With just under six weeks until we gather at Stanly Ranch, in Napa Valley, California on June 3-5, we are pleased to announce the latest confirmed speakers for The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2024.
- Gisele Bündchen, philanthropist, New York Times bestselling author, wellness ambassador and model
- Heela Yang, co-founder and chief executive, Sol de Janeiro
- Danessa Myricks, founder and chief executive, Danessa Myricks Beauty
- Linda Gieskes-Mwamba, founder and chief executive, Suki Suki Naturals
- Dr Nigma Talib, naturopathic doctor, author and chief executive, Healthydoc
- Yoon Sung Choi, chief marketing officer, global marketing division, Laneige
- Angelica Munson, chief digital officer and executive officer, Shiseido Company, Limited
- Laureen Kouassi-Olsen, founder and chief executive, Birimian Ventures
- Alexander Gilkes, co-founder, Squared Circles
- Dr Joyce Gikunda, co-founder and director, Lintons Beauty World
- Renaud Salmon, chief creative officer, Amouage
They join a stellar lineup of previously announced speakers including integrative medicine pioneer Deepak Chopra, make-up artist and entrepreneur Gucci Westman and trans actress, comic, and content creator Dylan Mulvaney.
For the full list of confirmed speakers and detailed bios, please see below.
To request an invitation to join us at Stanly Ranch from June 3 to June 5, click here to complete the application form. Be ready to share what you can bring to the global beauty and wellness community.
The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2024 is made possible in part by our partners Front Row, Unilever Prestige and Stanly Ranch, and our awards partners The Estée Lauder Companies and Sephora.
Gisele Bündchen is a model, philanthropist, and author of the New York Times bestselling cookbook “Nourish” and her 2018 title “Lessons: A Path To A Meaningful Life.” In 2023 she partnered with Gaia Herbs, an herbal supplement brand focusing on regenerative and organic farming, as their wellness ambassador to spread awareness about herbal remedies and how they support everyday health. Beyond her professional career, she created the Agua Limpa Project, which spearheaded water cleaning efforts in her hometown of Horizontina, Brazil. She was recently appointed to the board of the Lotus House, a Miami-based shelter for women and children in the US. Bündchen has also partnered with the Brazil Foundation and created the Luz Alliance Fund that, during the pandemic, provided funding for relief to Brazil’s vulnerable families. Now, the fund supports projects focused on regenerating fragile Brazilian ecosystems.
Heela Yang is the co-founder of Sol de Janeiro, a body care and fragrance label. Under Yang’s leadership, the brand has grown its assortment to over 30 products, many of which have gone viral on social media, and reached an estimated global retail sales of $1 billion in 2023. In 2021, L’Occitane acquired a majority stake in the business. Prior to founding Sol de Janeiro, Yang worked with brands like Lancôme and Clinique. Yang holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree from Yale University.
Linda Gieskes-Mwamba is the founder and chief executive of Suki Suki Naturals, a hair care brand for textured hair. In previous years, Gieskes-Mwamba practised as a lawyer and held positions at Biccari Bollo Mariano, Cabemery and Rudolph, Bernstein & Associates in Johannesburg, South Africa. Gieskes-Mwamba holds a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Danessa Myricks is a makeup artist, photographer and founder of the cosmetics brand Danessa Myricks Beauty, which she launched in 2015. Myricks, who is self-taught, uses her platform to educate others on the makeup techniques she has picked up in the course of her career. With her namesake brand, Myricks hopes to make the beauty industry more inclusive of historically underserved and underrepresented groups. Referred to as the “Willy Wonka of Beauty,” Myricks is known for product development and innovation. Myricks remains rooted in her artistry and holds values of community-building at the forefront of her label.
Dr. Nigma Talib is a naturopathic doctor specialising in the gut-skin connection. She is the founder of Healthydoc clinics with a location in Beverly Hills, California. She is also the founder of supplements label Dr. Nigma which counts Erewhon, Saks Fifth Avenue and Goop as retailers. Talib is the author of “Reverse The Signs Of Ageing/Younger Skin Starts In The Gut,” which was published in 2015. Talib has previously served on examination and quality assurance committees for the College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia. Currently, she holds positions on the board of the California Naturopathic Doctors Association, actively contributing to legislation efforts aimed at modernising the scope of naturopathic doctors in California.
Yoon Sung Choi is the chief marketing officer of skincare label Laneige. In this role, Sung Choi is responsible for spearheading the global marketing initiatives of the Laneige brand, facilitating the brand’s global expansion. Sung Choi previously held positions at Benefit Cosmetics and MAC Cosmetics where she developed brand and product marketing strategies for the Eastern and Western markets.
Angelica Munson is the global chief digital officer and executive officer of Shiseido Company, Limited. Munson leads the digital transformation office where she integrates digital strategies and services including data analytics, digital marketing, media, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and digital education to drive growth and innovation for the company. Munson has over 20 years of experience having held roles at Estée Lauder, Clinique and Fast Retailing, where she launched and scaled a number of direct-to-consumer businesses.
Laureen Kouassi-Olsson is the founder and CEO of Birimian Holding and Birimian Ventures, financial institutions dedicated to the sustainable development of African heritage brands. Through Kouassi-Olsson’s leadership, Birimian has established partnerships with institutions such as Institut Français de la Mode, Orange Bank Africa, International Finance Corporation, a subsidiary of the World Bank and a network of prominent private investors. The company has accelerated and financed 45 fashion businesses and entrepreneurs since founding. Kouassi-Olsson has been identified as one of the 100 most influential African Economic Leaders and is a member of the BoF 500. She is also the author of the book “Iconic Africa,” released in September 2023, advocating for the transformation of African creativity into an economic powerhouse. She holds a degree from Harvard Business School and EM Lyon Business School.
Alexander Gilkes is the co-founder of Squared Circles, a venture studio backed by LVMH-owned L Catterton and David Bonderman, which works to create products in health and wellness and food and beverage. To date Squared Circles have launched Magic Molecule, a skin healing product, Algae Cooking Club, an algal oil with chef Daniel Humm, and Freaks of Nature, a skin microbiome company for outdoor athletes with surfer Kelly Slater. They will launch 5 additional companies over the next three years in themes ranging from fertility, to Gen Alpha, functional nutrition and GLP1 nutrition. Gilkes is also the founder of Paddle8, an online auction house that specialised in art, photography and print which shut operations in 2020. At its prime, Paddle8 collaborated with curators and collectors Madonna, Damien Hirst, Madonna, Virgil Abloh and Elton John to broaden the appeal of fine art.
Dr. Joyce Gikunda is a pharmacist, cosmetologist and founder of Linton’s Beauty World, a beauty group with a network of stores in east Africa focused on beauty therapeutic treatments. Before being spun off as a standalone business, Linton’s Beauty World previously served as a service-oriented off-shoot of Lynton Pharmacy, a retail chain specialising in beauty and cosmetics owned by Gikunda and her husband Edward. Through Lynton Pharmacy, Gikunda partnered with brands such as Fashion Fair, Black Opal and Clinique for exclusive distribution in Kenya. Gikunda is also the founder of the Cosmetology Society of Kenya and Linton’s Academy, an accredited institution training the next generation of the beauty industry.
Renaud Salmon is the chief creative officer of Amouage, a luxury fragrance house based in Muscat, Oman. In this role, Salmon is responsible for designing and executing consumer touchpoints including product development. Prior to joining Amouage, Salmon previously worked on luxury leather goods at Delvaux and Louis Vuitton. He previously held the position of vice president of Marc Jacobs fragrances. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Liege.
