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Bridge Mentorship

  • Built For Entrepreneurs

    Bridge Mentorship is a powerful professional development program designed specifically for beauty and wellness entrepreneurs.
    Built For Entrepreneurs

    The program is designed for founders leading brands with the following profile:

    • North American based
    • On the market for >6 months
    • Annualized sales of >$250,000
    • Marketed products in: fragrance, hair, makeup, nail, personal care, skincare or wellness

  • By Recognized Experts

    Access the insights, know-how and connections of the best minds in the industry.
    By Recognized Experts

    Beauty Independent has partnered with True Beauty Ventures (TBV), a recognized industry leader, to design, develop and implement this program.

    TBV was founded on the premise that in beauty, true experience and true expertise matter. The team is composed of industry specialists dedicated to scaling independent beauty brands exclusively in beauty and wellness.

    TBV’s point of differentiation is driven by their dedicated sector focus, domain expertise and knowledge, an extensive industry network, a combination of investing and operating experience, and the reputation, past successes, and trust they have built in this industry.

    TBV’s current brand portfolio includes Maude, K18, Crown Affair, Kinship, AQUIS, and Feals.

    Learn More

  • To Accelerate Everything

    Drive personal and professional growth via a structured curriculum combining 1:1 coaching and peer learning.
    To Accelerate Everything

    The efficient four-step process is designed to maximize learning and outcomes for busy founders running a business:

    1. Strategic AnalysisA top-down assessment of the business with a focus on key pain points
    2. Goal SettingPrioritizing where you need to focus and establishing clear goals moving forward
    3. Action PlanningDeveloping a concrete plan of action with KPIs to achieve your goals
    4. MonitoringRegular ongoing contact to review your progress and address any new issues

  • The program is designed for founders leading brands with the following profile:

    • North American based
    • On the market for >6 months
    • Annualized sales of >$250,000
    • Marketed products in: fragrance, hair, makeup, nail, personal care, skincare or wellness

  • Beauty Independent has partnered with True Beauty Ventures (TBV), a recognized industry leader, to design, develop and implement this program.

    TBV was founded on the premise that in beauty, true experience and true expertise matter. The team is composed of industry specialists dedicated to scaling independent beauty brands exclusively in beauty and wellness.

    TBV’s point of differentiation is driven by their dedicated sector focus, domain expertise and knowledge, an extensive industry network, a combination of investing and operating experience, and the reputation, past successes, and trust they have built in this industry.

    TBV’s current brand portfolio includes Maude, K18, Crown Affair, Kinship, AQUIS, and Feals.

    Learn More

  • The efficient four-step process is designed to maximize learning and outcomes for busy founders running a business:

    1. Strategic AnalysisA top-down assessment of the business with a focus on key pain points
    2. Goal SettingPrioritizing where you need to focus and establishing clear goals moving forward
    3. Action PlanningDeveloping a concrete plan of action with KPIs to achieve your goals
    4. MonitoringRegular ongoing contact to review your progress and address any new issues
  • 2022
  • 2023
  • 2024

A Deep Dive Into Their Learnings

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Expert Dialogue Bridge Mentorship Participants Share Knowledge They Gained From The Program; Applications Open For Second Round Brands can't expect to receive funding if they don't have a tight grip on their financial models and distribution strategies. That was a big lesson impressed upon the first cohort of Bridge Mentorship, a professional development program designed for the entrepreneurs behind... READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

A Deep Dive Into Their Learnings

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Expert Dialogue “Prove That You've Won Somewhere”: The Bridge Mentorship Program Is Guiding Brands To Score Funds In A Shaky Market In today's uncertain market, investors are looking for brands that remove some of the uncertainty.  “The most important thing when you're talking to investors, especially when you're a small brand, is to prove that you've won somewhere, that you have traction, that your... READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

A Deep Dive Into Their Learnings

Read The Recap

Expert Dialogue Great Brand Stories, Focused Distribution And Sharp COGS: Bridge Mentorship Participants On The Program's Top Takeaways In a noisy beauty market, a great backstory is essential for a nascent brand to rise above the din.  "The brand really matters, but the founder also really matters," says Cristina Nuñez, co-founder and managing partner of beauty and wellness venture capital firm True Beauty... READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

A Deep Dive Into Their Learnings

Read The Recap

Expert Dialogue Bridge Mentorship Helps Brands Understand The Cautious Mindset Of Today's CPG Investors Investors have shifted from focusing on growth to focusing on profitability and brands that can prove their potential, but many beauty entrepreneurs still haven't adjusted to the practical mindset. “Today, everybody wants to grow faster than they probably naturally can,”... READ THE FULL ARTICLE →
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    Nette

    From The Founder

    "When I launched Nette in December 2020, I didn’t know how much I didn’t know. Building a brand is one of the greatest (and most rewarding) challenges of my life, and I quickly realized that if I was going to give myself the best chance of succeeding on the scale I envision for Nette, I needed to surround myself with smart, experienced people and advisors that could help guide and nurture the brand alongside me. I can’t think of better partners, mentors, and teachers than the amazing team at True Beauty Ventures. I’ve been keeping in touch with them and following their work for months, so the Bridge Mentorship program was incredibly exciting to me. I can’t wait to get started." Carol Pyle, Founder & CEO

    About The Brand

    Nette is one of the first brands in the luxury home fragrance category with a strong focus on transparency, clean formulations, and sustainable practices. They work with the top master perfumers at leading fragrance house IFF to custom formulate each scent with green chemistry and sustainability top of mind. In an effort to drive home their belief in transparency, they publish 100% of the ingredients in their formulas and make their sustainability data public. Their packaging is both incredibly luxurious and sustainable; it is made of old shoeboxes and shoe parts with plant-based ink used for printing. They also implement handmade vessels that are meant to be kept, reused, and loved. In their first year, they won industry awards from ELLE magazine and Harper's Bazaar UK for their sustainability efforts and have been featured multiple times in Vogue, The Cut, Glamour, Marie Claire, The Evening Standard, and more. Their mission is to help people Take Good Care™, and they believe that everyone deserves to be able to relax into their rituals and the tools that accompany them, knowing that they have been created with the utmost care.

    Learn more at nettenyc.com/

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    Nopalera

    From The Founder

    "I am excited to be in the Bridge Mentorship program and learn from industry experts to help Nopalera accelerate its rapid growth. There are many great founders and ideas out there but many lack the resources to help propel them to the next level of growth. I am confident this incredible and intimate opportunity will create long lasting relationships that will not only serve my brand but my entire community." Sandra Velasquez, Founder

    About The Brand

    Nopalera is paving the way for high end Latina bath and body products in the marketplace. They are changing the cultural perception of the value of Latino products in the beauty space through gorgeous branding and positioning. Nopalera is different from its fellow Latinx competitors because they have intentionally built a culture brand that sells products instead of being a skincare company that leans on its ingredients. They’re committed to making high-end products with clean ingredients and celebrating natural beauty and resilience wherever they find it.

    Learn more at nopalera.co/

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    Youthforia

    From The Founder

    "I'm so excited to be selected into this program! At Youthforia, we're really trying to innovate by being the first to create fossil fuel free makeup products that act like skincare - as well as creating products that don't currently exist on the market. As a first time beauty founder, I'm really excited to learn from TBV's expertise in the field, especially as we are gearing up for growth in 2022 as well as extending our products." Fiona Chan, CEO

    About The Brand

    What differentiates Youthforia from other beauty brands is that they invent completely new concepts, their customer base trusts the formulations (so much so that non-makeup buyers are now sleeping in their BYO Blush),  they have a captive audience waiting for them to launch additional replenishable products, and they're able to penetrate across several age demographics. Their core demographic is Gen Z who's active on TikTok and surprisingly, baby boomers who love their formulas for their mature skin and still love the youthful branding. They're also leading the sustainability push of not using fossil fuels in their formulas and adopting Green Chemistry principles.

    Learn more at www.youthforia.co

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    World Of Chris Collins

    From The Founder

    "No matter how big or small you are, you should always be open to learning more about your business. This to me is the way to successful entrepreneurship. I couldn’t pass up this incredible opportunity to gain mentorship from Rich, Cristina and the rest of the TBV team." Chris Collins, Founder & Owner

    About The Brand

    Chris Collins fragrances are elixirs made up of individual notes that meld together in an alchemic way and are designed to capture feelings of attraction, daring, and freedom.  Besides creating a sensual mood, the scents also tell the stories of New York and Paris and their cultural exchange, from the Harlem Renaissance through today. Collins believes that in order to become a great brand; you need a great story. One that is honest and vulnerable. “This is what differentiates my brand from the others. Unique, statement-making fragrances, accompanied by compelling storytelling, are the very principles from where my brand was born.” Collins’ luxury scents are currently available at Bergorf Goodman in New York City and Sephora.com

    Learn more at chriscollins.com/

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    natureofthings

    From The Founder

    "We are thrilled to have been selected for this mentorship. We have long admired Rich and Cristina’s expertise and candid lens on the industry. We applied for this opportunity because we recognized that their strategic advisement would help us to make good decisions in the near term and ultimately ensure the long term success of our brand." Jamie Leilani Pelayo & JP Collett, Co-Founders

    About The Brand

    natureofthings is a lifestyle brand that currently encompasses skincare, wellness and soon to include haircare and wellness lifestyle accessories. The brand lives across a diverse retail landscape from luxury lifestyle and fashion to traditional beauty and destination hotel spas. Their DNA is rooted in efficacious, high-quality clean formulations that are formatted for the best absorption of benefits. They are well-known for their bath immersions and anti-inflammatory wellness products.

    Learn more at natureofthings.com

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    Plantkos

    From The Founder

    "As novices in the beauty industry, there is so much we still have to learn. Being a part of the Bridge Mentorship program will not only give us the opportunity to learn from the best of the best in the business but will also allow us to network with other amazing brand founders. It will also help us take Plantkos through the growth phase in 2022 with a focus on financial readiness, strategic partnerships and product pipeline." Sejal Patel & Ketul Patel, Co-Founders

    About The Brand

    A pharmacist founded, ingredient driven brand, rooted in science and clinically proven. Each product contains a proprietary blend of Phytomedicinal Complex that is formulated using clinically proven ingredients - western actives and Ayurvedic herbs. All final formulations are tested in a novel human skin lab model to show how each product helps improve skin hydration, maintain skin microbiome, support skin barrier and modulate skin irritation and inflammation. With this clinical data, each product is designed to address dark spots, redness and dryness of the skin, concerns most common in those with melanin rich skin but experienced by all skin types. By applying a novel way of testing efficacy of the final product and formulation, Plantkos aims to bring rigour to evaluating "clinical" claims to non-prescription skincare products.

    Learn more at www.plantkosskincare.com

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    Lendava Skincare

    From The Founder

    "The Bridge Mentorship is exactly what Lendava needs to scale and succeed in 2023. There is so much to learn when it comes to building a business in America with its savvy consumers and ever changing landscape. I admire Cristina and Rick’s experience in the industry and know that their guidance will be invaluable to our strategy moving forward." Priscila Fadul, Founder

    About The Brand

    Lendava is a brand with a minimalist approach to skincare, on a mission to prove that one can experience the complete luxury and benefits of a multi-step skincare routine without a vast collection of products. Lendava's formulas are made with the skin's best interest at heart. They contain smart doses of the science-driven ingredients our skin needs daily.

    Learn more at lendavaskin.com/

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    Rose Ingleton MD Skin

    From The Founder

    "I am so excited to have been selected as part of the Bridge Mentorship Program with TBV alongside the other participating brands. While I have been a practicing Dermatologist for over 20 years, I am new to building a beauty brand, so the expertise of Rich, Cristina, and the mentors will be incredibly valuable. I welcome the support and guidance this program provides as our brand enters its next phase of growth and pursues outside investment." Rosemarie Ingleton, MD, President & CEO

    About The Brand

    Rose Ingleton MD Skincare is a suite of customizable, targeted skincare solutions with proven results to achieve radiant, healthy skin. The line was created by Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton, a Jamaican-born, Board Certified Dermatologist and Medical Director of Ingleton Dermatology, a New York City practice. It is based on prescribed routines for thousands of patients with every skin type, tone, and concern for more than twenty years. The line of products was created to be universal and transcultural, with formulations that work for everyone, but are customized for melanin-rich skin across all ethnicities globally. Each product in the Rose Ingleton MD Skincare collection is infused with a proprietary Jamaican SuperFruit Blend, which is customized by product based on the skin concern.

    Learn more at www.rosemdskin.com/

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    Squigs Beauty

    From The Founder

    "I'm so excited to be a part of this program and bring Squigs' mission of Happy Headcare, which is our comprehensive approach for taking care of the skin on your face and your scalp because both are equally as important, to the masses! We are fun and effective brand that brings Ayurvedic traditions to the forefront in an inclusive, friendly, and simplified manner and I know the knowledge I would gain from this incredible opportunity would be immeasurable. I've spoken with TBV's Cristina and Rich during my time in the Ulta Beauty Muse Accelerator program and Tower 28's Clean Beauty Summer School, and there's a lot that I can learn from their expertise within the beauty investments space, especially as we are gearing up for high growth with upcoming exciting retailer opportunities." Nikita Charuza, Founder & CEO

    About The Brand

    Squigs is a fun and effective brand that brings Ayurvedic traditions to the forefront in an inclusive, friendly, and simplified manner. They cater to a new generation of beauty consumers (Gen-Z) who are not only interested in the benefits of these traditional ingredients but who are also looking for modern-day formulations. Squigs is accessibly priced, safe for sensitive skin, eco-conscious, and give back to mental health charities.

    Learn more at squigsbeauty.com/

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    DAMDAM Tokyo

    From The Founder

    "We are incredibly thrilled to join the Bridge Mentorship Program with TBV. With this opportunity, we hope to be on a transformative journey to learn, evolve, and scale our business successfully in the US. With Rich and Cristina's guidance and invaluable support, we have no doubt we will be strengthening our strategic direction as we navigate the complex landscape of the beauty industry."

    About The Brand

    DAMDAM is the first clean Japanese beauty brand available in the US, originating from Japan. DAMDAM is a new-gen J-beauty brand, catering to the needs of the modern customer via ethical sourcing, respect for local craftsmanship, and regenerative agricultural practices. Their uniqueness lies in a holistic and gentle approach to skin, combining tradition and innovation. They believe in advancing the beauty industry overall by showing it’s possible to minimize their impact through regenerative farming, while scaling a business globally.

    Learn more at damdamtokyo.com/

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    Salwa Petersen

    From The Founder

    "I am very excited to be a part of the Bridge Mentorship program and bring SALWA PETERSEN's mission of sharing the millennia-old ritual of Chébé for stronger, softer, longer hair to all. I heard great things about the mentorship, Cristina, Rich and True Beauty Ventures. I am very much looking forward to it and can't wait to get started."

    About The Brand

    SALWA PETERSEN is the only multi award-winning, eco-conscious, clean, vegan, affordable, clinically proven textured haircare powered by the best of ancestral wisdom, nature, salon-grade performance, and modern science on the market today. Rooted in the millennia old Chébé ritual from Chad, cradle of humanity and born in Paris, France where they have their own ECOCERT-certified research and development lab, they create their own proprietary ingredients, including theor 100% natural Chébé blend clinically proven to support stronger, softer hair that grows long overtime, smart bonding technology and original haircare formulas. SALWA PETERSEN gives the luxury of modern textured haircare with salon-grade performance to all the curlies, coilies and wavies of the world… without the luxe price tag.

    Learn more at salwapetersen.com

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    Viktor Michael

    From The Founder

    "The ever-evolving landscape of the skincare industry has witnessed remarkable transformation in recent years. As we launched Viktor Michael, we became obsessed with all questions of scalability and sustainable growth. While we are experts in Medical Aesthetics, the skincare industry is a new unchartered territory for us. We have been incredibly lucky to get our brand this far, and now we are thrilled beyond measure to be selected by True Beauty Ventures for the esteemed Bridge Mentorship program. We look forward to working with Rich and Cristina, we trust their expertise and are incredibly excited to sharpen our strategies as we prepare Viktor Michael to secure funding."

    About The Brand

    Viktor Michael is a groundbreaking brand that disrupts the skin care industry’s status quo, addressing a critical void in post-procedure protocols associated with cosmetic injections. As they defy downtime, they position themselves as the most comprehensive recovery care solution, leading the way in creating a new category, igniting a new trend and bringing solutions direct to consumer. By doing so they are not only meeting the market’s demand but also helping to overcome the #1 barrier to injections: fear of downtime, while supporting skin health and personal choices in self care.

    Learn more at viktormichael.com/

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    From The Founder

    “PillowtalkDerm’s had an incredibly exciting first year with massive growth for the business and on social! Our community has more that doubled in following since launch with over 2.3 million followers across all platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube). I’m so grateful for this next chapter and opportunity to work with and learn from the True Beauty Ventures team as we expand even further in 2024 on our mission to educate to empower.”

    About The Brand

    PillowtalkDerm is a collection of fact-based, science-backed skincare solutions by Dr. Shereene Idriss. She's a leading board certified dermatologist on a mission to demystify the world of skincare and cosmetic procedures. Over years of posting myth busting videos to social media from her bed, she's become known as the #PillowtalkDerm, amassing a global community of 1M+ Skin Nerds.

    Learn more at pillowtalkderm.com/

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    Prakti

    From The Founder

    "I’m thrilled to be joining True Beauty Ventures' Bridge Mentorship Program. This is a unique opportunity to work closely with the TBV team to grow and optimize our business as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of the beauty industry. Rich and Cristina’s valuable strategic insights and guidance on omni-channel & categorical expansion, as well as overall business development and brand amplification will positively shape the future of our business. I’m so excited to get started!"

    About The Brand

    Prakti has embarked on a transformative journey to redefine the traditional definition of beauty by modernizing while embracing Ayurveda’s rich heritage of holistic beauty. The award-winning products balance disruptive innovation with sensorial pleasure for overall wellness. Their vision extends beyond skincare; it's about enriching lives and fostering a community that values holistic well-being.

    Learn more at praktibeauty.com

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    Sofie Pavitt Face

    From The Founder

    "I'm so honored to join the Bridge Mentorship Program. I have a lot of industry peers who have worked closely with TBV and am so excited to receive guidance from Rich and Cristina while we navigate these first few years of brand building. While starting a brand is exciting, it can also be lonely and I look forward to being able to work with seasoned industry veterans who can point us in the right direction."

    About The Brand

    Sofie Pavitt Face is a new line of studio-grade skincare designed for problematic skin. Founded in 2023 by cult-followed aesthetician and acne specialist, Sofie Pavitt, the line brings the facial experience to your home with an intentional edit of products designed to minimize needless steps and maximize real results. In its first year alone, Sofie Pavitt Face has been named The Best New Brand for Acne-Prone Skin by Cosmo, the Best Serum by Byrdie, and a Beauty Innovator by Refinery29.

    Learn more at sofiepavittface.com

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