Chaz Giles
CEO, Alida Labs

Chaz brings over 20 years of technology and AI innovation leadership across global brands and start-ups. As the CEO of Alida Labs, Chaz helps companies apply AI to create real growth. An early leader in AI, Chaz founded Revea, the first precision skincare company, using AI and NASA imaging technology to democratize dermatology. Previously, he built and led External Innovation for The Estée Lauder Companies. Prior to that, Chaz invested in and incubated early-stage companies as a Venture Director at Citi Ventures. Chaz started his career at Procter & Gamble, where he helped create one of P&G’s billion dollar brands, before incubating new businesses in FutureWorks, P&G's corporate innovation group. Chaz is published in the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review and is an active start-up investor and advisor focused on the intersection of AI, science, and longevity.

Amanda Aldinger
Founder + CEO, Antonym

Amanda is a brand messaging expert who uses language and tonality to guide communication that evolves with culture and human desire. As the founder of Antonym, a luxury brand voice and messaging studio, she helps beauty and lifestyle brands express their position with ruthless singularity. Her work goes much deeper than beautiful copy; her narratives and messaging frameworks help brands resonate with their audience, speak with clarity and consistency, and claim a story no one else can own. Amanda specializes in shaping ownable verbal identities, reviving creative edge, crafting scalable messaging frameworks, and creating copy ecosystems that feel current, coherent, and human. Her clients include Cécred, Makeup By Mario, Pat McGrath Labs, MAC Cosmetics, La Mer, Tatcha, SkinCeuticals, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Borghese, NERRĀ, Heretic, Galénic, and many others.

Melisse Shaban
CEO, Aramore Skincare

Melisse is the CEO of Aramore, a longevity science company advancing cellular health through next-generation skincare and supplements. At Aramore, she leads the strategy, innovation, and growth of a science-driven brand focused on healthy aging by targeting core biological pathways, including NAD+. A seasoned entrepreneur and operator, Melisse previously founded Virtue Labs, scaling breakthrough wound-healing technology into a $50 million premium haircare brand recognized with more than 60 industry awards and named one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2022. Earlier in her career, she led the acquisitions and growth of Frederic Fekkai and Pout Cosmetics and played key roles in the expansion of NIA24 and StriVectin, along with executive positions at Aveda and The Body Shop. Melisse was named to Forbes’ inaugural 50 Over 50 list in 2021.

Crystal Wood
Founder, Beauty-AI

Crystal Wood is the founder of Beauty-AI, a boutique consulting agency focused on the growth and development of niche, luxury beauty brands, both privately held and investor funded. She previously served as the COO/CMO for The PCA Companies and CEO/COO for Blue Mistral, as well as held various senior leadership roles at GHD, Coty Professional, Tarte, Bobbi Brown, and Lancôme.

Emma Powell
CEO, groa°

Emma is the author of Retention-First Growth®: The Future of Profitability in Ecommerce and architect of the Retention-First Growth Flywheel, a five-orbit system for compounding customer value across capture, activation, value core, loyalty, and reactivation. Over the last decade, Emma has worked with 100-plus beauty, wellness, apparel, and lifestyle brands to reverse replacement economics and move into Klaviyo’s top decile for revenue-per-recipient, repeat purchase, and list health. She is also co-founder and CEO of groa°, a headless, agentic AI operating system that sits above a brand’s existing connected stack, turning zero-party and behavioral data into live retention intelligence and autonomous decisions across the lifecycle. Teams interact through a dashboard that surfaces Flywheel Health Index, orbit progression, and Customer Energy Profiles in real time, closing the execution gap between strategy and day-to-day trading. Developed over two years with applied AI experts from Oxford and Cambridge, groa° is now in private beta.

Heidi Henneman
Co-Founder + CMO, groa°

Heidi Henneman is co-founder and CMO of groa°, an agentic AI operating system built for e-commerce retention and profitable growth. With more than 25 years in premium beauty and consumer brands, she has helped scale high-growth companies including Drunk Elephant, MAC Cosmetics, and Jo Malone London across marketing, creative operations, brand strategy, and customer lifecycle execution. At groa°, Heidi works across consultancy, ecosystem strategy, and live implementation, helping brands move beyond fragmented marketing tactics toward retention systems designed to compound customer value over time. Her work focuses on the intersection of lifecycle architecture, customer intelligence, and operational scalability, with a particular emphasis on beauty, wellness, and founder-led brands. Alongside her work in commerce and technology, Heidi is also the founder of Orenda Giving, a nonprofit organization focused on long-term community impact initiatives. She is passionate about helping brands build businesses that are not only commercially successful but structurally resilient and purpose driven.

Camille van Horne
Founder + CEO, Highstock

Camille is the founder and CEO of Highstock, an AI-native platform that connects beauty and personal care brands with unsold inventory to high quality, global wholesale buyers. She was previously a Director of Product at Instacart where she led the roadmap for new logistics capabilities for retailers and consumer packaged goods. Camille holds a master of business administration degree from Stanford University and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Chicago.

Akemi Ooka
Interim CEO, Independent Beauty Association

With over 25 years of consumer packaged goods experience, from Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups, Akemi’s experience ranges from product development to sourcing and supply chain transformation. Akemi led chemical procurement at Clorox, formulation and fragrance development at method, and product development and commercialization at J.R. Watkins. Her experience includes overseeing formulation and product design, quality, regulatory compliance, claim support, procurement, innovation sourcing, and contract manufacturing across personal care, home care, and FDA- and EPA-regulated categories. At the Independent Beauty Association (IBA), Akemi developed IBA’s supply chain and sustainability resource programming before taking on the Interim CEO role in 2025. Akemi holds a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Rutgers University and a PhD in chemistry from UCLA.

Meredith Petillo
VP, Technical + Regulatory Affairs, Independent Beauty Association

Meredith is the VP of Technical & Regulatory Services at the Independent Beauty Association (IBA). She leverages 20 years of experience in cosmetic regulatory affairs, legal advertising, product testing, and product development to support IBA member companies with practical regulatory and technical education solutions. Prior to joining IBA, Meredith established an in-house regulatory department at Bare Escentuals for bareMinerals, BUXOM, and MD Formulations. She moved to Energizer Holdings (now Edgewell Personal Care) to support Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, and Schick North American Regulatory Affairs. Meredith joined Reckitt Benckiser’s (RB), (now Reckitt) legal team overseeing advertising claims substantiation for RB’s Health and Hygiene portfolios including Mucinex, Delsym, Air Wick, Lysol, Veet, Clearasil, and Durex. She also provided regulatory consulting services at Product Integrity Laboratory. Meredith holds a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Richmond and a master of science degree in regulatory affairs for drugs, biologics, and medical devices from Northeastern University.

Steve Levine
SVP, Beauty Operations, kdc/one

Steve is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in operations, supply chain management, manufacturing, and business leadership within the beauty and personal care industries. As SVP of Beauty Operations at kdc/one, Steve leads operational strategy and execution across the Beauty and Body Solutions Division, overseeing manufacturing excellence, supply chain performance, continuous improvement initiatives, and customer-focused operational solutions that support the company's global growth objectives. Throughout his career, Steve has held numerous leadership positions across the beauty industry in beauty packaging, contract manufacturing, and brands. He has built a reputation for driving operational efficiency, scaling complex organizations, and delivering exceptional service to both emerging and established brands.

Craig Onofry
Chief R&D and Innovation Officer, Beauty & Body Solutions, kdc/one

Craig is a highly experienced executive with a demonstrated track record in research and development, quality, process engineering, and general management within the personal care and cosmetics industries. Currently serving as the Chief R&D and Innovation Officer at kdc/one, Craig oversees R&D, regulatory affairs, and process engineering across the Beauty and Body Solutions Division of kdc/one, managing a diverse range of projects, including technology innovation, formulation development and regulatory compliance, acquisitions, integrations, and technical training. Throughout his career, Craig has held various roles in technical services and operational leadership, driving growth, process improvements, and operational excellence across multiple manufacturing sites. With a background in biochemistry and organic synthesis, Craig combines strong technical expertise with a strategic vision for business success.

Scott Oshry
President, Modernity

Scott is a seasoned entrepreneur, brand builder, and design‑driven executive with 25-plus years of experience shaping high-growth consumer companies. He began his career in industrial and transportation design before co‑founding Roundhouse, which ranked #25 on the Inc. 500 and #3 on the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City 100, contributing to his recognition as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award of Los Angeles. Scott later co‑founded Zorbit Resources, which achieved Inc. 5000 recognition, before merging into Maesa, where he became one of the founding executives of the combined Maesa Group. At Maesa, he served as CMO, Partner, and Board Observer, playing a central role in building and scaling brands including Flower Beauty by Drew, Kristin Ess Hair, Hairitage, Frenshe, and Finery. Today, Scott is President of Modernity, where he merges entrepreneurial instinct with design‑forward thinking to develop brands with distinctive points of view.

Grace Yang
VP, Creators + Social Commerce, Pattern

Grace is VP of Creators and Social Commerce at Pattern, where she focuses on unlocking the potential of TikTok Shop for brands. With experience at Amazon and Snapchat, Grace went on to found NextWave, which was acquired by Pattern in December 2025. She is deeply committed to shaping what the next era of social commerce looks like.

Kaumana Rindlisbacher
Director of Sales, Pattern

Kaumana is Director of Sales at Pattern, where he leads enterprise brand partnerships. He has played a key role in building Pattern’s TikTok Shop business, helping many of the largest brands on the platform drive growth through social commerce. Prior to Pattern, Kaumana was the co-founder of Pickle, a Y Combinator-backed AI technology startup.

Carson Kleiner
VP, New Business, Rosenthal Capital Group

Carson is a fourth-generation stakeholder and VP of New Business at her family’s 88-year-old commercial finance firm, Rosenthal Capital Group (RCG), the largest privately held financing company in the US. Based in New York City, Carson focuses on originating new business and structuring financing solutions for both emerging and established brands. Carson’s passion for helping founders extends far beyond lending capital. Often referred to as a “financial concierge” by both her clients and prospects, she serves as a trusted partner to the next generation of entrepreneurs, guiding them through capital options and facilitating strategic introductions from her vast personal network. As a self- proclaimed beauty and wellness enthusiast, Carson connects authentically with founders and has a unique understanding of the nuances, trends, and challenges brands in these industries face. Her modern approach to alternative financing combines eight decades of RCG’s business history with the innovative solutions founders need to grow and scale today.

Cassie Rosenthal
CMO, Rosenthal Capital Group

Cassie is a third-generation stakeholder and CMO of Rosenthal Capital Group (RCG), the largest privately held lending company in the US. Cassie oversees the firm’s business development and marketing functions, aligning growth strategy, brand positioning, and relationship management. In addition to identifying potential clients and emerging markets, Cassie shapes and executes Rosenthal’s integrated marketing strategy. Most recently, she led the firm’s rebranding efforts, which reflect the company’s strategic transformation. Prior to joining her family’s business in 2012, Cassie co-owned and operated two art galleries for over a decade. Cassie is on the board of The New York Institute of Credit (NYIC) and was the inaugural recipient of the NYIC’s Women’s Division Renaissance Award. She is also on the board of Powerhouse Arts and Gold Collective, an invitation-only network of entrepreneurs Cassie serves on the board for City of Hope’s East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League. City of Hope is one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the US.

Yoana Dvorzsak
VP, Innovation + Product Integrity, Solésence

Yoana supervises all external client programs, focusing on development from concept to launch. With a strong formulation background, she has developed skincare and color cosmetics products for multiple brands on a global scale and is experienced in regulatory compliance.

Elizabeth Corrigan
Founder + CEO, The Complete Package

Elizabeth is a results-driven founder, operator, and trusted advisor to CEOs, investors, and private equity partners across the global beauty and wellness industry. She began her career at influential organizations, including L'Oréal USA, LVMH, and Bliss, earning a reputation as the operator who could understand both consumer truth and commercial reality. In 2005, seeking to lead at a high level without sacrificing time with her twin daughters, Elizabeth founded The Complete Package (TCP), which provides end-to-end solutions across product development, packaging, supply chain, and multichannel retail distribution. Clients include Olaplex, Hydrafacial, Bluemercury, Kiehl’s, and Colgate-Palmolive. In 2016, she founded Prestige Testing, a boutique agency built on rigorous consumer perception testing and in-house photography—setting a new standard for data-driven storytelling in beauty. Elizabeth's philosophy is grounded in action, accountability, and integrity. She champions women reentering the workforce and supports Dress for Success, Camden Street School, and Jersey Battered Women's Services.