Meet the Grantees from Glossier’s 2023 Grant Program for Black-Owned Beauty Businesses

NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Glossier’s vision is to change how the world sees beauty — and that means changing the industry itself. The Glossier Grant Program invests in Black beauty entrepreneurs to address legacies of inequity, exclusion, and barriers to fundraising. Since 2020, Glossier has given $1.4M to this program, partnered with 35+ founders leading 30+ innovative beauty brands in the US + UK, sharing grant funding, curated business programming, resources and time.

After months of review, including a final panel with Glossier’s CMO, Kleo Mack, Chief Creative Officer, Marie Suter, and Into the Gloss Editorial Director, Ashley Weatherford, Glossier is pleased to share the 2023 Grantees which range from halal-certified skincare to feminine hygiene to wellness. These six visionary founders stood out amongst hundreds of talented applicants, building incredible brands, innovative products, and changing the future of beauty.

Glossier will spend the next four months in partnership with these founders, pairing them with a Glossier advisor for mentorship, giving access to business programming, and participating in 1:1 meetings with Glossier’s CEO Kyle Leahy, experts across the company, grantee alumni, and even with Glossier’s community of partners like Shopify and Google.

Here are the 2023 Glossier Grantees:

Founded by Jordan Karim, Flora & Noor is the only halal-certified skincare brand made and based in the US. It’s an inclusive, vegan skincare brand for those who appreciate clean skincare, those needing to treat the skin concerns of melanin-rich skin, and those with chronic skin conditions starting with eczema and hyperpigmentation.

Founders OB/GYN Dr. Barb and ex-Pharmaceutical Sales Consultant, Kimba created Kushae with a mission to whip up effective yet gentle, pH-balanced and naturally-based feminine care products—created by women, for women.

Mela Vitamins is the world’s first vitamin designed for melanated people. Melanin impacts the way bodies produce certain nutrients, which creates unique nutritional needs that other multivitamins don’t prioritize. Founder Ashley Harmon was inspired to create the brand after her own health issues led her to learn that 80% of Black Americans are Vitamin D deficient.

Moodeaux believes self-expression is the best self-care. This fragrance brand was founded by Brianna Arps in 2021 to introduce a new standard: longer-lasting, skin-nurturing, earth-friendly blends that give subpar scents, questionable ingredients, and wasteful packaging the side eye.

Of Other Worlds is a different kind of beauty brand that doesn’t make you choose between “clean” and clinical. Founder Simedar Jackson (they/them) became an esthetician to join the ranks of skincare professionals making treatments safe and effective for all skin tones, body types and genders.

Soss makes elevating grooming essentials for Black men. Founders Vernon Yancy and Jeremiah Regis translate love of self into uplifting and affirming grooming routines to help you embrace who you are, and welcome who you are growing to be.

SOURCE Glossier