Innovating at the Speed of Beauty
The pace of change in beauty has never been faster. Today’s founders aren’t just building brands—they’re shaping the next generation of industry icons. This session unpacks the forces driving innovation across beauty, from the rise of science-backed efficacy and biotech breakthroughs to the role of texture, sensoriality, and inclusivity in creating products that resonate. We’ll examine sustainability as a baseline expectation and explore how personalization is redefining brand relevance. Most importantly, you’ll gain practical strategies to stay ahead: how to tap into ingredient pipelines, build with technology in mind, elevate beyond the formula, treat partners as co-innovators, and provide the Do’s and Don’ts for building strong supplier partnerships. This session will challenge you to reframe innovation not as a one-time breakthrough, but as a constant state of evolution—critical to winning in a market where consumer expectations are rewritten daily.
She began her career in beauty as one of the original executive team at Bliss, taking on the way women view 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 to the acquisition of Bliss by LVMH.
As Vice President of Marketing for Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, she was on the forefront of defining the cosmeceutical category.
Kelly also founded consultancy group Purpose-Built, providing concept-to-counter solutions and strategic advisement from startups to Fortune 100 brands.
She has also built her own brands, most recently the award-winning fragrance brand Odin, co-founded in collaboration with the men’s fashion brand.
