Never has there been a more exciting time to be in the beauty business — or a more complex one. From the biotech boom to the implementation of AI, the accelerated cadence of culture and the increasingly volatile macro environment, the imperative to keep pace is clear.
At The Catalysts, WWD and Beauty Inc’s new signature event to be held on Nov. 18 at Lavan Midtown, we will explore these topics and more in depth, bringing together bold founders, top executives, cultural icons and global experts across categories.
The daylong conference will culminate with a reimagined Beauty Inc Awards, where L’Oréal Groupe chief executive officer Nicolas Hieronimus will be honored with the 2025 Pete Born Impact Award and will join Beauty Inc editor in chief Jenny B. Fine in a fireside conversation.
The theme of The Catalysts is Innovating Today, Igniting Tomorrow, and conversations will center around how new-gen leaders are grappling with the dynamics of today. Confirmed keynote speakers include Kourtney Kardashian-Barker and Simon Huck on the exponential growth of their ingestible brand Lemme; Barbara Lavernos, deputy CEO of L’Oréal Groupe, The Future Laboratory’s Chris Sanderson and E.l.f. Beauty’s chief digital and innovation officer, Ekta Chopra.
Multiple panels will share insights into the future of beauty, including Dieux’s Joyce de Lemos, Sick Science’s Polen Kocak and Sweet Chemistry’s Alec Batis of Sweet Chemistry on next-gen formulations; Saie’s Laney Crowell, Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Lauren Edelman and Snif’s Bryan Edwards on leadership, and J.P. Morgan’s Fei-Fei Zhang, Imaginary Ventures’ Kelly Dill and Prelude Growth Partner’s Alicia Sontag on investing with an eye to tomorrow.
Austin Advisory Group’s Paul Austin will present up-to-the moment insights on the burgeoning beauty market in India, and Alex Shashou of 10Beauty will share how he’s leveraging robotics to shake up the beauty services sector.
The day will culminate in the Beauty Inc Awards, the annual ceremony honoring the most innovative executives, brands and retailers in the industry. There will be 19 awards recognizing outstanding achievement in innovation, marketing and leadership.
Additional speakers will be announced in the days to come. More information about The Catalysts and the Beauty Inc Awards can be found here.
