Alyssa Auberger is Baker McKenzie's Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). She is responsible for external and internal sustainability efforts, developing the firm’s multipractice sustainability client offering, as well as overseeing its internal sustainability program, goals, and reporting. Alyssa also maintains the firm’s relationships with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the UN Global Compact and The World Economic Forum, with a keen focus on engaging the business community on sustainability issues and promoting collaboration. Prior to becoming CSO, and with nearly 30 years of transactional experience, Alyssa was an M&A partner ranked by Legal 500 as a “Leading Individual” in luxury goods and led the firm’s Global Consumer Goods and Retail industry group. Alyssa is Franco-American and based in Paris. 

Robb Akridge, PhD (aka Dr. Robb) is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OPULUS Beauty Labs. In addition to creating and managing his latest venture, OPULUS Beauty Labs, Dr. Robb has had an exciting career. Co-founder of Clarisonic, Dr. Robb helped develop clinically proven sonic devices that make a clear difference in skin health and appearance. Dr. Robb held several Clarisonic positions: initially as Vice President of Clinical Research and later as Global Brand President and Global Brand Representative. Robb obtained his BS in biology at the University of Texas at Austin, an MS in botany and mycology at Texas State University, and his PhD in microbiology, immunology, and infectious disease at Texas A&M University. With over 25 cumulative years in medical and global health, including 10+ years spent on HIV/AIDS research, he was also a Senior Scientist in oral healthcare during the early days of Sonicare. Robb is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and a board member of the Independent Beauty Association.

As the Vice President and Executive Creative Director of Pearlfisher's New York studio, Hamish leads and inspires the design team by setting the creative standard―continually encouraging designers to demonstrate inventive conceptual thinking and strong craftsmanship. He brings diverse international experience across branding, packaging, retail, and print design to each of his projects. 
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Prior to moving stateside, he worked with some of London’s leading design consultancies, quickly developing a strong track record for innovative design, including award-winning work for iconic brands such as Johnnie Walker, Bacardi, and Nike. Recently, he led the strategic design team to create cult beauty brand, Elaluz, for influencer Camila Coelho. In addition, he has also  enlivened prized brands like Pyrex, Campari, Diageo, and Target.

His work has been featured in publications ranging from Michael Peters’ Yes Logo: Forty Years of Branding and Design book to Playboy magazine. During his career, Hamish has contributed to Entrepreneur magazine and his brand designs have won recognition from esteemed organizations including Art Directors Club, Design & Art Direction, Clio Awards, Design Business Association: Design Effectiveness Awards, Dieline Awards, Mobius Awards, Pentawards, and more.

Maggie Ciafardini is a highly respected beauty executive specializing in marketing, sales, and brand development. After an extensive and successful 30-year career in the luxury beauty space, Maggie launched her own consulting company in 2015. She leverages her impeccable relationships with retailers and distributors alike, to help clients by focusing on overseeing the expansion of their business while maintaining brand integrity and structuring/restructuring business models, organizations, and marketing strategies to meet the needs of high-end retailers.

Ciafardini was previously Managing Director of the Americas for St Tropez, building the PZ Cussons Beauty team across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Maggie was CEO of YSL Beauty USA where she led the Beauty and Fragrance Division and was directly responsible for the distribution, sales, and marketing function of this $100+ million business. She was also General Manager for Beaute Prestige International USA managing sales over $50 million and Executive Director for Sales/Training for Bobbi Brown International, after having held other positions of responsibility at the  Estée Lauder Companies in both the domestic and international divisions.

Since 2012, Nicole has been disrupting the beauty industry by propelling dynamic start-up companies to prominence. She's a forward thinking marketing expert and storyteller with deep expertise in brand building, strategy, influencer marketing and social commerce. She's an entrepreneur with a highly creative mindset who advises and consults for the beauty industry's most innovative start-up companies that are recreating the space. Nicole was on the founding team that put ipsy on the map before co-founding YUME, a company taking American brands to China. Since 2018, she has consulted for social commerce companies including Creatable, Talk Shop Live, Supergreat, and FLIP, as well as luxury beauty brands Augustinus Bader and Furtuna Skin. She also builds indie beauty brands as a member of the dynamic team at Skyefox Ventures.

Since he can remember, licensed esthetician and beauty expert Ian Michael Crumm has been fascinated by all things beauty. As an esthetician, Ian knows that healthy, beautiful skin is the bedrock of it all, and his dedication to providing evidence-based skincare education has cemented his status as a trusted authority in an often noisy space.

Embodying his catchphrase "making sun safety sexy," Ian uses his platform to promote healthy skincare habits and advocate for skin cancer prevention while keeping a fun, lighthearted approach to beauty at the forefront. In 2023, Ian launched BeautyCurious Podcast with Dr. Elyse Love to further separate the facts from the fads in the beauty industry and provide listeners with sound, actionable beauty advice.

Kate Fannin is a strategic, omnichannel "experiential realist" and consumer engagement trailblazer with over two decades in marketing, consumer tech, retail, fashion, and beauty, including 15 years in luxury. She is currently the Global Brand Technology Lead for Le Labo for the Estée Lauder Companies and has held a variety of marketing leadership roles for Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Gap, Inc. She has a track record of pioneering relevant, “phygital” engagement programs that leverage brand equity, maximize retail strengths, and always put the customer first. She is passionate about being “boots on the ground” and driving innovation that enhances the connected customer journey.

Brandon L. Ford, Chief Accelerator Director of the Lubrizol Life Science Accelerator Program, brings his entrepreneurial mindset, passion for learning, and curiosity toward life to his role operating a startup within the walls of a 90-year-old company. Brandon is a nurse and attorney with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Case Western Reserve University and juris doctor/master’s degree in business administration from The University of Akron.

For the past four years, Brandon has led the Accelerator―a program that leverages Lubrizol’s technology, manufacturing, beauty, and home care science expertise to provide market-ready solutions, brand development, and quick innovation. Hundreds of entrepreneurs have benefitted from his charismatic leadership to launch and develop their beauty and home care brands. The Accelerator has launched over 100 products globally. Brandon currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and two sons. 

Don has over 35 years of experience in the personal care and cosmetics business and currently serves as President and CEO of the IBA. His experience has primarily been in R&D including formulation, package engineering, safety and toxicology, consumer insights, and regulatory and claims development/substantiation. His professional experience has spanned many companies and brands, both large and small, including Procter & Gamble (P&G), Cover Girl, Gillette, Jafra Cosmetics, Avon, Method, and The Honest Company. He also has experience both domestically as well as internationally including living and working in Japan for two years to help build out P&G’s Asian personal care business. Don has been active in industry organizations having served as Membership Chair and Supply Chain Sustainability Resource Chair for IBA, President of the board for Beauty Industry West, and currently serves on Cradle2Cradle’s Standards Steering Committee.

Hayley contributes a 360-degree outlook to the beauty industry with almost 20 years of experience spanning professional use, retail, brand, formulations, manufacturing, and ingredient sales and marketing. Currently, she focuses on sustainability education, innovation, and community to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Her daily mission is to connect sustainable brands with meaningful service providers and ingredient manufacturers for their business success. She is an ingredient storyteller, thought leader, and B2B influencer with a vision to create a conscious community within the beauty industry for the well-being of people and the planet―one product and one day at a time

Jamé Jackson is an award-winning fashion and beauty on-air expert, media personality, journalist and founder of TheBlondeMisfit.com, one of the top 100 fashion and beauty sites in the world. Previously a senior beauty editor at Yahoo and style and beauty writer at BuzzFeed, Jamé has been spotlighted by various publications for her work around diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as multicultural representation in beauty. In 2016, she was named one of Google’s “Women to Watch,” and has since been highlighted on Business of Fashion, Refinery29, Forbes, HuffPo, Teen Vogue, Allure and more.

As a Global Brand Visionary and Innovative Design Strategist, Jeannie Joshi skillfully merges creativity, analytics, and human-centric design to reshape brands, captivating diverse audiences worldwide. She has collaborated with leading agencies like R/GA and Interbrand and worked for Bath & Body Works, Coach, and Viant. With a rich background in creative direction and design technology, she drives innovation in brand strategy, collaborating with large corporations, start-ups, and independent creators. Having operated her own studio for a decade, serving clients such as Merck, Moody's, Johnson & Johnson, L'Oréal, Hasbro, and Godiva, Jeannie now focuses on a private creative practice that delivers personalized design solutions and explores cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). As a Visiting Assistant Professor and Adjunct Faculty at Pratt Institute and CUNY New York City College of Technology respectively, she advocates for continuous growth and knowledge sharing at the academic levels. Jeannie is researching human-centered and non-human-centered design approaches, considering AI as an influential non-human actor in various contexts.

Retail maven and brand creator, Millie has been instrumental in the success of cult brands including Shu Uemura, Aveda, Tweezerman, L’Occitane, and Ruby & Millie. Having worked with the UK’s leading retailers, Millie has been creating and marketing beauty brands for the past 30 years. Millie was awarded an MBE in 2007 for her services to the cosmetic industry, and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for services to the hair and beauty industry. In 1998, Millie and Ruby Hammer launched Ruby & Millie, the first mid-priced makeup brand to cut across existing price and brand perception barriers, launching first in Harvey Nichols, then Selfridges, and simultaneously going on to retail successfully in Boots. Millie has also collaborated with beauty journalists and Vogue beauty editor Anna-Marie Solowij to launch revolutionary retail concepts like BeautyMart. In 2015, alongside Solowij, Millie launched the PR company Brandstand Communications. In 2018, Millie Kendall, Anna-Marie Solowij, and Kate Shapland (former  Beauty Director of The Telegraph) founded the British Beauty Council, a nonprofit organization that aims to support a successful, innovative, and inclusive British beauty industry.

Richard is a Partner of Triangle Capital, advising clients in merchandising businesses, particularly in retail and consumer. Richard is an often-quoted expert on the retail and merchandising industries and a contributing writer to Forbes.com. Richard was previously a Managing Director at Financo, Inc. Before Financo, Richard was a Partner and First Vice President at Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. where he ran a group of 14 professionals doing middle-market mergers and acquisitions. Richard is the co-author of three books on finance and computer programming and a former Adjunct Assistant Professor of International Business at New York University. Richard received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from New York University and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Harvard University.

Ginger King is an award-winning cosmetic chemist and the founder of Grace Kingdom Beauty, a cosmetic product development firm creating beauty brands from concept to launch including formulation. In addition to consulting, Ginger’s latest venture is  FanLoveBeauty,  a clean vegan beauty brand inspired by mentor Daymond John of Shark Tank to take care of entrepreneurs’ appearance so they can keep crushing on their goals. Ginger holds multiple patents and awards in the beauty space. She is an expert resource for editors globally, a beauty segment contributor on TV, and keynote speaker. 

Iryna Kremin, the founder of INNOCOS (INNOvation in COSmetics)―an international thought leadership platform to keep up with latest trends and innovations in beauty and its impact on our lives, commerce, and all things future! Successful businesses are built on good relationships, and it's amazing how a bit of a personal touch can go a long way. To form such relationships, we create unforgettable experiences that are educational, inspirational, and fun!

Current obsession (and new podcast): biohacking for beauty, longevity, and beyond.

Manessa Lormejuste is a beauty innovator and trailblazer in the industry, blending her passion and scientific expertise to create products that truly make a difference. Manessa has held roles at leading companies such as Johnson & Johnson, L'Oréal, and Beautycounter. She has a proven track record of developing award-winning products and has been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Fashion & Beauty. As a self-proclaimed #girlynerd, Manessa's unique perspective and ability to simplify complex scientific concepts have earned her recognition in major publications such as Ebony Magazine, Brydie, and the Wall Street Journal. Manessa earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical biology and a master’s degree in personal care science from Rutgers University, solidifying her credentials as a true beauty scientist.

Moj Mahdara (they/them), is an entrepreneur and CEO. Currently a venture capitalist at two funds, they have been a partner at Intuition Capital for the past two years. Recently they co-founded a new fund, Kinship Ventures, focused on bringing more inclusion and diversity to the cap table. They have invested in over 100 companies, in high-tech growth, consumer packaged goods, and the future of health. 
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Formerly, they were CEO of Beautycon, a globally recognized community for content creators, celebrities, fans, and brands. Moj is an accomplished speaker and business figure with international recognition.
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They are focused on bringing the industry together via BeautyUnited, a non-profit focused on bringing community, education, and access to support the next generation of beauty and wellness leaders. They recently co-founded The Iranian Diaspora Collective,  a nonpartisan, multifaith group aiming to support the demands of Iranians in Iran who want a free secular democracy. 

A native of Afghanistan, Matin was first introduced to the artistry of makeup by a college roommate. Realizing he had a natural proclivity, Matin began working part time as a makeup artist to help subsidize his master’s degree in molecular biology. After a brief time working as a research scientist, Matin began to miss the creative and collaborative process that the beauty industry provides and ultimately changed careers.
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Matin has worked with entertainment’s most sought-after clientele such as Claire Danes, Lupita Nyong’o, Angelina Jolie, Cynthia Nixon, Awkwafina, Mandy Moore, and Rachel Weisz, to name a few. His work has graced the covers of leading fashion publications, and he has collaborated with top beauty brands such as Laura Mercier, Neutrogena, and Clinique, in addition to his current role as brand ambassador for ChapStick. Matin is also an ardent believer in clean beauty. This passion led to his participation on the Credo panel to discuss the benefits of clean beauty products on the skin. 

Akash Mehta is a British entrepreneur. He graduated from Imperial College London in engineering and previously worked at Burberry, Estée Lauder Companies, and Parfums Christian Dior where he was the youngest ever Global Digital Manager and rising executive in the beauty industry. Currently, Akash is the CEO and co-founder of Fable & Mane, an Ayurvedic-inspired hair wellness brand. He is also the host of the Founded Beauty podcast, a leading podcast in both beauty and business. Akash was placed on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in Media & Marketing and has been sharing his marketing expertise at some of the largest conferences and universities around the world from TEDx to industry summits. He is also a board member and investor in LVMH’s Patou, a Global Guardian for UNICEF, and co-founder of The Fable Fund―an initiative committed to wild tiger conservation with sustainable development.

Carmine Montalto is the founder and creative force behind The Skincarma Blog. Based in Brooklyn, Carmine is a veteran copywriter, brand guru, and skincare junkie with over 25 years in beauty. Over the course of his career, he’s helped develop dozens of brands, spanning skincare, haircare, and makeup. Through his popular blog, Carmine puts his extensive product wisdom and expertise to work demystifying skincare with insightful product reviews and sage advice on skin health.

With over 20 years of consumer packaged goods experience from Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups, Akemi’s experience ranges from product development to sourcing and supply chain transformation. Akemi has run chemical procurement at The Clorox Company, formulation and fragrance development at Method, and was most recently Vice President of Product at J.R. Watkins, overseeing development, quality, regulatory compliance, claim support, and third-party manufacturing oversight for hand care, personal care, home care, and over-the-counter remedies. She now heads up the IBA’s global supply chain and sustainability programming, which supports small to medium-sized businesses in the beauty and personal care sector. Akemi holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Rutgers University and a PhD in chemistry from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Fascinated with the beauty industry, Stacia started her career as a “Saturday girl” for Estée Lauder while still at school. With 30 years of omnichannel beauty buying experience, both in the US and UK, Stacia has launched countless brands into the UK market. She was part of the founding executive team at Cult Beauty. As International Buying Director for over 13 years, her curatorial eye launched brands such as Huda Beauty, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Drunk Elephant, Summer Fridays, Tower 28, and many more. Previously she was the Skincare Buyer for QVC UK and the Niche Beauty Buyer at Debenhams. She now works as an independent advisor for start-ups, investors, and established brands, developing strategic plans for brand growth and market expansion.

For over 15 years, Roseanna has established herself as an authority in identifying trends, helping leading brands understand their impact and how to capitalize on them. Called “a bonafide trend expert” by Time magazine, Roseanna currently leads Global Trend Foresight at the Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), working across the company’s portfolio of brands, regions, and functions to uncover near- and long-term opportunities that inform product innovation and commercial/marketing activation.
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Prior to ELC, Roseanna ran her own consulting practice for the better part of a decade where she partnered with global brands in the beauty sector and beyond. Her work helped a roster of clients that included Coty, Ilia, Shiseido, and Walgreens translate emerging shifts within culture, consumer behavior, and the marketplace into creative and strategic actions for their businesses. She has been invited to speak in front of audiences across the US, Europe, and the Middle East and featured as an expert in major publications such as WWD and Refinery29.

Alexis Rodriguez Alvich is an industry-recognized communications leader and brand marketer with over 22 years of experience within the beauty and fashion industries. A proven brand builder, impactful storyteller and keen navigator of strategy, she’s known for shaping consumer-centric, digital-first consumer engagement strategies that drive sales and success for her brands. In 2017, Alexis founded Harper Grey Consulting to focus on creating holistic, breakthrough peer-to-peer marketing programs. Her work is anchored in emotional storytelling that meets consumers where they are and services them beyond product. Her goal is always to turn brand affinity into brand love and to transform brand audiences into engaged brand communities.

Anisa Telwar Kaicker is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of her namesake business, Anisa International. She started her business in 1992, and has pioneered the leadership, product development, and culture of this globally branded business through the design and manufacturing of cosmetic brushes for makeup and skincare. She partners with the most esteemed brands in the beauty industry.

As a trusted authority, Anisa has built a reputation on creating the highest standard of innovative, quality-driven products in the beauty brush space and attributes much of this success to an unyielding commitment to transparency within the manufacturing process. In 2003, Anisa International vertically integrated its operations by opening its own manufacturing facility, Anisa China, in Tianjin.  

Anna Vale is an industry thought leader, speaker, and mentor. A seasoned marketing and communications expert with more than two decades of collaborating with indie, founder, and prestige legacy brands, Anna is known for her work leading award-winning campaigns, as well as spearheading international expansions, brand transformations, and industry-changing launches.During her career, she has held several executive leadership roles for top prestige beauty companies in the US, UK, and Middle East. She now channels her 20 years of expertise to help emerging beauty brands create successful integrated marketing strategies to take them to the next level of growth. Her experience spans across brands in skincare, fragrance, hair, and makeup including but not limited to Youth To The People, Tom Ford Beauty, Estée Lauder, La Mer, Hourglass Cosmetics, Kate Somerville, Fable & Mane, Oribe, and Clinique.

Sindhya Valloppillil is the CEO and co-founder of Skin Dossier, a precision beauty health startup. She is also a contributing writer for TechCrunch, Crunchbase, and BeautyMatter. She writes about consumer tech, beauty tech, the startup ecosystem, personalization, and solutions for diversity. Sindhya is an award-winning marketing and innovations executive with 20 years of experience working at leading beauty companies such as L'Oréal, L Brands, Johnson & Johnson, and Zirh. She was also an Adjunct Marketing Professor at Berkeley College and guest lecturer at Fordham Business School. She is on the All Raise Miami Steering Committee. Additionally, she is currently on the board of directors of Desai Foundation and is also a Venture Partner for NextGen Venture Partners, a mentor for Techstars, and angel investor/advisor to startups.

Nick has over 25 years of experience boldly reimagining how brands engage with the world, reinventing the everyday for the better—from immersive brand experiences to digital design and sustainable packaging. From the acclaimed relaunch of luxury treatment brand Hydrafacial to reshaping the direction of beauty and skincare brands like Erno Laszlo and Sunday Riley. Nick’s unique ability to unite his team and clients around his vision is what sets him and the agency apart as highly sought-after creative partners. Nick combines all this experience with enviable creative rigor, attention to detail, and endless curiosity about the future of design, which has led him and his team to win multiple awards—proof that beautiful thinking really does create lasting impact.

A 26-year serial beauty and wellness entrepreneur, Jennifer Walsh, has been a true architect of the beauty landscape. Creating Beauty Bar, the first omnichannel beauty brand in the US, changed the way people shopped for beauty until she sold the company in 2010. Jennifer intuitively knew that the connection to the beauty industry was always deeply rooted in its connection to nature. In 2017, Jennifer began studying nature's impact on the brain and body and is now an advisor to the U Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics as well as the Brain Health Initiative―a working lab under Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital. Her company AIKR Lab’s initiatives serve as a call to action, bringing the public's attention to the health benefits of being in and around nature. AIKR Lab integrates nonpartisan, scientific, fact-based research and analysis with public education centered around the benefits of being outside and incorporating nature into our homes, businesses, and schools through the implementation of biophilic design. You can also find Ms. Walsh leading mindfulness and wellness walks daily in Central Park for corporate and private clients.

Before opening The Young Group in 1999, Karen was Vice President of Marketing, Advertising, and Product Development for Lancôme, the prestige division of L'Oréal. Before joining Lancôme, she spent seventeen years at Estée Lauder, where she held a variety of executive positions, including Executive Director of Color Cosmetics. She is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist. Since opening The Young Group, Karen has worked extensively in all categories of the cosmetic industry. She has developed concepts and products for Dove, Bath and Body Works, Neutrogena, Vichy, and Canyon Ranch. She has worked on numerous established brands in the beauty category, including Christian Dior Beauté, Shiseido, Chanel, Parfums Givenchy, Avon, and 3M Products. Karen is an Adjunct Professor at The Fashion Institute of Technology, teaching the graduate course in product development. She is also an active board member of Fashion Group International.

Susanah is a seasoned media executive assiduous in advancing beauty through transformation and novel technology applications. Having begun her career in mobile marketing, she joined Spotify, the world’s #1 audio platform, in 2018. Noticing the beauty industry’s disproportionate focus on visual storytelling, she sought and developed the first Beauty Partnerships Team and go-to-market strategy in Spotify’s company history. While pioneering the category at Spotify, Susanah structured the drafting, negotiation, and execution of eight-figure annual business partnerships with the world’s biggest beauty portfolios. These experiences, combined with an insatiable curiosity for the newest and most innovative spaces, presented the opportunity to join SuperAwesome, an organization within Epic Games at the end of 2022. As Epic/SuperAwesome's Head of Industry, Susanah provides a bridge for beauty and personal care marketers to dream and execute immersive and responsibly designed consumer experiences within existing gaming metaverses―like Fortnite (over 400 million users) and others―with a suite of best-in-class support solutions that span brand consulting, game development, media, creative/influencer, PR, and measurement.