Sample of confirmed attendees for Los Angeles Summit
Beauty & Money: Final 12 Presenter Profiles Request Form
We are proud to announce the Final 12, who have been hand selected from a long list of applications by The Beauty & Money Selection Committee to present in the Beauty Spotlight.
Fill out the form below to download.
Why Attend
The No.1 Meeting Place For Beauty Business Partnering
From momentous transactions such as the The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. acquisition of Too Faced, to a spell of minority investments in early-stage companies such as L Catterton’s investments in Kopari Beauty, VMG’s investment in Drunk Elephant and Main Post Partners’ investment in Milk Makeup, M&A activity in the beauty industry is thriving.
The more acquisitions a company makes, the better each transaction performs, according to a recent market report by A.T. Kearney. With frequent buyers growing 63% more enterprise value over a six-year period than infrequent buyers of a comparable size, it is more important than ever to act quickly and secure well-priced targets in a competitive landscape.
Beauty & Money is an exclusive one-day event, connecting industry executives from strategic buyers, financial buyers and independent beauty brands.
Selection Committee
Rich Gersten
Bee Shapiro
Kelly Kovack
Jason Fiedler
Conor Begley
Emmanuel Rey
Blythe Jack
Robin Tsai
Josh Goldin
The Speakers
Alex Fogelson
Alex completed his B.S.M at Tulane University in 2011, going on to complete an MFin. Alex went on to work in varied positions at Coach, The Estee Lauder Companies, Li & Fung Beauty, CHAPFIX+, and the Fung Group, and in 2015 he co—founded Taste Beauty along with two others, with over 30 years of experience in the beauty industry.
Taste was founded with a hungry spirit and a passion to drive innovation through the most unique products, highest quality, unprecedented customer service and rapid speed to market.
Alisha Sontag
Ranked one of Beauty's 50 Most Powerful Women by WWD (2015), and two-time honor of Fortune Most Powerful Women conference (2015/2016), Alicia is a Co-Founder and Partner at Prelude Growth Partners. Prelude Growth Partners is a New York City based growth equity firm focused on providing capital and value-added operatingsupport to high potential, fast-growing consumer brands. Prelude seeks to make investments of $3million to $15 million in each company, across branded consumer categories including personalcare/beauty, food & beverage, baby, pet, health & wellness and other consumer categories.
Bee Shapiro
Bee Shapiro is a New York Times beauty contributor, a position she has held since 2009, the author of the newly published collection Skin Deep, and the founder of Ellis Brooklyn, a luxurious, sustainable, chemical-free line of skincare and perfume.
Dr Heather Rogers
Heather D. Rogers is a board certified dermatologist and fellowship trained dermatologic surgeon, specialising in prevention and treatment of sun damaged skin including pre-skin cancers, skin cancers, moles and photo damage. However, in 2014, Dr Rogers founded Doctor Rogers Skin Solutions, which was the beginning of premium scientifically-proven, clean and allergen-free products.
Emmanuel Rey
French-born and one of nine siblings, Emmanuel Rey obtained a degree in engineering in agronomics, and in 2017 founded YUNI Beauty, and at the end of 2018, in a competitive group with Ouai hair care and Youth the people, YUNI received the Rising Brand of the Year Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Frédéric Benqué
Mr. Frédéric Benqué serves as Managing Partner and General Partner at NextWorld Evergreen. He Co-Founded TextMe, Inc. in 2011 and serves as its Director. Mr. Benqué is a seasoned investor with solid financial and operational background. He has over 15 years of experience in various finance and investment roles. His expertise gained him the prestigious rising star in Finance by Financial News in 2006, and facilitated the creation of Credo, an all-clean beauty retailer.
Lori Haram
Lori Haram is the Senior Vice President, Business Affairs and Operations for the Cluster of Brands that are led by Executive Group President, John Demsey. In this role, Lori is responsible to drive strategic projects across the more than 20 brands in the Cluster, as well as support specific initiatives within certain brands, notably Too Faced where she is the primary point of contact between the brand and the larger ELC organization. Lori is also the Chief of Staff to John Demsey.
Previously, Lori led New Business Development for ELC. In that role, Lori completed 8 acquisitions, including Smashbox, Le Labo, BECCA and Too Faced, and 2 minority investments. In 2016, Lori was named as one of the most influential women in mid-market M&A by themiddlemarket.com.
Lori has more than 30 years’ experience in global finance and strategic planning. Following the completion of her business school education, she joined The Estee Lauder Companies as a Financial Analyst in the International division. Lori went on to hold various leadership positions within ELC including Vice President, Finance for Estée Lauder, USA and Canada; Vice President, Global Finance and Strategic Planning for M.A.C Cosmetics, and Senior Vice President, Global New Business Development. In these roles, she worked closely with the Brand Presidents and Senior Management to develop and execute strategic and financial priorities for the business.
Over the course of her career, Lori worked outside of ELC for approximately 5 years. From 1996-1998, she held the position of Vice President, Finance for EMI Group, Angel Records Division, and from 2007-2009 she was first a consultant to, and subsequently the General Manager of the then-independent beauty brand Carol’s Daughter.
Lori developed and delivers a Career Readiness program to 12th grade students under the auspices of the non-profit organization PENCIL and is also the Treasurer of the Lords Valley Country Club. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Management, from SUNY-Binghamton and a Master of Business Administration, Finance and Accounting, from Columbia University. She and her husband Khaled live in Manhattan, and their son Ian lives close by.
Jennifer Yen
From Power Rangers to saving complexions with her skin care company purlisse beauty to momtrepreneur with her inspiration of the power of 8 Superfoods.
Jennifer Yen started her career as TV villainess on Power Rangers which wrecked her skin from the heavy makeup and bright lights inspiring her to create purlisse beauty: www.purlisse.com.
After becoming a mother and feeling completely depleted Yen quickly recovered through a Superfood lifestyle, used by generations of women in her family.
The power of Superfoods led Yen to start her second company, YENSA (meaning Color + Face in Chinese) the Superfood Cosmetic and the first Cosmetics meets Superfood Science brand, connecting Superfood Science, Complexion Cosmetics and Superfoods.
Each product is infused with 8 Superfoods (8 representing good luck, prosperity and infinite possibilities in Chinese culture).
Since launching on October 8, 2018 ,YENSA has received over 240,000 positive reviews with top features in CEW, PopSugar, WWD, Coveteur, Byrdie, Hollywood Reporter, Hollywood Life, Bustle, New Beauty and more. Cardi B and Jeffree Starr are among the influencer/celebrities to use the product + many more.
YENSA supports women organizations and recently partnered with Dress For Success #YourHourHerPower campaign featuring 8 SuperWomen: Michelle Phan, Jana Kramer, Aja White, Farnaz Charmatz, Sara Boyd, Deddeh Howard, Jesse Draper, Jennifer Yen who have shared their journeys in this campaign to help motivate and inspire women. Watch the full video here
Michelle Connelly
Michelle Connelly joined Credo in 2017 with nearly a decade of experience in the industry, successfully driving beauty brands at retail through strategically planning their marketing initiatives, visual merchandising and inventory planning. Prior to being recruited to lead the Credo merchant team, Michelle’s career in beauty began after successful stints at both Sephora and Macy’s.
Credo is the leading clean beauty retailer based in San Francisco, CA boasting the largest, safest and cleanest beauty assortment in the U.S. Credo has 8 locations across the nation with more on the horizon and carries the most beautiful, effective and clean beauty brands available today.
Kelly Kovack
Jason Fiedler
Jason graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and
received the Frederick H. Gloeckner Award in
Entrepreneurial Studies from The Wharton School. He
finished as the top undergraduate in the 2011 Wharton
Business Plan Competition and was one of two undergraduates
accepted into Wharton's on-campus incubator program for
student-run start-ups.
Upon graduating in 2011, Jason joined Insight Venture
Partners, a leading NYC-based growth equity fund focused on
internet and software businesses. Jason sourced Insight's
$26M investment in Smartsheet and was involved in Insight’s
investments in Pluralsight, Anaqua and Branding Brand.
Jason also helped manage recruiting for Insight’s Summer
Analyst Program across top-tier undergraduate universities.
In 2013, Jason moved to San Francisco and joined Uber as an
Operations Manager. Jason was responsible for launching and
managing three of Uber's first 100 markets, and was also
involved in the launch of UberRUSH and early experiments in
food delivery.
In 2015, Jason joined Red Sea Ventures and has since been
involved in everything from deal sourcing and diligence to
platform and portfolio management.
In addition to his professional career, Jason has been an
active participant in New Heights, a NYC-based charity that
combines basketball with academics and social support
services to boost high school graduation rates of innercity
youth. Jason was nominated and will be joining the
Junior Board at New Heights.
Jason grew up in Scarsdale, NY and nothing is more
important to him than family. He continues to play
recreational basketball, tennis, golf and indoor cycling.
Rich Gersten
Mr. Richard Gersten is presently a Partner of Tengram Capital Partners, a consumer private equity firm formed to invest in the consumer and retail sectors. Mr. Gersten has over 25 years of experience in the private equity industry and has spent the last 19 years focused exclusively on the consumer and retail sector, with an emphasis in the beauty and personal care industry. He currently sits on the board of directors of Algenist, Cos Bar, This Works, Active Ride Shop, NEST Fragrances, Deva Curl, and formerly sat on the board of directors for Laura Geller Beauty.
Ilya Seglin
Conor Begley
Blythe Jack
Blythe is responsible for originating new investment opportunities, diligencing new business opportunities, structuring transactions and working with our partner companies. She is also a member of the Investment Committee.
Blythe joined TSG with extensive private equity and branded consumer experience, having spent over 10 years at Rosewood Capital and having served as CEO of a high-growth consumer products company. While a partner at Rosewood Capital, Blythe sourced and structured investments across the consumer & retail sector, including investments in Under Armour, Clarisonic, Sneaker Villa, Cobalt Boats, among others. She has also served as a National Judge for Ernst & Young's acclaimed Entrepreneur of the Year® program. Blythe received a BA, with honors, in Communication Studies from Vanderbilt University.
Benjamin Lee
Mehdi Mehdi
Ariel Ohana
Ariel founded Ohana & Co. in 1994. In the more than 20 years since, he has spearheaded the firm’s growth from a Paris based M&A boutique with primarily French clients to a global investment bank advising some of the most prestigious corporations in the world, including Procter & Gamble, VF Corp, Coty, AmorePacific, Mondadori, Omega Pharma and LVMH, as well as private equity funds, business owners and management teams. Ariel has represented clients in Japan, Korea, US, France, Italy and many more countries in the luxury & consumer goods, media & internet, healthcare and energy sectors in over 100 transactions. He currently sits on the board of several companies in France and the US.
Ariel holds a graduate degree from HEC School of Management (Jouy-en-Josas, France), is a CEMS Master graduate (joint degree with ESADE, Barcelona) and holds a graduate degree (DESS) in Business Law and International Tax Law from the Université de Paris. He is still very much involved in the life of HEC: he served as professor of the M&A techniques course for 15 years and is part of the club of largest donors of the HEC Foundation.
Ariel divides his time primarily between Paris and Los Angeles.
Marianna Rittenhouse
Alison Hersh
Global Founding Partner
Threadstone
Website: http://www.threadstonelp.com/
Threadstone Advisors is a leading independent advisory and investment firm specializing in the beauty and personal care, apparel, specialty retail and direct-to-consumer sectors. Our philosophy behind the creation of Threadstone Advisors is the belief that the comprehensive knowledge and a values-oriented culture of the senior partners are at the core of our success. We are committed to helping our clients benefit from more than 100 years of combined experience. Having assisted clients ranging from start-ups to global brands through different economic cycles, our perspective is broad. Our industry knowledge, thorough preparation and hard work, allows Threadstone to generate ideas to help companies achieve their strategic and financial goals and objectives.
Threadstone helps entrepreneurs and founders of young, exciting businesses to achieve intermediate financing goals. Our unique perspectives in the beauty sector allow us to better understand the nuances of the businesses we represent. Threadstone approaches each engagement in the same mindset as venture capital – we understand that businesses are looking for more than just money. Through a unique partnership approach, Threadstone develops a deep understanding for the strengths and opportunities of our clients and tailors a go-to-market approach that delivers both the financial and strategic resources that our clients need.
Event Partners
Deloitte
Website: https://www2.deloitte.com/xa/en/profiles/migarcia.html
Deloitte Corporate finance (“DCF”) is a financial services firm that advises privately held businesses on capital raises as well as merger & acquisition transactions. DCF’s Consumer Innovations Group works closely with rapidly growing beauty brands in a variety of ways to assist those companies down the path to growth and ultimate sale. DCF has 120 investment bankers in seven cities in the U.S., as well as 2,300 investment bankers globally.
Main Post Partners
Website: http://www.mainpostpartners.com/
With 75+ years of investing experience and deep industry knowledge, we help companies realize their full potential
TSG Consumer Partners
Website: http://www.tsgconsumer.com/
TSG Consumer Partners, LLC is a leading investment firm with approximately $5 billion of assets under management, focused exclusively on the branded consumer sector. Since its founding in 1987, TSG has been an active investor in the food, beverage, restaurant, beauty, personal care, household, apparel & accessories, and e-commerce sectors. Representative past and present partner companies include Duckhorn Wine Company, vitaminwater, thinkThin, popchips, Muscle Milk, Yard House, Stumptown, Pabst, Planet Fitness, REVOLVE, Backcountry, Smashbox Cosmetics, Pureology, Sexy Hair, e.l.f. Cosmetics and IT Cosmetics. For more information, please visit www.tsgconsumer.com.
FOREO
Website: http://www.foreo.com
When something is only good enough, it’s time to make a change.“ Founded in 2013, FOREO is a Swedish company specializing in beauty and well-being solutions. FOREO has grounded success on its award-winning LUNA™ skincare and ISSA™ oral care devices. Although the brand has already smashed the conventions of the beauty and well-being industries, this is just the beginning.
It was founded by a visionary think-tank of specialists to challenge the beauty industry and develop smarter ways to care for yourself delivering unique, innovative devices to elevate conventional routines into energizing rituals.
With over 84 beauty and tech awards won across the globe, this Swedish beauty tech company, high on innovation and meticulous about ground-breaking design, is conquering the world.
Alliance Consumer Growth
Website: http://www.acginvestors.com
Alliance Consumer Growth ("ACG") is a leading growth equity fund which provides capital and value-added partnership to the most promising emerging consumer product and retail brands. Notable brands that ACG successfully partnered with as an early-stage investor include Tata Harper, Pacifica Beauty, Nudestix, Harry’s, Babyganics (later acquired by SC Johnson), Shake Shack (later completed an IPO as NYSE: SHAK), Suja Juice (later acquired by Coca-Cola), barkTHINS (later acquired by Hershey’s) and Tender Greens, among others. ACG has offices in Los Angeles and New York City. www.acginvestors.com
The Red Tree
Website: https://theredtree.co.uk/
The Red Tree is the UK’s leading international beauty brand consultancy and works with a wide range of companies from well-funded start-ups to major corporates. We create and implement long term strategy and vision, develop and launch new brands, plan and execute market entry strategies, and make brands RaceFit for market entry.
The Red Tree also manages brands for international brand owners as their UK Country Manager. In this role we provide business development and account management, implement marketing and commercial activity and quickly becomes the brand's dedicated partner in the UK. As Country Managers we have listed client brands in SpaceNK, Harvey Nichols, Marks & Spencer, Selfridges, The Hut Group, Feel Unique, Indulge in Beauty, Boots, Being Content and on QVC.
With a global understanding of the beauty market The Red Tree has an international client base that includes the US, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia and has considerable expertise in each beauty category –skincare, colour cosmetics, male grooming, haircare, and fragrance
We treat each brand we work with as if it were our own and develop long term relationships with our clients. In the saturated reality of the beauty market making a brand magnetic in its appeal to retailers is vital. We help make this happen.
Dash Hudson
Website: https://www.dashhudson.com/
The world’s most discerning brands and publishers use Dash Hudson to create and share photos and videos that people care about. Our visual intelligence platform provides a one-stop solution to predict performance, distribute, measure, and enhance engagement across all of your visual marketing channels.
Ohana & Co
Website: http://www.ohanaco.com
Founded in 1994, Ohana & Co. is a leading independent investment bank providing financial advisory services to private and public companies, private equity firms, entrepreneurs and management teams across the US, Europe, and Asia on their sale, acquisition and capital raising transactions.
Our unparalleled industry expertise in the luxury & branded consumer, technology & media and healthcare sectors, together with our international track record and entrepreneurial approach, set us apart from other firms in the marketplace. From offices in Paris, New York and LA, we have assisted clients in the Americas (Canada, Columbia, USA), Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and more) and Asia (China, Japan, Korea) successfully complete their most challenging transactions.
Capacity LLC
Website: https://www.capacityllc.com/
Capacity is a trusted partner to brands who need our wide range of order fulfillment services. This includes everything from warehousing and transportation to value-added services, assembly services, and tech-forward fulfillment solutions.
We are an engineering and IT-driven organization that combines decades in the field with a commitment to creative problem solving and the latest fulfillment technology. It’s this blend of technical knowhow and modern fulfillment solutions that attracts global brands from high profile sectors such as health and wellness, beauty, lifestyle, and many more.
Founded in 1999, we operate out of facilities at our North Brunswick New Jersey headquarters and a West Coast campus in Los Angeles California, making Capacity a bicoastal fulfillment solution for clients serving North America. In line with the global appeal of our clients, we also maintain a presence in the UK, near London’s Gatwick Airport and in partnership with ILG (a subsidiary of Yusen Logistics), as well as serving continental Europe from our base in Lyon, France.
Capacity LLC is cGMP certified, operates FDA registered facilities, and is NJ & CA State Board of Health approved food grade. Capacity LLC provides domestic and international distribution to companies of all sizes, from startups to household name brands who ship around the world.
Media Partners
Global Cosmetic Industry
Website: http://www.gcimagazine.com/
Global Cosmetic Industry magazine is the preferred resource for US-based marketers, brand managers, manufacturers and executives in the beauty industry.
BeautyMatter
Website: http://bit.ly/BeautyMoneyNYC
BeautyMatter was born from Founder Kelly Kovack’s desire to provide a fresh voice to the beauty industry through the lens of someone who has been in the trenches founding brands, defining white space and commercializing trends. BeautyMatter aims to fill the void, connect the dots and provide an informed analytical and compelling point of view. Exploring the limits and blurring boundaries by offering highly curated news and original content by thought leaders and industry insiders. An essential resource for business intelligence for executives, entrepreneurs and creatives.
Tribe Dynamics
Website: http://www.tribedynamics.com/
Please visit our website for more information.Lefair Magazine
Website: http://lefairmag.com/
LEFAIR Magazine brings to its readers current and future trends and news in fashion, beauty, health, lifestyle, travel and entertainment. We feature live web links in all of our editorial stories and advertising to allow for easy online shopping. We inspire, excite, inform and entertain with sexy, compelling and powerful photo and video content created by some of the industry’s most talented artists and influencers.
Chic Studios
Website: http://chicstudiosmakeup.com/
Chic Studios is a leading national makeup artistry school, teaching through course instruction, live hands-on lessons and opportunities for graduates. Our school enables career services assisting students and alumni with opportunities and education to plan, promote and prepare their careers in the beauty industry. Our experienced, industry leading instructors and friendly staff offer comprehensive, hands-on curriculums taught exclusively in a small class-size environment.
Chic Studios LA, School of Makeup, is located in the thriving downtown Los Angeles fashion district. Featuring experienced industry leading instructors and friendly staff offering a comprehensive, hands-on curriculum taught exclusively in a small class-size environment. Each classroom offers a workstation for learning purposes for each student. Our students, upon completion of the Master Makeup and Professional Makeup courses, receive an industry-recognized diploma and have an opportunity to participate in a professional photo shoot to begin their professional portfolios. There’s always so much happening in and around our LA school, whether it’s an outdoor fashion show or a major photo-shoot in the space. We’re excited to be centered in a landmark building that is main hub of Los Angeles’ fashion industry.
Premium Beauty News
Website: http://PremiumBeautyNews.com
PremiumBeautyNews.com is a website devoted to professionals and made with the contributions of professionals from the cosmetics and beauty industries (fragrance, toiletries, skincare, face care and hair care products, make-up) and related sectors (e.g. wellness products, diet and supplement foods).
PremiumBeautyNews.com relies on an international network of correspondents and partners as well as very good connections within the industry.
All the news content is provided in English and French with highlights on the information of special interest to the product development, research and marketing teams, as well as to the purchasing and export divisions and the top management.
New products and innovations from the industry’s suppliers (ingredients, raw materials, packaging, fill-in, private labelling, design) are more specially highlighted, so as regulatory news, scientific breakthroughs and latest market trends and key market figures.
The Beauty Spotlight
SUBMISSIONS NOW CLOSED - THE FINAL 12 WILL BE ANNOUNCED MARCH 20.
About the Beauty Spotlight
12 independent beauty brands, hand-picked by the prestigious Selection Committee, introduce themselves and their products on the main stage, in a quick fire round of presentations.form.
Submissions will be accepted from both Mass and Prestige independent beauty brands in Colour Cosmetics, Skincare, Haircare, Fragrance, Bath & Body and Beauty Devices. They should be early to mid-stage brands that are actively seeking financial investment, acquisition, distribution, and/or marketing.
These can range from brands that have just started generating revenue all the way up to larger entities that have revenues of over $80 million.
Become a Sponsor
Kisaco Research provides the much needed platform on which industry executives can network, connect and learn from each other as well as meet potential industry partners.
Far from the typical ‘meet-and-greet’ exhibition experience, you – as a sponsor or exhibitor – will be positioned as a partner of the event with a focus on the benefits of your product and brand, rather than just a name on an exhibition list.
With our extensive marketing experience and strategy, your partnership with Kisaco Research will grant you a sponsorship package that is an extension and enhancement of your current marketing and branding efforts. We value your ROI and will work with you directly on your specific goals and targets – that’s why we take special care in finding the most relevant end-users to attend, so that your financial and resource investment is smartly allocated.
Find out more by calling us at +44 (0)20 3696 2920 or email us at partner@kisacoresearch.com.
The Agenda
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Venue
SLS Hotel, 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
Please call the hotel directly for the $519.00 + tax rate we can make available. Call the hotel on 310.247.0400.
Nearby is also The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills which we can recommend if you'd like to stay in LA. You can view the hotel here and contact the hotel on 310 358 7737, mentioning you are attending the Beauty & Money Summit LA.
Conference Packages
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About Kisaco Research
Kisaco Research produces, designs and hosts B2B industry conferences, exhibitions and communities – focused on a specialized selection of topic areas.
Meet industry peers that will help build a career-changing network for life.
Learn from the mistakes of your peers as much as their successes—ambitious industry stalwarts who are happy to share not just what has made them successful so far but also their plans for future proofing their companies.
Note down the inspired insight that will form the foundation for future strategies and roadmaps, both at our events and through our online communities.
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