Key Takeaways:

• Ulta Beauty announced eight brand founders as part of its 2025 MUSE Accelerator program.
• The brands will receive $50,000 and embark on an intensive 10-week program designed to prepare them for retail readiness. 
• MUSE Accelerator mentors for 2025 include Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, founders of Beekman 1802, and Jeff Lee, CEO and co-founder of DIBS Beauty.

Earlier this year, in the wake of the 2025 presidential executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices within the federal government and its contractors, numerous major retailers announced reductions in their diversity commitments. The beauty industry, however, has largely held its ground; most notably Ulta Beauty, which continues to champion DEI initiatives through its “All Things Beauty, All in One Place” business model, designed to bring a wide-ranging assortment of products and services together under one roof.

Today, Ulta Beauty announced the eight brand founders selected for its 2025 MUSE Accelerator Program. Beginning September 8, these brands, specializing in cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and wellness, will embark on an intensive 10-week program. The curriculum offers comprehensive learning, mentorship, and financial support designed to foster growth and prepare them for retail readiness.

“The beauty of the MUSE Accelerator is that it creates a lasting foundation and pathways for early-stage founders to thrive,” said Jessica Phillips, Vice President of Merchandising at Ulta Beauty. “By nurturing new brands and expanding access to funding and mentorship, we believe we can build a more inclusive beauty community.”

Meet the brands chosen for Ulta Beauty’s 2025 MUSE Accelerator Cohort:

• Carolina Lopez, BEJOU: A sensitive skin and hyperpigmentation skincare brand, rooted in Latin American botanicals. The brand’s science-backed, fragrance-free, and neurocosmetic formulas are made to calm, brighten, and protect while being safe for even the most sensitive skin. 
• Alanna Tran, BiotechBeauty: Redefining “clean” makeup with clinically validated, biotech-powered formulas that go beyond coverage to actively support and improve skin health. BiotechBeauty combines high-performance color with science-backed skincare actives to create makeup that’s as good for your skin as it looks.
• Yrenes Martínez, Ginger Milk Natural Care: A Latina-founded haircare brand inspired by the power of tropical ingredients and fresh Dominican ginger. The brand creates “clean,” cruelty-free formulas that celebrate Caribbean beauty while delivering results customers can see and feel.
• Heather and Felice Chan, Moonbow: Blends the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern skincare to nurture both skin and spirit. Every formula is crafted to calm reactive skin while promoting radiance and balance.
• Necole Kane and Ma-Shyrra Durden, My Happy Flo: A feminine wellness brand committed to helping women build a better relationship with their cycles. From PMS, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), or fibroids, the brand’s clinically tested, plant-based supplements help take the pain out of periods and support hormone balance for healthier cycles.
• Smitha Rao, Parëva Beauty: A modern skincare brand rooted in radical transparency and good science that everyone can understand and trust. The name Parëva means joyful transformation in Sanskrit. 
• Irene Ham, Poom Cosmetics: A Korean beauty brand creating acne-safe, non-pore-clogging makeup made with simple, effective Korean formulas.
• Dawn Myers, Richualist: An all-in-one hair styling system designed to meet the nuanced needs of women of color that detangles, conditions, applies product, and styles with just one stroke. 

Each brand in the 2025 MUSE Accelerator cohort will receive $50,000 in financial support to boost their businesses and essential tools for sustainable growth. Furthermore, Ulta Beauty, in collaboration with long-standing partner Fifteen Percent Pledge, will grant an additional $10,000 award to one select cohort member.

A core component of the Accelerator is the 10-week curriculum intentionally designed to equip participants with real-life skills to succeed in retail, including:

• Brand Strategy & Positioning: An immersive, 360-degree planning session that provides tools, support, and resources needed for long-term success.
• Retail 101: Expert training on how to successfully launch, grow, and thrive in a national, omnichannel retail environment.
• Supply Chain & Logistics: A critical course on planning for and navigating distribution channels to ensure optimal guest experiences.
• Demo Week & Celebration: An opportunity to pitch to Ulta Beauty retail merchants and network with investors.

Beyond gaining essential knowledge and financial support to grow their businesses, MUSE participants also get the opportunity to connect with a network of seasoned leaders and fellow brand founders within Ulta Beauty’s portfolio, fostering connections that last well beyond the 10-week program. Each brand also benefits from dedicated mentorship by founders who have recently navigated the early stages of building their own companies, offering practical guidance and hard-earned insights. These mentors volunteer their time and expertise to help shape the next generation of beauty leaders.

Meet the MUSE Accelerator mentors for 2025:

• Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, founders, Beekman 1802
• Shelby Wild, founder, California Naturals
• Jeff Lee, CEO and co-founder, DIBS Beauty
• Gina Woods, co-founder and owner, Donna’s Recipe
• Kevin Gould, co-founder, and Ann McFerran, co-founder and CEO, Glamnetic 
• Nils Johnson, co-founder, Good Molecules 
• Alicia Yoon, founder and CEO, Peach & Lily
• Bryan Edwards, co-founder, Snif

“This program is another example of where Ulta Beauty is truly leading in both thought and action in our competitive industry,” said Lee. “As founders, we all know that mentorship is table stakes—it’s sponsorship that takes your business to the next level and community that sustains your brand's core.”

“It's about encouraging innovation with both a welcoming environment and rigorous standards, while also providing an opportunity for mentors to stay up to date and even refresh our own visions and strategies.”

Established in 2022, Ulta Beauty's MUSE Accelerator Program is dedicated to magnifying, uplifting, supporting, and empowering (MUSE) emerging Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) beauty brands. The program provides funding, education, and mentorship, aiming to prepare these brands for retail readiness and diversify Ulta Beauty's product offerings.

In just a few years, MUSE Accelerator has become a proven incubator, expertly identifying and nurturing founders with strong vision, efficacious products, and scalable potential. The program's impact as a meaningful pipeline for the next generation of beauty brands is underscored by its growing competitiveness, with over 500 applications received in 2025 alone. Notably, BEJOU and BiotechBeauty were both finalists in the 2025 BeautyMatter Awards, further validating the program’s ability to surface brands poised to make an industry-wide impact.

Ulta Beauty has successfully brought four standout MUSE Accelerator brands into retail distribution: Pound Cake, Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, and, most recently, Scarlet by RedDrop and Ocoa. In October 2023, Pound Cake’s Cake Batter Liquid Lipstick line launched in more than 800 Ulta Beauty stores and online. Octavia Morgan Los Angeles marked a milestone as the first Black and woman-owned prestige fragrance brand to debut at Ulta Beauty. Scarlet by RedDrop has since raised more than $1.5 million in capital—including $200,000 from The Fifteen Percent Pledge and $1 million from Black Ambition—further fueling its growth beyond the Accelerator. Meanwhile, Ocoa made history as the first Dominican-American curly haircare brand carried by the retailer, underscoring the program’s success in elevating BIPOC-founded brands.

Cohort members benefit from mentorship and insights provided by Ulta Beauty experts across the company, as well as industry leaders from BeautyMatter, Métier Creative, Coefficient Capital, Raindrop Agency, and Be Bold Group.