John Cafarelli
Co-Founder + President, BeautyMatter

John Cafarelli is the Co-Founder and President at BeautyMatter. Growing up in New York as the son of a builder, he learned at an early age the value of having the right tools in one’s toolbox to be successful. John’s carried this mindset through to his work at BeautyMatter by working with the team to create content and experiences that inform, analyze and educate to give our audience an “unfair advantage” as they grow their businesses and navigate the ever-changing beauty and wellness landscape. John’s beauty and wellness industry expertise is centered around identifying market opportunities, strategic planning, developing strategies for growth, cash and financial strategy, and building operational excellence. He’s an entrepreneurial thinker with diverse work experience and a bias for creativity and innovation that’s actionable and realistic. John is also the founder and CEO of his own skin health brand, Ernest Supplies. He also spent six years as the COO / CFO of Paper Magazine, a multi-platform media company and content creation agency. In 2014, he was part of the team that “Broke the Internet.” Before that, John spent 10 years investing in and helping to grow well-known consumer brands, including Intermix, Skullcandy, All Saints, Morgenthal Frederics, and others.

Kelly Kovack
CEO + Founder, BeautyMatter

Kelly Kovack didn’t start in the media — she built brands. As an early executive at Bliss, she helped redefine how beauty was marketed, merchandised, and sold, paving the way for its acquisition by LVMH. She was at the forefront of the cosmeceutical movement as VP of Marketing for Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare and served on the BOD until its sale to Shiseido. She later founded Purpose Built, advising everyone from scrappy startups to Fortune 500 giants. She’s even built award-winning brands of her own, including the cult-favorite fragrance line, Odin New York, and category disruptor, Rescue Beauty Lounge. Now, as the founder and CEO of BeautyMatter, Kelly brings her decades of insider experience to the business intelligence world, cutting through industry noise to deliver sharp analysis, strategic insight, and the unfiltered truth. BeautyMatter isn’t just reporting on the future of beauty and wellness — it’s shaping it.

Larissa Jensen
Senior Vice President, Global Beauty Industry Advisor, Circana

Global beauty industry advisor and SVP at Circana (formerly IRI and The NPD Group), Larissa is a recognized expert in the skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair categories. She travels globally to lend her knowledge of the US and international markets to the beauty industry. Larissa is a contributor to the Harvard Business Review and major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), Vogue, and The Business of Fashion. She is an Adjunct Professor and Advisory Board Member for FIT’s Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management Master’s Program, Advisory Board Member for Cosmoprof North America, and on the Board of Advisors for Beauty Packaging magazine. She was recognized among the 2023 Women Worth Watching in Leadership by Profiles in Diversity Journal, in 2024 was named among the Top Women in Health, Wellness & Beauty by Drug Store News (DSN), and was the recipient of 2025 Leadership in Beauty Award from the Long Island Herald.

Zsolt Farkas
CEO, Evolut

Zsolt is the founder and CEO of Evolut, a performance agency specializing in beauty marketing. With over a decade of hands-on experience in digital marketing, he has worked with brands across both the European and US markets. Zsolt holds executive education diplomas from Harvard Business School and EHL Hospitality Business School Lausanne, with credentials in luxury brand management. He is a Visiting Lecturer at the Geneva College of Longevity Science.

Sarah Jindal
VP of Insights, Beauty & Household, Mintel

As Mintel’s VP of Insights–Beauty, Sarah brings over 28 years of experience working in the beauty industry, with a background in both marketing and product development. She works closely with major and emerging brands, helping to map innovation and strategize for future success while leading an expert team of analysts and driving the overall content strategy for beauty, personal care, and household care, both regionally and globally.

Anna Mayo
VP, Beauty Vertical, NIQ

As a VP for NielsenIQ’s Beauty Vertical, Anna is an innovative thought leader within the beauty and personal care retail space. NielsenIQ's beauty and personal care insights cover 100 global markets, providing the industry's most total view into omnichannel consumption and, in turn, empowering the next decade of beauty. Throughout her 12 years at NielsenIQ, Anna has worked with cross functional teams to deliver proactive, industry-shaping insights and guide some of the world’s largest CPG clients through behavioral shifts and consumption trends. In her current role, Anna partners with beauty and personal care clients to develop cutting-edge solutions, leverage new technology, drive marketing and sales strategies, and identify unmet consumer needs. In addition, Anna is responsible for leading thought leadership for the Beauty Vertical, serving as an industry expert and appearing in broadcasts and publications such as Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) and Fox Business, most recently.

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.

Emily Safian-Demers
VP of Insights- Beauty, Front Row

Emily is a consumer insights expert with over a decade of experience in the field. She started her career in consumer neuroscience and then moved to consumer trend forecasting. As VP of Insights at Front Row, she leads a team that equips brands with the "why" behind the "what" of Amazon success. Her insights have been featured in publications like The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Glossy, and Adweek, and she is a seasoned keynote speaker. Emily lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University where she advises graduate students how to conduct consumer research and extract insights from it.

Irina Barbalova
Global Lead – Beauty & Wellness, Euromonitor International

Irina drives the strategic development of Euromonitor International’s beauty offering, leading insight-driven commercial strategy and advising clients on critical decision-making amid rapidly converging industry spaces. With over 25 years of industry expertise, she provides authoritative foresight at the intersection of health, beauty, and wellness. Throughout her tenure, Irina has led high-impact projects and partnered with organizations across the value chain, translating insights into actionable growth and innovation strategies. A recognized thought leader, Irina is a sought-after keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator at leading forums, including FUTURE50, INNOCOS, and Cosmoprof Worldwide.

Andrea DiNunzio
Founder + Principal, 20 Rivers

Andrea is a Senior Consumer Executive and brand advisor with 25+ years scaling premium and luxury beauty and wellness brands. She has served as CEO, President, and CMO across brands from early stage to $500M+ in revenue. Most recently, she was General Manager of Ultra-Luxury Skincare and Fragrance at Coty, overseeing a portfolio including Philosophy, Orveda, and Jil Sander. She is currently founder and Principal of 20 Rivers, advising private equity and venture investors on beauty and wellness investments and working directly with brands on growth strategy and commercial execution. She is a Founding Member of Chief, a private networking organization designed for women in executive leadership, and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Andrew Stanleick
Managing Director & Operating Partner, Gauge Capital

Global consumer, beauty, and retail executive with more than 25 years of experience leading iconic brands, transforming businesses, and accelerating growth across North America, Europe, and Asia. As Managing Director & Operating Partner at Gauge Capital, Andrew partners with founders and management teams to accelerate growth and create long-term value across consumer businesses. He has served as a public company CEO, Global Brand President, and Regional President, leading businesses with more than $4.5 billion in annual revenue. His leadership experience spans Kenvue, BeautyHealth, Coty, L'Oréal, and Unilever, bringing a global perspective shaped by eight countries across four continents.

Kelly St. John
Founder, CEO, KSJ Collective

Kelly is the founder and CEO of KSJ Collective, a leading strategic growth partner for high-growth beauty brands navigating the path to retail success. With more than three decades of experience across both brand and retail leadership, Kelly held executive roles at The Estée Lauder Companies and Neiman Marcus, where she developed a reputation for identifying opportunity early, building meaningful partnerships, and helping emerging brands scale with intention. Kelly’s expertise spans retail strategy, distribution planning, merchandising, brand positioning, and long-term growth advisory. At KSJ Collective, Kelly leads a team of seasoned industry veterans who combine deep relationships, strategic insight, and operational experience. Kelly believes the strongest businesses are built through trust, integrity, and relational equity. Her approach is rooted in the belief that successful brands are thoughtfully positioned, operationally prepared, and built to last. Beyond KSJ Collective, Kelly remains an active voice shaping the future of the beauty industry through mentorship, advisory work, and leadership initiatives supporting emerging founders.