Sephora names 2025 Accelerate Cohort

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
December 13, 2024

Sephora North America announced on Thursday the eight BIPOC-founded brands selected for its 2025 Accelerate program. 

This incubator initiative, now celebrating a decade of empowering emerging talent, focuses on nurturing and propelling beauty brands across categories such as haircare, makeup, skincare, and fragrance.

The 2025 Sephora Accelerate cohort includes Jade Beguelin and Sabrina Sadeghian of 4AM; Hye Young Kim of OliviaUmma; Merian O of Bounce Curl; Aziza El Wanni of The Potion Studio; Christal Alert of Tonal Cosmetics; Funmi Monet of Influxious; Fatema Raja and Navneet Kaur of Ruhveda; and lastly, Judy Koloko of The Steam Bar. 

Launched as a platform to equip underrepresented founders with the tools for success, the Accelerate program includes a six-month curriculum featuring mentorship, merchandising support, grants, and investor connections.

Participating founders receive access to 1:1 personalized consulting with Front Row and Clarity Media, plus a dedicated advisory team, including beauty industry partners, legacy founders from within the Sephora portfolio, and financial professionals. 

Upon completing the program, participants gain the opportunity to launch their products at Sephora North America, with more than half of the 33 brands from the 2021–2023 cohorts already available at the retailer.

“We are delighted to celebrate the 2025 Accelerate finalists and recognize their incredible potential to shape the future of beauty,” said Priya Venkatesh, global chief merchandising officer at Sephora. 

“This program has become a proven platform for championing diverse founders and empowering them with the resources, expertise, and community they need to launch and thrive. The continued interest from this year’s applicant pool reflects not only the program’s impact but also the demand for unique, innovative brands that reflect today’s diverse beauty landscape. At Sephora, we are proud to stand alongside these founders, ensuring they have the tools and support to succeed far beyond the program.”