BeautyUnited Launches 2023 Fellowship Program

BeautyUnited, a mission-based coalition determined to make the beauty and wellness industry a more diverse and inclusive place, has launched its 2023 Fellowship Program focused on analyzing roadblocks BIPOC and Latinx people face within the industry, while providing them with tools they need to increase access and equity. 

 

The BeautyUnited Fellowship will focus on honing entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial skills guided by a cohort of mentors who share this mission, from Ulta Beauty to Carol’s Daughter. For the 2023 Fellowship Program, BeautyUnited is raising monetary support to provide to fellows upon completing the program. 

 

“We’re incredibly excited to move into the third iteration of our BeautyUnited program to help uplift and support beauty brands founded by BIPOC and Latinx leaders,” said Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, cofounder of BeautyUnited. “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 2023 BeautyUnited Fellowship Program will consist of 10 fellows, as opposed to previous years with larger classes, in an effort to provide more focused support. Mentors for the fellowship program include: Rachel Roff, founder and CEO of UrbanSkinRx; Karla Davis, vice president of Integrated Marketing and Media at Ulta Beauty; Tara Foley, founder and CEO of Follain; Karen Adam, senior vice president, brand marketing at Tata Harper; Ron Robinson, founder and CEO of BeautyStat Cosmetics; and Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter. The year-long program is made up of three pillars: community, resources and education where fellows can expect quarterly-themed and intimate 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 and guidance from the entrepreneurs and executives leading major brands. 

 

“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.”

 

Since inception, BeautyUnited has been underwritten and supported by Estée Lauder Companies, Unilever and other prominent companies and individuals across the industry. This year’s program is an evolution of a previous mentorship program that began following BeautyUnited’s efforts to support frontline workers during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. This received unwavering support from Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham, Drew Barrymore and many more prominent names in the beauty community. Past alumni of the BeautyUnited program include the founders of Epi.logic, LAMIK Beauty and Hanahana Beauty – as well as corporate leaders from Oribe and L’Oreal – just to name a few.

 

“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,” said Moj Mahdara, cofounder of BeautyUnited.

 

In 2022, BeautyUnited’s mentorship class saw double the revenue growth with 74% of mentees continuing relationships with their mentors beyond the program. With the new fellowship program, BeautyUnited hopes to continue to nurture participating fellows through even more 1:1 mentorship and additional resources for impactful business and personal growth, such as monetary contributions for fellows.

 

The 2023 BeautyUnited Fellowship Program will include over 20 hours of programming for professional development and 72-plus hours of one-to-one mentorship. Additionally, BeautyUnited fellows will have access to “The 411,” a bi-monthly info-share programmed by BeautyUnited leadership and attended by top beauty & wellness founders and executive leaders. 

 

Applications for the BeautyUnited Fellowship are now open and will close on March 24, 2023 with the program beginning in April 2023. For full details on the program and how to apply, visit fellowship.thebeautyunited.org. Brands or companies interested in supporting the BeautyUnited initiative can contact [email protected].