LEADERS OF CHANGE awards 2022 are celebrating effective organisations with passionate leaders in beauty and wellness,
committed to make a positive impact on society and planet.

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Leaders of Change 2021.


Each of these leaders have demonstrated passion and perseverance in the past year, the year of global pandemic. 
So, grab a drink, find the comfiest seat in your home and join us in this online celebration.

Pandemic Response

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Recognizing leaders for new products, or policies, or anything else designed to mitigate either the health effects of COVID-19 or the economic effects of lockdowns.

Leader of Change: Sylvie Moreau, President Coty Professional Beauty
Sylvie Moreau and team at Wella created a powerful and meaningful response to the global pandemic aim to protect their teams, and mitigate the impact for the business and for their  customers. Focusing on the global hairdressing community through financial relief programs and with support through #ReopenWithWella and the “But, First Hair” programs. 
Runner Up:  Stuart R Benton, President & CEO, Bradford Soap 
Stuart R. Benton and his caring leadership helped steer Bradford Soap Works during this difficult time proving that a local company in Rhode Island can have a global impact on the world and focus on sustainability and water conservation as well as providing soaps to protect and promote hygiene and safety. 
 
A Special Recognition:  Greg Starkman, Founder & CEO, Innersense Organic Beauty
Greg Starkman and his passion and kindness helped Innersense Beauty navigate this time of crisis with kindness, caring and giving back to their community of hair-dressers in meaningful and creative ways. The focus on principals over profits helped him to create a stimulus fund to support the hairstylist community get back to service their consumers. 
 

Circular Economy

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Recognizes leaders for their efforts on circularity as an important step forward in developing more sustainable goods and processes.

Leader of Change:  Samir Lakhani, Founder, Eco-Soap Bank
Samir is recognized for the most disruptive and cause focused initiative, Eco-Soap, a soap recycling organization that pays disadvantaged women to collect leftover hotel soap and redistribute it to people in need and create jobs for women in developing countries. While still small in scale, the impact his initiative does to the life of people cannot be underestimated.
Runner Up:  Jo-Anne and Stuart Chidley,  Co-Founders, Beauty Kitchen.
It’s clear that Jo-Anne and Stuart are on a mission to create the most sustainable beauty products in the world. Sustainability in packaging is a subject that is close to her heart and inspired Beauty Kitchen’s RETURN • REFILL • REPEAT programme. It’s initiatives like that are making the Change and will put larger beauty brands under pressure to become more sustainable.
 
A Special Recognition:  Tom Szaky, CEO, TerraCycle
Tom Szaky is on a mission to reshape the way consumers use and dispose of packaging and quickly became  the most well-known names in the recycling business, with a reputation as an innovator.  
He is recognized around the world as the circular trailblazer, with an amazing scale and impact of sustainability thinking throughout the cosmetics industry.
 

Sustainability

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Recognizes leaders for initiatives to advance transparency, sustainability and the highest standards in the clean beauty movement, developed with consideration for the human and environmental health impact.

Leader of Change: Lindsay McCormick, Founder & CEO, Bite Toothpaste Bits. Lindsay is a true inventor and leader, innovating and testing how to produce the Bite Toothpaste Bits, a totally new product on the market when it was first introduced. Her products help eliminate millions of plastic toothpaste tubes. Lindsay has proven that a small company with a great idea can create change, and now the big players are following her lead! As Lindsay says: “being a thorn in the side to the big companies who are not moving fast enough”.
With her new brand Lindsay has proved that the world doesn't need more of the same old stuff - we need different stuff that is guilt and impact free. And its brands like Bite that have done the leg work for the industry to show that a) it can be done and b) people will buy it.
Runner Up: Melodie Reynold, Founder & CEO, Elate Cosmetics
Melodie is driven by a passion and an energy for natural and more sustainable cosmetic products. In searching for sustainable alternatives, Melodie goes deep enough to find the best solutions and is not afraid to take a second look at where improvements can be made.
Melodie about leadership: “Leadership is not about the benefit to yourself but it is about the obligation to others and to the world… set the example… and ask what is possible…”
 
A Special Recognition: Melissa Kimbell, Founder & CEO, Awake Organics
Melissa is impressed by her long-standing commitment to sustainability, having grown up together with a Mom and Granny who were producing their own facial masks and other cosmetic products. Melissa’s cosmetic brand is a position statement for sustainability. And Melissa’s vision for herself as a leader? To lead at a spiritual level, be purpose driven and to inspire other people!
 

Blue Beauty Brand

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Recognizes beauty/wellness industry brand leaders for their impact helping preserve our planet. It can be anything from zero waist products to educate, creating movements inspiring positive change.

Leader of Change: Laurence Caisey, Co-founder, Freedge
Laurence believes that freshness is the source of health, efficiency and well-being and by launching Freedge Beauty, she with her co-founders Fabrice and Arnaud, are creating a new category in personal care with a mission for the fresh revolution in beauty.
We applaud her for the fresh revolution she is creating, and sustainable business from product to packaging and viable price point. Will it challenge big brands? We certainly believe so. Do you agree?
Runner Up: Andy Coxon & Ed Currie, Co-founders, Akt London 
When launching their natural deodorant brand, Andy and Ed could not expect that they would become a massive disruptor in a huge category.  We must look at changing the product, not just the packaging.  This is also aspirational, well designed.  Very cool - not green and hairy.
Love this approach - we need more collaboration in the world. Plastic caps are omni-present, and this is great.
 
A Special Recognition: Shannon Goldberg, Chief Zero Waste Officer, Izzy Beauty
Launching Izzy Beauty is a very brave move trying to disrupt an entire category and has huge potential once launched.  Such initiatives can have big spin off influence into different categories.  We can all see how shampoo or toner can switch to a refill model, but mascara is a difficult product. Excellent design, aspirational, fully circular.  This is a great example of being truly responsible for the material choices you make for your products. Shannon Goldberg with her brand Izzy Beauty is clearly the one to watch, we can't wait to see it available for sale in April.
 

Blue Retailer

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Recognizes the beauty/wellness industry retail leader for their impact helping to make a positive impact on the planet through their initiatives. 

Leader of Change:  Jeannie Jarnot, Founder & CEO, Beauty Heroes  
Jeannie is the pioneer behind the Blue Beauty movement, Project Blue Beauty, and the Blue Beauty webinar, hosted by INNOCOS. This award - a Blue Planet - is inspired by the movement Jeannie has started. Project Blue Beauty has established commitments and inspires brands and customers alike to Go Blue, with clear action items that can support a bluer planet. Jeannie's focus on Blue Beauty in her own retail store, Beauty Heroes, has put the spotlight on brands that are leaders in packaging innovations, ingredient transparency, and full lifecycle sustainability. What's most remarkable is how many brands are now being developed to meet the Blue Beauty Standards. There's no doubt that packaging/plastic and production can have a negative environmental impact on the environment, and if we want to change the trajectory of climate change, we must address how things are made, how things are consumed, and how things are treated at the end of their life cycle. Through the creation of Project Blue Beauty, Jeannie is creating conversation, setting standards, supporting blue innovations and inspiring change in the industry.
 
Runner Up: Annie Jackson, Co-founder + COO, Credo.
Annie Jackson is building the largest clean beauty store on the planet, recognized for introducing tough standards that have had a ripple effect on the industry and gaining consumers’ trust in the process. Now she and her team has its sights set on sustainable packaging offering brands a comprehensive playbook on safety, sourcing, sustainability, and more. She feel it lifts all boats. She say “We need to work together to change the history. It isn’t always easy and rarely is it cheap, but it is the right thing to do.”

Inclusivity and BLM

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Recognizes leaders for their impact in promoting inclusivity and the authentic representation of all ages, people with disabilities, BLM, the LGBTQ+ community and racial diversity.

Leader of Change: Christine Ofori, Chief People Officer, Amyris
When Amyris’s Chief People Officer, Christine Ofori, was tasked with addressing diversity and inclusion in her fast-growing company, she knew that this is not a “one-woman band” exercise.  “The biggest mistake companies make is to think that “HR will fix it”, she said.  Instead, Christine led a companywide effort to tackle the challenge, starting with self. “The most important thing is to raise the overall consciousness and awareness in the organization about biases and misconceptions. Only by changing the culture at all levels can we truly achieve and sustain diversity”.   As a result of our efforts, Amyris added Black representation to its Board of Directors, increased Black representation in the workforce by 50% in <18 months,  and plans to hire 1/3 of their interns from historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), and created a $180,000 annual scholarship fund for minority students with a focus on STEM, marketing, and business.  Christine Ofori and Amyris continue to make efforts to build a truly diverse organization and she adds, “We are committed to the value of belonging – practically, intellectually, and emotionally.” 
A Special Recognition: Sharon Chuter, Founder & CEO, UOMA Beauty
Sharon is clearly needing no introduction; she has been called as one of the most forward thinking executives shaping the future of the beauty industry.
Sharon says that she “always has to deal with conscious and unconscious bias as a Black woman,” and she feels a responsibility “to make sure that the next woman who comes after her will not feel left out of the conversation”.
She is taking inclusivity and creation of products for different shades of dark skin to the next level. She doesn’t believe in products which match all skin tones and went outside the lab and tested it on over 300 women. She shade-matched them all! Sharon’s goal is to create representation in a crowded space and her action has been noticed around the world.
 

Women's Empowerment

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Recognizes leaders for their impact in the Women's rights movement that inspired positive change.

Leader of Change: Angela Cretu, CEO, Avon 
Throughout her 20+ year career at Avon, Angela Cretu has embodied Avon’s belief that a better world for women is a better world for all, working with Avon Representatives and communities across the world to create opportunities for women and tackle pressing issues. Angela has worked tirelessly to ensure purpose is at the centre of everything Avon does, embedding brand activism in all levels of the company. She says, “An individual woman’s empowerment has a ripple effect that is transmitted to other aspects of life, empowering more women and men, wider communities, and future generations. When women succeed, we all succeed.” During the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, there was a huge global spike in cases of domestic violence. In response, Avon – led by Angela – launched the Isolated Not Alone campaign, donating funds and products to NGOs, as well as raising awareness of the issue and where to go to for help. In a pioneering initiative together with Avon’s sister companies The Body Shop, Natura and Aesop, Avon shared an open letter calling on governments to keep survivors of domestic violence front of mind and to ensure that frontline services had the funding they needed to stay open during the pandemic.
As CEO and a leader, Angela ignited and continues to inspire purpose across the organisation, building on Avon’s work to support women to thrive as entrepreneurs and lead safe and healthy lives.
Runner Up: Anju Rupal, Founder & CEO, Abhati Suisee
Anju is a warm social entrepreneur with a vision to heal the earth for a sustainable future. She has built her career around her passion for women’s equality and the environment. Fusing her fund raising ability and business acumen to create Abhati Suisse. She launched a business rooted in improving the world one product at a time.
 

Health and Wellbeing Brand

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Recognizing  leaders, who have contributed to communities around the world by developing and implementing holistic health and beauty products, that educate and help improve your mental and physical well being to community around the world

Leader of Change: Christopher Gavigan, Founder & CEO, PRIMA 
A true leader should have one eye on the now and the other on the future. This is why Christopher has won the leadership award within Health & Wellness, not only because of all the work surrounding naturals, wellness and the CBD space, but because he is such a seasoned champion for environmental health, sustainability, social entrepreneurship and the naturals marketplace. 
Runner Up: Catharine Arnston, Founder & CEO, ENERGYbits 
Anyone who meets Catharine will immediately feel her passion for her brand ENERGYbits, and the key ingredient Algae. Its beneficial properties are endless in supporting our Health & Wellbeing, easily making it a ‘no-brainer’ daily digestible. If you don’t believe me, just speak to Catharine!
 
A Special Recognition: Rebecca Alvarez-Story, Founder & CEO, Bloomi
Rebecca Story certainly has a story to tell. Fight, determination and passion is within Rebeca’s armoury. Sexologist meets entrepreneur, knocking down sexual taboos whilst supporting and launching POC founders on Bloomi’s platform. Rebecca is one to watch. 
 

Health and Wellbeing Retailer

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Recognizing  leaders, who have contributed to communities around the world by developing and implementing holistic health and beauty products, that educate and help improve your mental and physical well being to community around the world

 
Leader of Change: Anthony Saniger, Founder and CEO, Standard Dose 
Anthony's ethical commitment to health, sustainability, and transparency, along with his nonconformist outlook, permeates the Standard Does brand. The requirement that claims be substantiated by hard data and further validated by their third party testing is not only a service to his consumers but to the industry - all ships rise with the tide. And his dedication to find natural medicine or treatment to replace all pharma, and care about the wellbeing of his clients, deserves admiration and need to be celebrated!
 

Trailblazer

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Recognizes leaders who are disrupting the industry and blazes a trail for others to follow by introducing new products, services, formulas, packaging, and supply chain.

Leader of Change:  Paul Peros, CEO, Wellfully
You just need to get the conversation going with Paul and you would be mesmerized by the passion with which he leads the project, and the way he leads his team. A true Trailblazer in every sense of the word and a man who single handedly moved his entire laboratory around the world when COVID struck, and then back again, to make sure operations would continue in even the toughest of times. The ability to think and act rapidly, as well as be bold and brave in decisions are the great qualities of a contemporary leader. Rethinking original plans and starting again to come out as a winner is what sets Paul apart. 
Runner Up: Ju Rhyu, Co-founder & CEO, Hero Cosmetics
Ju is a thoughtful leader driving the business through persistent innovation, knowledge of macro and micro economic drivers and adaptability to circumstances.A thinker, and innovator, an entrepreneur - a great combination. And we hope that soon a new generation of beauty startupers will be inspired by her as she now draws the inspiration from best industry examples. 
 

Employer of the Year

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This category recognizes a leader/employer with genuine dedication to their workforce and demonstrates leadership by consistently and significantly supporting their employees, over and above any statutory duty.

Leader of Change: JuE Wong, CEO, OLAPLEX
A true leader in current circumstances is a shepherd who guides each team member and is responsible for all aspects of an individual's life: learning, development, growth, success and wellbeing. With this award we recognize JuE for her effective work on team building in times of pandemic. She is a very effective leader and one of her leadership actions during global pandemic was establishing processes and methods that allow her to be deeper involved in the business of the company and supporting her employees, all steps along the way.
We have been so impressed by JuE’s exceptional leadership skills, that we have created a new category to celebrate leaders with genuine dedication to her/his workforce.
 

Entrepreneur of the Year

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Recognizes leaders for launching successful company or product into the marketplace in 2020.

Leader of Change: Kailey Brandt, Founder & CEO of OWA Haircare
Kailey Brandt epitomizes entrepreneurial leadership and truly owns this recognition. She stands out among personal care entrepreneurs, in particular, for her audacious vision and determination that extend well beyond her team, her brand, her business, and even beyond beauty—vision and determination to do something new, to create meaningful change, and to set a good example for women in STEM.
Runner Up: Lorrie King and Celeste Lee, Co-Founders of Caire Beauty.
After successful careers in the cosmetics and personal care industry, Lorrie King and Celeste Lee turned to entrepreneurship and are investing and innovating in the much needed and newly emerging category of menopause beauty, which Lorie and Celeste call “hormone defying skincare.” Their early efforts to lead the industry forward foreshadow a very promising future for Caire Beauty as well as for the brand’s customers and competitors. Great business and exceptional leadership skills of both co-founders, which can’t be separated, and both need to be recognized.
 
A Special recognition: Andrew Glass, Founder of Non Gender Specific and Co-founder, Wakse.
Serial beauty and personal care entrepreneur Andrew Glass leads his team from a very genuine and important place. He strives to treat everyone as an equal and to cultivate a positive work environment where employees can thrive and the business can benefit from their individual and collective strengths. He is an authentic leader, with a clear vision and a great dose of enthusiasm, which contagiously spreads to employees, for customers and us, industry. Juggling creation of several amazing brands, Wakse was a real hit in the year of pandemic, a special recognition for that!
 

Retailer of the Year

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Recognizes aspiring beauty/wellness retail entrepreneurs for leading their business to success during the pandemic or launching successful business into the marketplace in 2020.

Leader of the Year: Jay Hack, CEO & Brandon Garcia, COO of MIRA BEAUTY  
Jay and Brandon believe the company you build is the team you build. Grounded in radical transparency and diversity, along with the conviction that data and empathy are not mutually exclusive, has become their recipe for nurturing a company culture that reflects the consumers they serve. With this award we recognize these two very bright and forward thinking leaders in retail.
Runner-up: Jaleh Bisharat, Co-founder & CEO, NakedPoppy
Solving a problem no one else is tackling and being part or a larger movement makes work have impact. For Jaleh it begins and ends with people - every team member must believe their contribution matters. She believes culture is set from the top and successful leadership requires the ability to balance passion with the self awareness of knowing when to be calm. We see a big future for a company with such leadership. 
All very worthy winners with an unbreakable passion for their brands, their
employees and the voice they occupy as LEADERS OF CHANGE