Launch Date: March 2021
Geography: Orange County, CA, US
Founder: David Yi, Founder + CEO
Executive Team:
Notable Investors:
2025 Full Year Projected Revenue: $5M - $8M, according to industry estimates
Primary Category: Skincare
Other Category: Personal Care
Funding: Angel Investment
Primary Distribution Channel: Mass
Other Distribution Channel: DTC
Key Retail Partner: Ulta Beauty
2025 Projected Offline Distribution Points: 1,500+
Good Light cosmetics was born from a belief that beauty should be inclusive, gentle, and liberating—not rigid or binary. As a queer Korean American founder navigating both identity and the beauty space, I created Very Good Light first, to challenge outdated norms and champion inclusivity in skincare. With our community, we launched a brand with a clear mission: Beauty Beyond the Binary—serving Gen Z and millennials and beyond who deserve to be seen and celebrated.
Insights: David Yi, Founder + CEO
Why now and why you?
We’ve grown from a scrappy indie brand to launching in Ulta Beauty nationwide, with viral community-driven moments that prove people are hungry for change. We're Ulta's first and only gender-inclusive beauty brand, and the first and only out and proud queer K-beauty brand. The beauty industry is at a breaking point—consumers are demanding more than surface-level inclusivity. They want transparency, emotional resonance, and brands that reflect their lived experiences.
What fuels your competitive advantage?
Our unapologetic storytelling, high-performance formulas, and radical inclusivity—not just in our campaigns but in who leads the conversation.
What are you most proud of accomplishing to date?
I’m most proud of building good light from the ground up—without billion-dollar backing but with a clear mission and an unapologetic point of view. We earned our top-shelf spot at Ulta Beauty, went viral through honest storytelling, and created space for people who’ve never felt seen in beauty. I’m proud that we didn’t compromise. That in an industry driven by sameness, we showed up with softness, nuance, and heart—and proved that it resonates. Most of all, I’m proud that our community feels like it belongs here. That’s the real win.
What is the one thing you wish someone had told you?
I wish someone had told me: this road—full of detours, heartbreak, rebuilding—isn’t a failure. It’s the way you make it. This is how you define success. It’s not about sprinting to the finish; it’s about pacing yourself, finding grace, and realizing you’re not alone. You’re walking alongside some of the best, most resilient founders out there. That community is everything—and it’s what carries you through.
What would you tell your past self before starting this journey?
I’d tell my past self: protect your vision fiercely but don’t lose yourself to it. You’re going to be underestimated, copied, and even betrayed—but none of that defines you. What does is how you stay soft in a hard industry, how you lead with integrity, and how you keep going even when it hurts. Trust that you’re building something that matters. And know this: you’re not alone—you’re building a movement, not just a brand.
What does success look like in the next 3-5 years?
Success in 3–5 years means good light is a global force—anchored in retail, thriving DTC, and shaping the future of inclusive beauty. But beyond scale, success looks like building a brand that stands for something bigger: softness as power, skincare as ritual, identity as beauty. It means expanding our product line with intention, deepening community impact, and creating real-life spaces for healing and expression. Personally, it’s about building with joy, not just survival—leading a company where empathy and excellence coexist. Having the audacity to shine—and to be celebrated for who you are, all across the world!
What's one industry trend that is overhyped, and what's being overlooked?
AI beauty bots and “hyper-personalization” that feels anything but personal. Slapping tech on a brand doesn’t make it visionary; it just makes it louder. What’s actually being overlooked? Soul. Story. Brands with emotional depth and cultural relevance. The next wave of beauty won’t be led by machine learning; it’ll be led by founders who get people, not just data. In a sea of sameness, the most disruptive thing you can be is human.
How do you think the industry needs to evolve?
The beauty industry needs to stop chasing virality and start investing in values. Let's get back to humanity. Empathy. Life outside the algorithm. It’s not enough to slap diversity on a campaign or drop limited-edition collabs to stay relevant. The future demands depth—brands that center culture, care, and community in everything they do.
If you could wave a magic wand, what one wish would you make for your business?
"If I could wave a magic wand, I’d give good light the fuel to scale without ever having to compromise—on our values, our voice, or our vision. I’d wish for the kind of backing that doesn't come with strings or dilution. Just the freedom to grow this into the brand I know it can be. One that continues to challenge beauty norms, build real community, and take up space—loudly, unapologetically, and on our own terms."
