BELLA Boss: May/June 2026, The Beauty + Pride Issue
By Lynette Barbieri + Jennifer MacLellan
In this Beauty + Pride Issue, we spotlight the founders shaping the future of beauty. From innovative brand creators to product pioneers, these visionaries are redefining the industry through authenticity, inclusivity, and intention. Their journeys reflect the power of self-expression, proving that beauty is not just created, it is lived, shared, and deeply personal.
Laura Geller
New York, NY
Laura Geller Beauty, Founder
What inspired you to start your business in the beauty industry?
I started as a makeup artist and saw a strong demand from women who wanted to learn how to do their own makeup. I felt confident I could provide that education, which led me to start my business.
Do you follow beauty trends, or do you take a more timeless approach with your brand?
We take a more personalized, timeless approach rather than following trends. Our focus is on high-quality ingredients and formulas that meet individual needs.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone getting started in the beauty industry?
Focus on what makes you different and what unique value you bring to the market. In a crowded industry, you should be able to clearly explain your differentiation in 30 seconds.
Photography Courtesy of Laura Geller Beauty
Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger
Los Angeles, CA
Co-Founder of Mother Science
What inspired you to start your business in the beauty industry?
The discovery of Malassezin inspired everything. It is exceptionally rare to discover a truly novel ingredient with such amazing efficacy and benefits to the skin’s health and beauty. When our data showed that we had a landscape changing ingredient, one that could address hyperpigmentation while improving texture and barrier function, we knew we needed to make it available to everyone. We started Mother Science because it was the highest purpose of our discovery.
Do you follow beauty trends, or do you take a more timeless approach with your brand?
We are building our brand with a commitment to real science and intentional innovation. We move at the pace of science, and we lead with breakthrough products and ingredients rather than following trends. Malassezin is in a category of its own, and as we innovate with this ingredient, we are creating a timeless product line.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone getting started in the beauty industry?
The beauty industry is an amazing community, and the spirit of learning and sharing connects the whole ecosystem. My advice to someone getting started in this industry is to plug in and to find your mentors. Mother Science exists because we found mentors that allowed us to be vulnerable and who gave us real help when we needed it.
Photography Courtesy of Mother Science
Lejla Cas
Los Angeles, CA
KNESKO SKIN - Founder & Esthetician
What inspired you to start your business in the beauty industry?
It started in the treatment room. Over my 26-year career, I kept seeing the same gap. Products were either very natural with no stable active ingredients, or luxurious to use but full of fragrance and hormone-disrupting ingredients. I founded KNESKO in 2012 because I knew skincare could be both effective and intentional. Real formulations backed by real testing, with love and Reiki energy in every step.
Do you follow beauty trends, or do you take a more timeless approach with your brand?
Timeless and innovative, always. It's never about the trend; it's about combining what's tried and true with what pushes the science forward. Our new Gold Repair Skincare collection is the perfect example. Classic, proven ingredients like vitamin C and peptides, paired with innovative textures and our proprietary G-P8X™ Technology. That balance is what KNESKO has always stood for.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone getting started in the beauty industry?
Keep your standards high. When things get overwhelming, it's easy to cut corners, but every decision impacts what you're building.
Photography Courtesy of KNESKO
Dr. Sapna Palep
New York, NY
Board certified dermatologist and Co-Founder of Journelle Skin
What inspired you to start your business in the beauty industry?
I’ve always had a passion for skin and found a passion for lingerie when I married my husband, Guido Campello, who has a lifelong legacy in lingerie. I see how lingerie and cosmetic dermatology are intricately intertwined, with confidence starting with how you feel in your skin. We were inspired to launch Journelle Skin to bring that philosophy full circle, supporting skin as thoughtfully designed as the lingerie that goes over it, blending decades of expertise in intimates and dermatology between us. Journelle Skin offers the most advanced, results-driven skin treatments available with a holistic medical approach.
Do you follow beauty trends, or do you take a more timeless approach with your brand?
We’re proud to lead the trends. The launch of Journelle Skin is the first standalone location and our new direction and entry into the dermatology market, which signals a key shift in how retail brands see beauty and medical services as an opportunity to engage more clients and tell a new story in beauty. Journelle Skin is a revolution in intimates and beauty coming together for this age and demographic. It is a one stop shop offering a curated selection of third-party beauty brands along with a selection of Journelle’s top-selling lingerie from our signature collection.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone getting started in the beauty industry?
Look for opportunities to be new and different. Don’t be afraid to lean into your passions and surround yourself with people with all types of expertise different from your own. I would have never thought that I would be opening a new type of holistic dermatology practice that blends dermatology with lingerie when I was in medical school. Now I wake up every day and genuinely look forward to heading into work.
Photography Courtesy of Journelle Skin
Smitha Rao
Mahwah, NJ
Scientist and CEO of Parëva Beauty
What inspired you to start your business in the beauty industry?
My background is in science and innovation. I filed my first biotech patent application in my 20s and created more than 200 products across 15 brands in the beauty and wellness space in my 18-year career. I kept seeing the beauty industry utilizing the same few ingredients with marketing claims to make products feel new. After years in tech and product development, I decided to channel my scientific background into building something of my own, with technology that was truly novel and different. What I saw in the industry was a disconnect. There weren’t any brands talking about skin longevity. That realization became the foundation for Parëva Beauty.
Do you follow beauty trends, or do you take a more timeless approach with your brand?
We believe in staying ahead of trends with new technology that offers solutions to what consumers are looking for. Parëva Beauty is an independent, female-scientist founded skincare brand, on a mission to extend skin health with medical grade products for skin longevity. The brand and our proprietary ingredient that powers every formulation, Molecur 3™, is a result of 20 years of research. Supported by independent, 3rd party clinical testing supervised by a dermatologist, Molecur 3™ delivers faster, safer, and measurably superior skin performance, establishing a new benchmark for biotechnology-driven skincare and long-term skin longevity. Molecur 3™ uses plant stem cells targeting exosome activation and NAD+, designed to rejuvenate skin to look up to 2 years younger. Parëva Beauty is also the only brand that discloses concentrations of active ingredients in every formula. Radical transparency is a key tenant of the Parëva Beauty brand.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone getting started in the beauty industry?
Play bigger than your résumé and never underestimate the power of people and relationships. Early in my career, I went after and won one of the biggest beauty accounts at age 24. What made that possible wasn’t just preparation, but the ability to build trust and genuine relationships. That experience taught me that opportunities don’t come from titles alone—they come from showing up with conviction, doing the work, and connecting with people in a meaningful way.
Photography Courtesy of Parëva Beauty
