Come early and enjoy complimentary breakfast! This is a great opportunity to network with other attendees, schedule meetings and grab a cup of coffee before the first session starts.

A decade ago, professional investment firms focused on early-stage beauty dealmaking were practically non-existent. Now, the space is ripe with firms who see the potential of getting in on the ground level of the next stratospheric success story—see K18. At the same time, rising costs and increased competition seem to have narrowed down strategic options for emerging brands—self-fund until seed, launch DTC, raise, enter Sephora/Ulta/Target, raise more, prove traction in maybe one foreign market, then call your favorite banker and hit “exit”. Is there now a proven playbook for early stage investing in beauty or is it still an art form? And if most VCs are essentially funding the same strategy, then how will they differentiate themselves and what does this mean for brands that don’t fit this playbook?

Moderator:
Nader Naeymi-Rad, Founder & Publisher, Beauty Independent

Panelists:
• Manica Blain, Advisor, Investor, Board Member to Early-Stage Consumer Brands, Top Knot Ventures
• Diana Melencio, General Partner & Board Member, XRC Ventures
• Cristina Nuñez, Co-Founder & General Partner, True Beauty Ventures
• Anna Whiteman, Partner, Coefficient Capital

Rising DTC costs has made brands suddenly realize how much they need retailers. But the retail landscape has been transformed over the past three years. The rocky post-pandemic economic environment caused a large number of retailers to shutter, while others were bought by larger competitors. As a result, far fewer retailers remain who can take a brand from under the radar to reign supreme. In mass, Target and Walmart hold the crown, whereas in prestige Ulta and Sephora hand out the golden tickets. Does a brand need to be in one of these retailers to grow, scale and snag a favorable valuation? Are there other retailers—or retail strategies—that dealmakers can utilize as viable value drivers?

Moderator:
Nader Naeymi-Rad, Founder & Publisher, Beauty Independent

Panelists:
• Tara Hyland, Principal, Main Post Partners
• Henry Davis, CEO, Sakara Life
• Andrew Stanleick, Industry Expert
• Ilya Seglin, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Cascadia Capital

For years Amazon was neglected by beauty companies—big and small—who did not view the store as a suitable channel for their products, especially in the prestige and luxury end of the market. Oh, how times have changed. Today there is no doubt that the e-commerce giant plays a significant role in the beauty space, across all categories and every price point. Brand leaders no longer ask “why” Amazon, but “when” and “how” to best Amazon. From a value creation standpoint, however, how should investors view and value a brand's Amazon business—is it the gravy on a DTC or omnichannel strategy, or a viable new meat and potatoes of distribution? How should they guide their portfolio companies as to when and how to best utilize and invest on the store?

Moderator:
Erica La Sala, Editor, Beauty Independent

Panelists:
• Ransley Carpio, VP of Business Development & Head of Venture Investments, Front Row
• Melis del Rey, GM, Beauty, Baby & Beauty Technology, Amazon U.S. Stores
• Luc-Henry Rouselle, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Consumer, Leisure & Retail, DC Advisory
• Kerry Sullivan, CEO, Versed

Patience is key when it comes to reaching the summit of luxury brand building. From the outside, the product’s glossy branding, high price points and cult status with consumers drive investors wild. But do these brands really command enviable deals after what is the end of a usually a (very) long road? Plus, the commercial environment is changing and many of the ‘force multipliers’ for luxury brands that enabled them to grow and scale–such as traditional PR and department store partnerships–are falling out of favor or no longer able to deliver the same lift. And new “hot” channels, like TikTok and Amazon, are unproven for luxury. Has the long road in luxury just gotten longer and more uncertain? Why should inventors still invest in the luxury beauty space, where should they place their bets and how should they guide their investments?

Moderator:
Rachel Brown, Editor In Chief, Beauty Independent

Panelists:
• Daniel Patrick Giles, CEO & Founder, Perfumehead
• Richard Henry, Partner, Sandbridge Capital
• Sandra Nait-Amer, Managing Director, Luxury, Fashion & Beauty, Rothschild & Co
• Mark Rice, Co-Founder & CEO, Ogee

Driven by trends like Mob Wife and the Clean Girl aesthetic, visual mediums like TikTok, as well as new product categories like lip oils, makeup is back in the driver's seat. In 2023, color was prestige’s strongest category performer with sales ticking up to $2.6 billion while mass makeup sales rose 6%. Who are the brands driving growth and investor interest now and what is their secret sauce? And how do you protect against the traditional risks in this sector–such as massive SKU counts and living at the mercy of trends? Founders and investors weigh in on the scalability of these brands, the long term value they do or don’t hold in portfolios and where they see untapped opportunities.

Moderator:
Jane Carlson, Managing Editor, Beauty Independent

Panelists:
• Sasha Radic, Managing Director Beauty & Wellness, Jefferies
• Jonathan Velazquez, Co-Founder & CBO, Pound Cake
• Kimberly Villatoro, CEO, Patrick Ta
• Sarah Woelfel, Co-Founder & Partner, CULT Capital

With so many celebrity-backed or -aligned brands on the market, the effectiveness of star power in the beauty industry is more topical than ever. When strategically utilized, it can lead to sunny outcomes – whether through traditional ambassadorships or more proactive executive roles. As investors now face the challenge of identifying the key ingredients for successful modern collaborations, we delve into the evolving intersection of celebrity and beauty, and where individuals like estheticians, makeup artists, and content creators fit with their burgeoning brands. Through examination of past wins and failures, we offer insights into the foundational elements that are more likely to lead to success and look at disparities and the suitability of celebrity endorsements across product sectors, from fragrance to sexual wellness.

Moderator:
Taylor Bryant, Editor, Beauty Independent

Panelist:
• Amanda Schutzbank, Co-Founder & General Partner, Willow Growth
• Maria Steingoltz, Managing Director and Chicago Office Head, L.E.K. Consulting
• Paula Sutter, Partner, Provenance
• Emily Zipperstein, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

File under, if you know you know (IYKYK, as the kids say). There is always something bubbling up in beauty that has yet to hit the mainstream. For example, Exosomes, nanoparticles that carry messages from one cell to another, have entered aesthetics promising similar or even superior results to PRP with far less headache. Following the sober curious movement, “wellness” for quitters, or antidotes to or replacements for “vice” products are gaining steam. We identify nascent trends that are deemed to dominate in the coming years, carve out their unique challenges and weigh in on where investors should place their bets.

Moderator:
Rachel Brown, Editor In Chief, Beauty Independent

Panelists:
• Taylor Bryant, Editor, Beauty Independent
• Erica La Sala, Editor, Beauty Independent
• Claire McCormack, Editor In Chief, Beauty Independent