetics: Influencer turned-entrepreneur Beverly Bigelow entered the world of beauty brands with a clear vision of revolutionizing the industry by championing sustainability, inclusivity, and clean ingredients. The range of cream-based complexion products she created with top chemists are designed to include all skin tones with a focus on melanin-rich skin. Launched in 2020, the business has been funded and supplemented with grants from the U.S. Black Chambers of Commerce, Beyonce’s BeyGOOD Foundation, and Pharrell’s Black Ambition Prize.
If you have the means and the desire to sponsor an entrepreneur, we are committed to bringing more of these promising founders to our live events in 2025. Let's Make Beauty Matter together.
