The 2024 Speakers
KERRY ROBINSON
SVP, Beauty and Personal Care, Walmart
Kerry currently serves as Senior Vice President, GMM of Beauty and Personal Care for Walmart US. She joined Walmart in 2011 as Vice President of Private Brands Food and Consumables, and in 2012, she took the role as Vice President of Bakery and Commercial Bread. Kerry led the Walmart Bakery business for 10 years, the last six years as Senior Vice President. In June 2022, she moved to Produce for six months before taking on her current role. Prior to joining Walmart, she worked at United Kingdom-based Tesco Stores, PLC for 20 years where she held leadership roles across several merchandising areas, including personal care, beauty and baby, frozen foods, and the sourcing organization for Central Europe.
Kerry has a bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from Cambridge University. She has also been a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Arkansas since 2016.
SHAI EISENMAN
Founder and CEO, Bubble Skincare
Shai Eisenman is the founder and CEO of Bubble Skincare. Bubble sets a new skincare standard while listening to what its customers want and need. Bubble was developed when Eisenman saw a gap in the market for a modern skincare brand specifically targeted toward consumers’ needs and that community led Shai to develop formulations that don’t compromise price for efficacy. Today, the Bubble line consists of 20 products that work together to create a complete routine from face cleansers to face masks, with all products priced under $20. Bubble products are available on hellobubble.com, in over 12,000 retail locations across the US and UK including Boots, Beauty Bay, CVS, Walmart, and Ulta stores.
MONICA ARNAUDO
Chief Merchandising Officer, Ulta Beauty
Monica Arnaudo is the Chief Merchandising Officer at Ulta Beauty. Since joining the retailer in 2017, Monica has built an unparalleled, world-class assortment reflecting how beauty lovers want to shop. Monica and her team are widely recognized for their ability to stay ahead of trends and for continually offering powerhouse brands that position Ulta Beauty as the destination for beauty.
With over 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, Monica has brought Ulta Beauty’s one-of-a-kind assortment to life in a way that transcends channels and keeps guests coming back to Ulta Beauty’s more than 1,200 stores. Monica has served in numerous sales and merchandising leadership roles at Nordstrom and Sephora, along with beauty companies including Bare Escentuals, L’Oréal, Estée Lauder Companies and Chanel.
LACH HALL
Founding Partner and Executive Chair of Marketing, Vacation
Lach Hall is a founding partner and Executive Chair of Marketing at the award-winning, “leisure-enhancing” sunscreen brand Vacation. His entry into marketing began in the Australian music industry, working with bootstrapped budgets to create viral word-of-mouth campaigns for bands. He then pivoted to advertising, with roles at Naked Communications Australia, Silver + Partners NYC, and Anomaly NYC, accumulating over 30 industry creative awards. In 2017, Lach moved to Mexico to consult for companies remotely, alongside Dakota Green. While lounging on the beach in Playa del Carmen, they realized a glaring whitespace: Why was the sunscreen they were wearing so clinical and boring, when it’s a product that’s used during the most joyful moments of leisure? And so Vacation was born, launching in 2021 with the mission to make sunscreen fun. The brand quickly became a viral success, celebrated for its sunscreen products that are both unique in the category—take the whipped cream-inspired Classic Whip Sunscreen Mousse—which makes the wearer look, feel, and smell like they’ve been to paradise and back. You can find Vacation sunscreen products at retailers nationwide including Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, and Target, and on www.Vacation.inc.
AKASH MEHTA
Co-Founder and CEO, Fable & Mane
Akash Mehta is a British entrepreneur. He graduated from Imperial College London in Engineering and previously worked at Burberry, Estée Lauder Companies, and Parfums Christian Dior, where he was the youngest ever Global Digital Manager and rising executive in the beauty industry. Currently, Akash is the CEO and co-founder of Fable & Mane, an Ayurvedic-inspired hair wellness brand. He is also the host of the Founded Beauty podcast, a leading podcast in both beauty and business. Akash was placed on the Forbes ’30 under 30′ list in Media & Marketing and has been sharing his marketing expertise at some of the largest conferences and universities around the world from TEDx and industry summits. He is also a board member and investor in LVMH’s Patou, a Global Guardian for UNICEF and co-founder of The Fable Fund, an initiative committed to wild tiger conservation with sustainable development.
BEATRICE DIXON
Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Innovation Officer, The Honey Pot Company
Beatrice Dixon is the CEO, Co-Founder, and Chief Innovation Officer of The Honey Pot Company, the personal wellness brand “made by humans with vaginas, for humans with vaginas.”
Beatrice created The Honey Pot Company in 2014 out of great personal need during an eight-month battle with bacterial vaginosis. The constant symptoms and fruitless search for solutions led her to formulate what became The Honey Pot Company’s first product, a vulva-safe wash.
The Honey Pot Company currently offers feminine washes, wipes, tampons, pads, and products for personal health and wellness. Today, The Honey Pot Company’s plant-derived products can be found in 4.6 million US homes and in retailers nationwide.
BHAKTI MODI
Co-Founder, Tira Beauty – Reliance Retail
Bhakti Modi is a seasoned retail professional with over 12 years of experience in luxury fashion, lifestyle, and beauty within the Indian retail industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in consumer psychology and communication from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in fashion design from Parsons School of Design, NY. Her extensive background includes roles in merchandising, brand marketing, business development, and retail operations, working with renowned brands such as Superdry, BCBG Max Azria, and AJIO Fashion. Bhakti’s deep interest in design and ambition to create value empower her to lead Tira’s mission of creating an aspirational and inclusive beauty retail platform tailored for today’s Indian consumer.
JASMINA BANDA
Chief Strategy Officer and SVP of Fashion Ventures, Chalhoub Group
Jasmina Banda currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President of Fashion JVs for Chalhoub Group. She oversees the Intelligence, Strategy and Growth (ISG) business unit where she is responsible for trends scouting and opportunity identification, global and regional macroeconomic tracking, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) prestige beauty and luxury fashion market intelligence, corporate and business unit strategy, business advisory, and more. Her work with the intelligence team has already strengthened relationships with JV partners, positioning her to enhance their brand strategies and lead ambitious plans for the Group.
Jasmina has 17+ years of working experience across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Prior to joining Chalhoub, she spent 10 years in management consulting, reaching the level of Associate Partner at McKinsey and Company. Jasmina led over 50 projects in consumer facing industries, serving 30+ different companies over the years on topics of corporate strategy and growth, digital business building, and end-to-end transformations. Before switching to consulting, she worked as a big data scientist in telecoms and technology.
ANDREA LISBONA
Founder and CEO, Touchland
Millennial entrepreneur Andrea Lisbona is setting out to disrupt the personal care industry with her innovative brand aimed at elevating everyday experiences, which has been in the works for more than a decade. Inspired by great innovators and the marriage of great function with great design, Andrea founded Touchland, an award-winning lifestyle brand that has set out to elevate mundane routines of personal care into self-care skincare rituals starting with a new approach to hand sanitizer.
Andrea ran a Kickstarter campaign in 2018, which resulted in the brand reaching 450% of its initial fundraising goal and more than 1,500 preorders for the product in just one month. In Touchland’s first year of business, the brand enjoyed success largely driven by its community of social media followers. In that first year, Touchland landed distribution with Ulta Beauty and more retailers nationwide. Touchland’s innovative design and superior quality were instantly embraced by celebrities and influencers alike. Now, Touchland has been expanding into new retail partnerships with Sephora, Sephora at Kohl’s, Target, and many more.
CHRISTINE CHANG
Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Glow Recipe
Christine Chang is the co-CEO and co-founder of Glow Recipe, a clinically effective, fruit-forward brand known for clean, efficacious, and cruelty-free skincare innovations. Since its inception in 2017, Glow Recipe has paired the latest technologies and ingredients with education to empower consumers to bring out their glow, while remaining loyal to its core values of real skin acceptance, inclusivity, and sustainability. Glow Recipe has built a hyper-engaged global community and has expanded its footprint as a top ranked skincare brand across North America, Europe, Australia, South East Asia, Mexico, and the Middle East.
Christine started her beauty career at L’Oréal Korea. After completing a master’s degree program at Columbia University, Christine returned to L’Oréal and was tapped to join the global business development and marketing team at the Kiehl’s New York Headquarters. Christine’s strategic experience in launching and scaling global brands has fueled Glow Recipe’s expansion worldwide. She currently resides in New York City with her husband and daughter.
GABBY CHEN
President of Global Expansion, Florasis
With 18 years of experience in the Asia Pacific, Gabby is the Global Expansion President at Florasis, aiming to position the C-Beauty brand on the global stage. Her expertise in consumer insights, strategic partnerships, and role in driving growth highlight her capability to navigate the competitive beauty market. Previously, as Head of Beauty at Lane Crawford Group China, she significantly expanded the brand’s presence. Gabby also founded Mood Editing Cosmetics in collaboration with NetEase, one of China’s leading tech companies, and introduced KENDALL + KYLIE to Asia Pacific, being the exclusive distributor for the brand. Beyond her corporate success, she’s an entrepreneur and investor, founding the acclaimed Janes and Hooch bar in Beijing, and investing in Alesca Life, an agricultural tech company focusing on efficient, environmentally friendly food production. Gabby’s diverse achievements from luxury retail to tech start-ups underscore her vision and leadership in fostering growth and global expansion for Florasis.
JOSHUA BRITTON
Founder and CEO, Debut
Joshua is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Debut, located in San Diego, California. Debut uses cutting-edge biotechnology to bring novel, high-performing, and sustainable ingredients to the cosmetic industry. Joshua believes the best way to deliver on the promise of biomanufacturing is to vertically integrate to product. Debut discovers, tests, and commercializes high-performing ingredients and products by incorporating them into valuable beauty products. At Debut, Joshua leads a rapidly growing multidisciplinary team of 80 people, executing an aggressive commercialization strategy. To date, Joshua has raised $70 million for Debut from leading funds including BOLD, the venture capital fund of L’Oréal.
JASMINA AGANOVIC
Founder and CEO, Arcaea
Jasmina Aganovic is a pioneering entrepreneur at the intersection of science and beauty. After earning her degree in chemical and biological engineering from MIT, Jasmina went on to work for companies like Fresh, Living Proof, and Mother Dirt. She saw the potential of biology in beauty and started Arcaea, a biology-first beauty company that develops novel ingredient technologies that enable new claims and product experiences. Future Society is the first brand from Arcaea, which launched six fragrances based on extinct flowers, made possible through DNA sequencing and the artistry of the world’s best perfumers.
ALEX WILTSCHKO
CEO, Osmo
Alex Wiltschko is the Chief Executive Officer of Osmo, where he’s focused on advancing the field of digital olfaction. He is also the co-host of the Theory and Practice podcast alongside GV venture partner Anthony Philippakis. The podcast features conversations at the cutting edge of biology and computer science. Previously, Alex was a staff research scientist at Google Research, where he worked at the intersection of machine learning and biology since 2017.
Alex is a repeat entrepreneur who has spent much of his career exploring new frontiers in artificial intelligence. Before Google, Alex co-founded Syllable Life Sciences (acquired by Neumora), which used AI and computer vision to decipher body language to accelerate preclinical development and build better treatments for disease. Alex was also the co-founder of Whetlab (acquired by Twitter) and spent the earlier years of his career as a software developer.
IRINA BARBALOVA
Global Lead, Health and Beauty, Euromonitor International
Irina is a Global Lead and drives the evolution of Euromonitor International’s Health and Beauty offering. She leads the insights and commercial strategy across the beauty and wellness space. Bringing over 15 years of industry expertise, Irina provides strategic direction and foresight into the evolving health, beauty, and wellness landscape, with a particular interest in women’s health. Throughout her extensive tenure at the company, Irina has led numerous industry projects and has partnered with clients spanning the entire value chain with a focus on actionable insights to accelerate growth strategy and foster innovation.
MEREDITH PETILLO
VP of Technical and Regulatory Services, Independent Beauty Association
Meredith is the Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Services at the nonprofit trade association Independent Beauty Association (IBA). Meredith leverages 20 years of experience in cosmetic regulatory affairs, legal advertising, product testing, and product development to support IBA member companies with practical regulatory and technical education and solutions. Prior to joining IBA, Meredith established an in-house regulatory department at Bare Escentuals for bareMinerals, BUXOM, and MD Formulations. She then moved to Energizer (now Edgewell) to support Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, and Schick North American Regulatory Affairs. She then joined Reckitt Benckiser’s (RB) legal team overseeing advertising claims substantiation for RB’s health and hygiene portfolios including Mucinex, Delsym, Air Wick, Lysol, Veet, Clearasil, and Durex, among many others. Meredith also provided regulatory consulting services at Product Integrity Laboratory. She holds a BS in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Richmond and an MS in regulatory affairs for drugs, biologics, and medical devices from Northeastern University.
CHARLIE GU
Head of Jing Intelligence, Jing Daily
Charlie Gu is a cross-cultural marketing strategist with over 15 years of professional expertise in advising brands on their China market strategy. As a Deputy Publisher at Jing Daily, the leading authority on luxury consumer culture in the China market, Charlie oversees the development and execution of partnership opportunities with key industry stakeholders. Additionally, he is the Head of Jing Intelligence, a business unit within Jing Daily that provides comprehensive China market research, insights, and strategic advisory. Prior to joining Jing Daily, Charlie founded Kollective Influence, a cross-border marketing agency that advises beauty and fashion brands on their China market and Chinese consumer strategy. His passion for cross-cultural communication and understanding enables him to develop effective and culturally relevant strategies that help brands capture the attention of Chinese consumers around the world.
ZHAORAN MENG
Founder and CEO, DOCUMENTS
Zhaoran Meng is the founder and CEO of Chinese premium perfume brand DOCUMENTS. Zhaoran was born and raised in China, studied in France, and is a ten-year entrepreneur focusing on the commercialization of Oriental culture and esthetics.
BETTINA O’NEILL
SVP Business Development, Merchandising & Wholesale, Scentbird
Bettina has over 20 years of beauty and fragrance industry experience, having worked for renowned retailers like Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Barneys New York. During her tenure as VP Divisional Merchandise Manager at Barneys, she spearheaded the launch of the niche fragrance category. This included exclusive brands such as Frederic Malle, Le Labo, and Byredo (who are no longer considered niche!) in the US. Now serving as the SVP of Business Development, Merchandising & Wholesale at Scentbird since 2020, she has helped to transform the fragrance subscription platform, which pioneered the concept in 2014, into the largest fragrance sampling subscription company in the world. Bettina’s mission at Scentbird is to curate a diverse assortment of indie, niche, luxury, and designer fragrances, catering to their 700,000 subscribers. She excels at building brand awareness and driving sales by offering personalized sampling experiences as well as leveraging customer reviews and retargeting strategies. Bettina is dedicated to introducing new scents while reintroducing classics, ultimately helping brands achieve their goals in a mutually beneficial partnership.
CHARLES DENTON
Executive Chairman, Erno Laszlo
Charles Denton is a globally recognized leader in the beauty industry, boasting extensive operational and strategic expertise. Born and educated in England, he honed his skills in London’s financial sector before transitioning to beauty, initially at Molton Brown. His passion for sales and marketing propelled him to the roles of Joint Managing Director and Chief Executive, where he spearheaded the transformation of Molton Brown from a Mayfair-based hairdresser into a renowned global lifestyle and fragrance brand, culminating in its £172 million acquisition by Kao Corporation. For the next few years, Charles focused on philanthropy, particularly children’s causes, before returning to business with the award winning marketing agency FOLD7. In 2011, he acquired Erno Laszlo, the skincare pioneer. Leveraging his experiences in reimagining heritage brands, he grew revenues from $10 million surpassing $120 million in 2023 with a strategic focus on the North American and Chinese markets. Charles is recognized for his expertise in global brand strategy and business transformation and is an advisor to several private equity firms. He is also deeply committed to mentoring young entrepreneurs and supporting early years education.
ALICIA SONTAG
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Prelude Growth Partners
Alicia Sontag is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Prelude Growth Partners. Prelude Growth Partners provides capital and value-add support to high potential, fast-growing consumer brands across beauty and personal care, health and wellness, food and beverage, and other consumer categories. Investments include Sol de Janeiro, Summer Fridays, Naturium, Westman Atelier, dpHUE, Banza, MadeGood, Fly By Jing, So Good So You, Bachan’s, Skin Pharm, and Blueland.
Previously, Alicia was Global President of Beauty at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies. Prior to Johnson & Johnson, Alicia enjoyed an 11-year career at the Estée Lauder Companies. Alicia began her career at McKinsey & Company. She is a graduate of The Wharton School, and earned her master’s degree from Harvard Business School.
KEN SUSLOW
Founder and Managing Partner, Sandbridge Capital
Ken Suslow is founder and Managing Partner at Sandbridge Capital, where he chairs the investment committee. Ken has led Sandbridge Capital’s investments since inception in 2013, including the strategic sale of ILIA Beauty to the Courtin-Clarins family, Youth to the People to L’Oréal, and Thom Browne to the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, among others.
Ken currently serves on the boards of Peach & Lily, U Beauty, r.e.m. beauty, Henry Rose, DedCool, and Hydrow. He is a board advisor to Rossignol Apparel and previously held the position of Chairman at Thom Browne. Additionally, Ken serves as a board member of the UCLA Health system and is an advisor to the Sephora Accelerate brand incubation program. He was named to the Glossy 50 Dealmakers List in 2023 for his contributions to the fashion and beauty industries. Ken holds a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and a master’s degree from Stanford Business School.
ELINOR HOOVER
Managing Director, Chairman of Consumer & Retail Investment Banking, Citigroup
Elinor Hoover is a Managing Director in Citi’s Investment Banking Division and serves as Chairman of the Global Consumer and Retail Investment Banking Group. She leads Citi’s advisory efforts in the beauty and wellness sector and covers many noteworthy companies across broader consumer and retail space. She is the architect of numerous client initiatives, including the annual Citi’s Consumer Disruptive Growth Conference, which has significantly expanded Citi’s client coverage model to include many emerging, high-growth companies and has led to numerous equity capital markets and M&A opportunities.
Previously, she served as Global Co-Head of Citi’s Consumer Products Investment Banking Group, Global Co-Head of Citi’s Financial Strategy and Solutions Group, and Vice Chairman of Citi’s Capital Markets Origination Division. American Banker has honored Elinor as one of the Most Powerful Women in Finance for seven consecutive years.
HARRY RICHARDS
Investment Director, Manzanita Capital
Harry is the Investment Director at Manzanita Capital, a specialist beauty and wellness fund. He has been closely involved in Manzanita’s investments over the past decade, including the strategic sale of Byredo to Puig, Eve Lom to Yatsen, and Kevyn Aucoin to Harmay, as well as the recent acquisition of D.S. & Durga.
Harry also leads Manzanita’s venture portfolio, which includes the likes of Glossier, Vacation, and Sam McKnight. He currently serves as a board observer for D.S. & Durga, Shani Darden and previously, Cult Beauty.
Prior to joining Manzanita, Harry was a business analyst with Value Retail, where he primarily focused on the expansion and development of the business in China. Harry holds a bachelor’s degree from Oxford University.
