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, the subscription-box model, 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 Talk Shop Live, Supergreat, and Flip, as well as luxury beauty brands Augustinus Bader and Furtuna Skin.

As Creative Design 360 Project Innovation Direction Executive Director at the Estee Lauder Companies, Lorna Dragon is responsible for Leading Upstream Innovation Platforms. In the 20th year of working at ELC, Lorna is embarking on her fourth newly created position where she thrives in making the imagined possible. Lorna brings with her a unique background and portfolio of experience across brands, regions, categories, and channels in Packaging. She accelerates in catalyzing change, strategic thinking, agile leadership, and delivering results.

Brandon brings his entrepreneurial mindset, passion for learning, and curiosity toward life to his role operating a start-up within the walls of a 90-year-old company. He is a nurse and attorney with a BSN from Case Western Reserve University and JD /MBA from The University of Akron. For the past four years, Brandon has led the Accelerator, a program that leverages Lubrizol technology, manufacturing, and beauty and home care science expertise to provide market-ready solutions, brand development, and quick innovation. Hundreds of entrepreneurs have benefited from his charismatic leadership to launch and develop their beauty and home care brands. The Accelerator has launched over 100 products globally.

Don has over 35 years of experience in developing products in the personal care, beauty, supplements, and household cleaning industries. He started his career working at Procter & Gamble learning the fundamentals of process, management, research, risk mitigation and brand management. He then went on to work at smaller companies like Jafra and Avon learning the importance of decision making in the absence of data, the importance of speed, and the true power of sales in a company. Method provided him the opportunity to work at a values-based start-up where culture drove excellence in people and product. During his tenure at Honest, Don oversaw the relaunch of approximately 90% of Honest Company's product portfolio. Don recently assumed the position of President/CEO of the Independent Beauty Association, an industry non-profit focused on helping small to mid-sized companies in the Beauty space grow and flourish.

As a C-level executive with more than 25 years of experience creating, building, and scaling visionary brands, Deanna is a proven industry leader. She works with top private equity firms to analyze the purchase potential of beauty companies and was instrumental in the launch of Florence by Mills and GXVE by Gwen Stefani. She was also part of the founding team of global haircare brand Ouai. She has lent her considerable skills to businesses in various stages of growth. Deanna spent five years as CEO at Stila Cosmetics where she was charged with (and succeeded at) getting the company back on track. She turned around the Barbie Collectors division of Mattel, founded online beauty retailer Gloss.com, and launched Michael Jordan Cologne at XEL.

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 OBE 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 Telegraph Beauty Director) founded the British Beauty Council, a nonprofit organization that aims to support a successful, innovative, and inclusive British beauty industry.

Richard is an investment banker focusing on mergers, acquisitions, and capital-raising for consumer-facing companies. He advises clients in merchandising businesses, particularly in the Retail and Consumer sector. Richard is an often-quoted expert on the retail and merchandising industries and a contributor to Forbes.com. He 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.

With over 20 years of CPG 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 VP 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 OTC remedies. She now heads up the Independent Beauty Association’s (IBA) global supply chain and sustainability programming, supporting small- to medium-sized businesses in the beauty and personal care sector. Akemi holds a BA 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 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. 

Known as one of the most well-respected critical thinkers in the cosmetics and personal care industry today. As a public speaker, commentator, and trade media editor, Deanna covers key industry trends as well as ingredients, packaging, and product innovation topics. Formerly editor of Cosmetics Design, she now frequently contributes to various global cosmetics and personal care industry publications. As a consultant, Deanna develops press releases and other business content for suppliers and manufacturers, helping them grow in key B2B markets. A highly sought-after speaker, she also presents to company teams, higher-ed classrooms, and event audiences internationally.

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 17 years at Estée Lauder, where she held a variety of executive positions, including Executive Director of Color Cosmetics. 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 active board member of Fashion Group International. Karen is an adjunct professor at The Fashion Institute of Technology, teaching the graduate course in product development.