With demand for innovation at a peak, Sally Beauty is launching a business accelerator program. Sally Beauty Cultivate — For Women by Women is designed to help beauty entrepreneurs grow their businesses.Female developed brands, especially in hair care, have been catalysts for growth at Sally Beauty, one of the largest retailers and distributors of professional beauty supplies in the world. The accelerator will fortify an already established track record of supporting emerging products and entrepreneurs. Sally Beauty was one of the first national retailers to provide distribution to brands such as Made Beautiful, Mielle Organics, The Mane Choice and Arctic Fox. Additionally, Sally was the first to launch an exclusive ingredient range with Carol’s Daughter called the Pracaxi Nectar Collection.“We continue to be inspired by all of the terrific women entrepreneurs we have met over the years and believe in supporting women who are developing products to make their best accessory, their hair, even better,” said Carrie McDermott, president of Sally Beauty.With the announcement of Cultivate, Sally joins companies including Target, Sephora and Unilever, which help mentor promising company leaders.Starting June 18 through July 18, Sally Beauty will accept entries from female-owned hair-care brands that are looking to expand their business at www.sallybeauty.com/cultivate. Based on applications received, three semifinalists will be selected to conduct an in-person pitch at the Sally Beauty headquarters. Assessment of the businesses will be informed by the application, votes from the public, an in-person pitch with the judging panel and a review of the company’s products. The entrepreneur will be selected based on the founder’s vision for the business, an assessment of the product, the ability to scale and the firm’s marketing ability.One winner will receive $25,000 in financial support; product distribution at sallybeauty.com, along with mentorship from the Sally Beauty team and business owners of successful Sally brands. The winner will have the opportunity to get product directly into the hands of highly sought-after beauty influencers at one of Sally Beauty’s monthly influencer events.“Sally Beauty has a long history of collaborating with women entrepreneurs to help them launch their brands in our stores and online,” said Jamira Johnson, vp digital and innovation at Sally, adding she looks forward to identifying the next wave of female entrepreneurs. “We believe there is so much hair care innovation happening every day in women’s homes, salons, and communities and we want to encourage that innovation to thrive and grow.” According to statistics from sally, nearly one in three sales support hair care and hair color brands created owned by women. And, one in five textured hair care sales represent brands founded by African-American women.“Sally is a great retail partner as they have been supportive of the Mielle Brand since the very beginning,” stated Mielle Organics founder Monique Rodriguez. “Sally works with our brand in creative ways that is beneficial for both Mielle and Sally’s brand.” Lisa Price, the founder of Carol’s Daughter, also praised Sally Beauty’s power in building brands. “Sally Beauty was a leading retail partner in our expansion into the retail market with strong support of the Carol’s Daughter franchise,” she said. “The collaborative partnership on the exclusive Pracaxi Nectar launch included various successful co-marketing initiatives and led to consecutive double-digit growth over the last two years post-launch. Sally Beauty’s core strategy aligns with Carol’s Daughter in that we both strive to provide the consumer with options. There are no barriers. In Sally Beauty, any and all consumers can find what she needs for any and all hair types.”Karonda Cook, director of merchandising at Sally, added that the push for new launches in hair care is driven by the consumer. “We understand that the beauty consumer is constantly evolving and innovation drives success. We are customer-centric and listen to their wants and needs to deliver an assortment of products that appeals to every hair type and texture.”
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