The Current State of Multicultural Beauty

Jessica Cruel is the content director at Allure, where she works to develop multi-platform editorial content for print, digital and video, as well as on brand projects including The Melanin Edit by Allure, Allure Beauty Box subscription program, and the Readers' Choice Awards and Best of Beauty Awards franchises.Prior to joining Allure, Jessica served as deputy beauty director at Refinery29, and has also held editorial roles at SELF Magazine, PopSugar, and New York Magazine. Throughout her decade-long career in the beauty media industry, she has extended her experience to hosting podcasts, speaking at events and appearing in live television segments. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in multimedia journalism and sociology, Jessica currently resides in New Jersey.

Candace Barber serves as a Director of Shopper and Consumer Engagement for NielsenIQ, the global measurement and data Analytics Company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide. She is responsible for developing the content strategy around U.S. Multicultural trends and insights to increase NielsenIQ’s relationships with key diverse constituencies and communities across the United States.

Ylorie (pronounced why-lorie) Taylor is a brand strategist, speaker, and facilitator with over a decade of experience building and leading personal care and beauty brands servicing the multi-cultural consumer. Known for her ability to cultivate relationships, ideate winning strategies, and curate platforms to give exposure to emerging indie brands, Ylorie has dedicated her beauty career to supporting brands and helping companies better connect with women of color. She is well versed in brand identity development, brand psychology, conscious branding, and consumer marketing. Never shying away from the front lines of women empowerment, Ylorie uses her fierce work ethic and insatiable drive to collaborate and amplify "sister" brands. A candid truth teller, wife, mompreneur, and "chief connections officer" for many of your favorite brands, Ylorie lives a very full life. Most days you'll find her living out her purpose and passions while serving as the Vice President for EDEN BodyWorks.

Corey Huggins is the Founder & Managing Partner of READY to BEAUTY, LLC. As such, Huggins is globally driving the beauty conversation in the multicultural space. With collective years in Marketing & Strategic Planning for CPG and beauty giants like Kraft, L’Oréal USA, Alès Groupe, Mana Products and Beauty Trend USA Huggins has charted the strategic direction for powerhouse brands like Maybelline, Kiehl’s Since 1851, LOGICS, MIZANI/Soft Sheen Carson, Phyto/PhytoSpecific Hair Care, Black Opal Cosmetics and Glossybox USA. And now with the expansion of READY to BEAUTY, the first-of-its kind global think tank for Multicultural Entrepreneurs & Brands, Corey Huggins is ensuring that qualified persons of color – specifically, the Black/African-American, Latinx, Middle Eastern and South Asian markets (ie: Black & Brown) whether it is an entrepreneur, brand founder or future company executive has a more paved road to walk for success and legacy creation.

Corey Huggins holds an MBA from New York University with additional studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School.

Dr. Brooke Carlson (Dr. B) has more than 20 years of executive marketing and general management experience in the beauty industry. Her experience includes general business management, marketing, product development, finance, sales, creative, advertising, public relations, education, licensing, manufacturing/contract management, logistics, forecasting, research and development, and magazine editing and publishing. Her entrepreneurial background includes leadership, strategic marketing, brand development, brand image/positioning, budgeting, P&Ls, exploitation of channels of distribution, market penetration and white space, new product development and category expansion, as well as research and analysis.

Prior to joining FIT as a full-time faculty member, Dr. B was vice president, Conair Professional Division, where she oversaw salon brands, marketing communications, licensing agreements, Style Source magazine, and business development. As senior vice president, Matrix (division of L'Oréal USA), she oversaw strategic marketing and communications for the U.S. market. While at L'Oréal, she also held position of vice president and general manager of L'Oréal Technique, and was vice president and general manager of Artec, a fast-growing cult salon brand acquired by L'Oréal in 2002. Previous experience also includes director of marketing at Zotos (a division of Shiseido) and assistant vice president at Parfums de Coeur, a privately held mass-market fragrance company.

Dr. B holds a Doctor of Science in management systems from the University of New Haven, as well as an MBA in marketing from Sacred Heart University. She is on the business advisory board of the University of New Haven, was a past member of the advisory board of FIT's CFM undergraduate program, a member of the National Cosmetology Association, and a member of PBA (Professional Beauty Association). She has also been a guest lecturer and adjunct professor at UNH, SHU, FIT, L'Oréal MDC, and several industry associations.

Kelly Kovack is the CEO and Founder of BeautyMatter, a noted beauty authority, brand advisor and strategist. She began her career in beauty as one of the original executive team members at Bliss, taking on the way women bought beauty as the Managing Director of the Bliss Catalog. This venture fundamentally changed the way beauty products were merchandised, distributed and marketed to consumers leading the acquisition of Bliss by LVMH. As Vice President of Marketing for Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, she was at the forefront of defining the cosmeceutical category. Kelly also founded consultancy group Purpose Built, providing concept to counter solutions and strategic advisement for startups to Fortune 500 brand and everything in between. In addition, she's also built her own brands, most recently award-winning fragrance brand, Odin, which was co-founded in collaboration with the men's fashion brand. Kelly is the “lens” of BeautyMatter providing a fresh voice to the beauty industry with highly curated news and original content.