Maesa Introduces New Beauty Incubator for Underrepresented Voices

In honor of its 25th anniversary, Maesa is paying it forward with the launch of its "Maesa Magic Incubator." 

Created in direct response to the ever-present entrepreneurial access gap, the program aims to empower and amplify early-stage, underrepresented voices in the beauty and wellness sectors.

"The beauty and wellness industry has created an abundance of incubator programs for specific under-served populations over the past decade, but time and time again, early-stage entrepreneurs are ineligible due to a lack of revenue or inability to be shelf-ready," Maesa states, adding, "It's an unprecedented opportunity from a company with a proven track record of defying boundaries and transforming unmet consumer needs into desirable, scalable brands."

The program includes six-week lecture tracks, an on-campus workshop, four weeks of hands-on help, and a final pitch—when entrepreneurs present their pitch decks to the industry experts.

Who is eligible?

Early-stage entrepreneurs in the beauty and wellness space who identify as being from underserved communities are encouraged to apply. Businesses must be US-based and in pre-launch phase or have a limited distribution with under 100k in sales.   

The top 10 applicants will be invited to an interview, and three companies will be selected to participate in the program.

Meet the Mentors

Program mentors include 11 Maesa executives—plus:

• Mindy McKnight, Founder, Hairitage
• Brooklyn + Bailey, Founders, ITK
• Andrew Fitzsimons, Founder, Andrew Fitzsimons
• Andrea Nagel, SVP of News & Programming (CEW)
• Jaclyn Johnson, Founder & CEO of Create & Cultivate
• Hui Chan, Managing Director, Bain Capital 

The program aims to deliver hands-on education and initial funding— plus all the tools necessary to build successful brands from concept to aisle.
 
Applications are open from July 20 to September 1, 2023—apply here.