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Spotlight on Beauty & Wellness Brands Led by Women of Color

By American Salon Staff Oct 25, 2023 1:09pm

American Salon Women of Color JC Penney Salons Black Girl Ventures Foundation

This post was originally on the American Salon website.

Women of Color Taking the Beauty & Wellness World by Storm

To be named a finalist in the 2023 National Beauty Pitch Competition, you have to be a pretty amazing small business owner. The annual contest—sponsored by Black Girl Ventures Foundation, Rare Beauty Brands, and JC Penney—offers the grand-prize winner a $10,000 grant, retail distribution, mentorship with key execs at Rare Beauty Brands, crowdfunding capital, and their products sold nationwide at JC Penney in-store and online.

The annual competition is open to founders with business revenue under $1 million. Contest entrants must identify as a woman, own a revenue-generating company with at least 51% Black and Brown founders; with business in good standing for at least a year.

The seven finalists are waiting on the results after competing in an exciting online crowdfunded pitch competition Oct. 12, in which they had 3 minutes to pitch their brand and a 3-minute Q&A from the audience. The judging panel included Aishetu Fatima Dozie (founder of Bossy Beauty), Daren Curry (VP of Digital Acceleration at Rare Beauty Brands), and Leslie Roberson (founder of Black Beauty Collective).

While there can be only one winner, all these brands—and their founders—are seriously worth the spotlight. Check them out: