This week, Sephora North America hosted its inaugural Sephora Impact Summit, a groundbreaking event focused on building, supporting, and championing BIPOC brands within the retailer’s network. Held on February 26 and 27, this event was created to provide a dedicated space for BIPOC founders to learn, connect, and access valuable resources to fuel their entrepreneurial journeys, with attendees including the 2024 Sephora Accelerate cohort, alumni and program advisors; BIPOC-owned and -founded brands; Sephora Squad members; and Sephora executives.
“As a global leader in beauty, Sephora remains committed to cultivating a more diverse and inclusive beauty industry for all, and helping our expanding roster of BIPOC-owned brands to grow and flourish is a key part of that,” said Priya Venkatesh, Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Sephora. “We’re thrilled to host the first-ever Sephora Impact Summit as a dedicated moment in time to welcome and empower BIPOC founders with the knowledge, network, and opportunities they need to succeed.”
The two-day summit featured targeted workshops, industry leader insights, and networking opportunities for attendees, including:
- Keynote address by Aurora James, founder of Brother Vellies and the Fifteen Percent Pledge
- Panel discussion with industry leaders: Celessa Baker, VP of Brand Marketing, Makeup & Hair at Sephora, moderated a conversation between Amy Liu (Tower 28), Danessa Myricks (Danessa Myricks Beauty), Priyanka Ganjoo (Kulfi Beauty), and Alisa Carmichael (VMG Partners) around how to continue building and expanding diversity in the beauty industry
- Tailored workshops led by media partner TikTok and best-in-class creators
“We are proud to continue to give brands a stage to showcase their amazing work and to interact with and learn from one another and the broader Sephora community,” added Venkatesh. “We are also grateful to partners like Nancy Twine for the continued support of this brand community, as brought to life by the Dream Makers Founder Grant, which will support our incredible Accelerate program participants.”
For more information on Sephora’s commitment to BIPOC-owned brands, visit newsroom.sephora.com.
