Opens in new windowToday, The Business of Fashion is delighted to reveal the all-star jury of top industry leaders for The Business of Beauty Global Awards 2025, honouring the entrepreneurs shaping the future of the beauty industry.
Ali Goldstein, L’Oréal Groupe’s president of mergers and acquisitions, Carolyn Bojanowski, Sephora’s executive vice president of merchandising, Robin Tsai, general partner at VMG Partners, Marianna Hewitt, co-founder of cult skincare and cosmetics line Summer Fridays, and Isamaya Ffrench, creative director, makeup artist and founder of Isamaya Beauty, will join Imran Amed, BoF’s founder, chief executive and editor-in-chief, and Priya Rao, executive editor of The Business of Beauty to identify the winners based on the following criteria:
- Creative Execution: Entrepreneurs with unique brand concepts based on the creative execution of their products, packaging and marketing strategies, creating a demonstrable source of competitive advantage.
- Business Innovation: Entrepreneurs with innovative business models, demonstrating clear business momentum supported by strong financials.
- Positive Impact: Entrepreneurs that have demonstrably started conversations with positive impact, creating dialogue and provoking fresh ideas and ways of thinking.
This year, we are introducing two application tracks recognising beauty founders at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey: Emerging and Breakthrough. You can find detailed information on revenue and funding criteria here.
The Business of Beauty Global Awards seek to connect high-potential beauty entrepreneurs with industry leaders, retail partners and investors who can help them take their businesses to the next stage of growth.
The award winners will be recognised on stage during The Business of Beauty Global Forum in Napa Valley, California from June 9-11 as well as across The Business of Fashion’s website and social platforms of over 7 million followers.
Last year, attendees included leading investors, executives from the world’s best-known beauty companies and entrepreneurial founders. This is an opportunity for brands to gain unmatched exposure and networking opportunities, helping them stand out from the competition. Last year’s crop of winners and finalists have gone to gain high-profile investments, new retail partners and accolades for new products.
To apply for The Business of Beauty Global Awards please click here. Submissions cost $799 and applications close Friday, April 11, 2025 at 5pm EST.
Learn more about our expert jury:
Ali Goldstein, president, mergers and acquisitions, L’Oréal Groupe
Ali Goldstein is president, mergers and acquisitions for the L’Oréal Groupe. She is responsible for identifying acquisition targets and partnership opportunities to drive growth across all the divisions of L’Oréal Groupe. She has held leadership positions across multiple L’Oréal brands since beginning her tenure in 2001. Prior to her current role, Goldstein served as brand president of L’Oréal Paris USA for over five years, where she was responsible for the strategy, development and growth of the world’s number one beauty brand in the US market. Under her leadership, the brand saw many firsts, including the cosmetics business reaching $1 billion in sales for the first time ever, a tremendous acceleration of the haircare business and the successful launch of the groundbreaking ColorSonic, the first-ever hair colour device in the market. Goldstein graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Policy Analysis and received an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is currently a board member of The Cosmetic Executive Women Association. She is the mother of two children, a son and a daughter, and the wife of Kenneth Goldstein, MD. She resides in Greenwich, CT.
Carolyn Bojanowski, executive vice president of merchandising, Sephora
Carolyn Bojanowski is the executive vice president of merchandising at Sephora. In her role, Bojanowski is responsible for driving Sephora’s product vision and ensuring market leadership through product differentiation across the makeup, skincare, fragrance, hair, and wellness categories, as well as Sephora’s in house brand, Sephora Collection. She is also a member of Sephora’s Operating Committee. Since joining Sephora in 2005, Bojanowski has held a variety of leadership positions across merchandising, marketing, and digital. She began her career at Sephora as a dotcom merchant and transitioned to brand marketing, where she played a vital role in the introduction of Sephora’s best-in-class Beauty Insider Loyalty program. She also held roles in marketing and e-commerce. Outside of Sephora, Bojanowski serves on the board of directors for Genesco Inc., a footwear and accessories specialty retailer. She received her BA at Wellesley College, where she majored in English and Spanish Literature. Bojanowski currently lives near San Francisco with her husband and two sons.
Marianna Hewitt, co-founder, Summer Fridays
Marianna Hewitt is the co-founder of Summer Fridays, the best-selling beauty brand that launched in 2018 with the cult-favourite Jet Lag Mask. Summer Fridays quickly became a beauty industry disruptor, known for its iconic packaging and skincare-first approach. The brand is now available globally across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia, with a loyal and engaged community around the world. A pioneer in the early days of influencer marketing, Hewitt leveraged her expertise as a content creator to help shape Summer Fridays’ vision across product development and brand marketing. With best-sellers like the Lip Butter Balm and their growing hybrid makeup category, Summer Fridays delivers effortless essentials that give people the feeling of an endless summer—any time of year. Her hands-on approach has helped position the brand at the intersection of efficacious formulas, community, and immersive storytelling—making it one of the most admired beauty brands today. Beyond Summer Fridays, Hewitt shares advice on entrepreneurship, wellness, and beauty through her top-ranked podcast, Life with Marianna, inspiring women to build fulfilling careers, cultivate their personal growth, and stay motivated by what’s possible.
Robin Tsai, general partner, VMG Partners
Robin Tsai is a General Partner at VMG Partners. Tsai joined VMG in 2009 and works closely with founders and leaders of branded consumer companies. Prior to VMG, he was a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group with a focus in consumer products and retail. Prior to BCG, he worked as a middle school history teacher at The SEED Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. Tsai graduated from Stanford University and received an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Isamaya Ffrench, creative director, makeup artist and founder, Isamaya Beauty
Isamaya Ffrench is a creative director, makeup artist and founder of her namesake brand Isamaya Beauty. After studying product design at Central St Martins in London, she joined the Theo Adams Company as a performer before moving to body painting and makeup. Her unique approach set her apart in the industry, and she caught the eye of renowned editors and designers who booked her to work on countless fashion shows, campaigns and editorials. She later developed makeup lines for Christian Louboutin, YSL Beauté and Tom Ford before being appointed global beauty director of Burberry Beauty, as well as launching makeup for Byredo. In 2022, she founded her own brand, disrupting the market with editorial-style campaigns, high-performance products and collectible packaging. In 2024, she joined the British Beauty Council, became a columnist for The Business of Fashion and released a collaboration with Nike. In 2025, Ffrench launched the new chapter of Isamaya Beauty with the Core line, a collection of makeup products infused with active skincare ingredients, partnering with Sephora in the US and Canada, Space NK in the UK and Mecca in Australia.
Imran Amed, CEO and editor-in-chief, The Business of Fashion
Imran Amed is the Founder, chief executive and editor-in-chief of The Business of Fashion. He is based in London and shapes BoF’s overall editorial strategy and is the host of The BoF Podcast. Amed holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a B.Com from McGill University and an honorary doctorate from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. Previously, Amed was a management consultant at McKinsey & Co.
Priya Rao, executive editor, The Business of Beauty
Priya Rao is executive editor at The Business of Beauty at BoF. She is based in New York and oversees BoF’s beauty and wellness coverage. Previously, Rao covered beauty, wellness and podcasts at Glossy and created the narrative skin-lightening podcast Unfair. She has a Bachelors in English and Finance from The University of Texas, Austin.
For The Business of Beauty Global Awards terms and conditions, please click here. If you have any further questions, please email beautyawards@businessoffashion.com.
