Keynote

LAURA GELLER
Founder, Laura Geller Beauty

Laura Geller’s love affair with beauty began at an early age, a passion that led her to become a successful make-up artist, working under the bright lights of Broadway and behind-the-scenes with celebrities and socialites. It was Laura’s devotion to making make-up work for real women that led her to create her own beauty brand, believing that beauty is for everyone and should be uncomplicated, inclusive, and fun.

Since her very first appearance on QVC in 1997 and throughout the 20 successful years her Upper East Side make-up studio was open, Laura has used tips & tricks to translate professional application into techniques that work for all women, every day. She was a pioneer in bringing primer into every woman’s makeup routine and the Spackle® collection of primers has become iconic. She is also known for her collection of Baked cosmetics handmade in Italy – cult favorites of women for over two decades.

In 2011, Laura was honored by the City of Hope, a leading research and treatment center for cancer and other life-threatening diseases, in recognition of her generous support of multiple cancer-focused charities. In 2012, Crain’s New York Business recognized Laura as one of the Top Entrepreneurs of the Year. Laura is also a recipient of the 2014 CEW Achiever Award. Additionally, Laura was honored at the CEW Foundation’s Beauty of Giving event in 2016 for her work.

Since 2021, the brand has partnered with actress and activist Fran Drescher to support her Cancer Schmancer initiative that works towards cancer prevention and early detection. Laura herself is a breast cancer survivor and serves on the board of Cancer + Careers, an organization working to support cancer patients and survivors in the workplace, as well as the Dubin Breast Center of the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai in New York City. In 2023, Laura was named to Forbes’ 50 Over 50.

Born and raised in New York, Laura is a single mother to her son Daniel.

Moderator

HEATHER MUIR MAFFEI
Beauty Director, Real Simple & Beauty Editor-at-Large, Dotdash Meredith

Heather Muir Maffei brings more than 19 years of beauty know-how to Real Simple’s audience. She leads beauty content across all platforms—print, digital, social, and video—at Real Simple while also developing and implementing content initiatives that drive business growth and opportunities across Dotdash Meredith’s portfolio as the company’s Beauty Editor-at-Large. As a beauty writer and editor for more than 19 years, Heather has worked at Self, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Allure, Fitness, and Health. Heather also frequently represents the brand as a beauty expert for TODAY, Good Morning America, New York Live, and more.

Panelists

ALESSANDRA GIANSANTI ZORLAS
VP Marketing & Public Relations, Euroitalia USA

Alessandra has been working in the luxury beauty industry for over 35 years. She has spent the last 29 years at the helm of Euroitalia. As Vice President of Marketing, Public Relations, Media, and Training, Alessandra plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s identity. She guides the strategic development of the prestigious fragrance portfolio, which includes Versace, Moschino, Michael Kors, Brunello Cucinelli, Missoni, Dsquared, and Atkinsons 1799.

With a deep understanding of the industry’s creative and commercial aspects, Alessandra leads integrated marketing, communication, and training across the US marketplace. She is recognized for her relationships and ability to elevate brands, drive consumer engagement, and cultivate strong partnerships across media, retail, and influencer landscapes.

She is instrumental in building the in-house training programs, ensuring brand consistency and excellence at every touchpoint from retail environments to corporate communication. Her leadership helped strengthen the brand’s presence in the US.
Being a first-generation Italian fluent in the language, Alessandra brings a unique, refined perspective to her work. She blends her Italian heritage with a forward-looking visual for beauty and luxury branding.

She lives in Mountain Lakes NJ and is most proud of her three children. She loves to ski, play tennis, golf and long walks with her golden retriever Apollo.

CAROLINE FABRIGAS
CEO, Scent Marketing Inc.

A native of the U.K., Fabrigas arrived in the USA in 1980. Since then Fabrigas has risen through the ranks of the beauty industry holding key positions with many well-known Beauty companies. Caroline is the CEO of Scent Marketing Inc. a full service Scent and Sensory Marketing company that has fast become a leading authority in the art and science of Scent Marketing and Branding.

Caroline also recently opened the first ScentFluence aroma design studio in the heart of Scarsdale, NY Village. Featuring a library of ambient scents and innovative diffusers Caroline has created a new retail paradigm that is delighting clients in stores and on line.

ScentFluence also premiered it’s new “ScentFluence SitDown” series this year. “ScentFluence SitDown” celebrates and highlights industry experts and scent influencers with in person and on-line interviews, interactive discussions with lots of show and share.

Caroline also co-founded ScentInvent Technologies LLC a new Scent innovation firm set to disrupt the fragrance industry with the introduction of new forms and SpartiScents a new fragrance brand that is launched at Walmart targeting the Gen Z consumer.

While building her collection of Scent related businesses Caroline has maintained at active consulting practice called BeautyFluence LLC in which she has provided marketing advisory services to many leading brands such as Sun Dial Brands, Co-creator of FARMACY, Product development for VERSED, Concept to launch for SOBEL SKIN Rx, and Dr. Woo and general consulting to The Organic Pharmacy and brand positioning for Boticario NativaSpa.

Caroline previously held senior management positions in the corporate beauty world.

Caroline served for 12 years at CLARINS as the Senior Vice President of Group Business Development for USA and served in variety of roles with expanding levels of responsibility throughout her tenure. Caroline oversaw the management of new brands and new channels of distribution for CLARINS Group and key strategic initiatives for CLARINS brand.

Prior to this Caroline was Senior Vice President of Marketing for CLARINS brand. During her years with with CLARINS, Fabrigas contributed to achieving and maintaining CLARINS top skin care ranking as well as garnering industry recognition for several best selling new products launches.

Caroline’s other positions include two years as Vice President of Global Retail Development for PRADA Beauty where she was part of the team that conceptualized, developed and launched Prada into the beauty segment. Caroline joined PRADA from CLARINS where she first served as Vice President, Education and Retail Services.

Prior to joining CLARINS, Fabrigas served as International Director of Training for Lancaster Group Worldwide and National Training Director for Terme di Saturnia and held a variety of executive positions related to sales and training at Lancôme.

Her career began in beauty working for Estee Lauder and CHANEL in business management and account coordinator roles.

GABI MARETTI Senior Marketing Manager, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF)

Gabi Maretti is a strategic and creative marketing leader with over 15 years of experience in branding across fashion, cosmetics, and fragrance. As Senior Marketing Manager at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), she leads cross-category initiatives that combine consumer insight, cultural relevance, and storytelling to build strong, resonant brands.

Born in Brazil and based in New York City, Gabi has a global mindset and a deep understanding of how brands connect across markets. Over the course of her career, she has partnered with both regional and global companies to shape narratives, define portfolio strategies, and develop concepts that spark emotion and drive results.

Her superpower is translating complex brand challenges into clear creative strategies. With a keen eye for aesthetics and a business-driven approach, she brings brands to life in ways that are both distinctive and scalable.

MARA DUMSKI Chief Fragrance Experience Officer, Pura

Mara Dumski is a visionary fragrance industry luminary with over 25 years of experience shaping some of the world’s most beloved scents. Her distinguished career began at International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), where she spent more than two decades working alongside world-renowned perfumers. At IFF, Mara developed a deep expertise across multiple categories—including fine fragrance, beauty, hair care, personal care, home care, and air care—refining her unique ability to harmonize art, science, and emotion through scent.

In 2019, inspired by Pura’s revolutionary vision to marry smart home technology with fine fragrance, Mara made a bold leap—she relocated from New York City to Utah to join the company as Vice President of Fragrance. She quickly ascended to become Pura’s Chief
Fragrance Experience Officer, where she now leads the company’s scent innovation with equal parts creativity and precision.

At the helm of Pura’s industry-leading fragrance strategy, Mara is redefining the home scenting experience. She curates immersive olfactory journeys by blending cutting-edge fragrance creation, premium raw materials, sustainable innovations, and a commitment to the highest standards in clean and safe formulations. Under her leadership, Pura has partnered with celebrated brands such as NEST New York, LAFCO and Anthropologie and has forged innovative partnerships like The MET, Pantone, and Dutjahn Sandalwood, that push the boundaries of traditional home air care through artistic collaborations and purpose-driven storytelling.

Mara’s foundation in the arts deeply informs her approach to fragrance design. A classically trained soprano, she holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Music/Voice from Indiana University’s renowned Jacobs School of Music. Her transition from music to perfumery was a natural evolution—her finely tuned senses and attention to nuance translated seamlessly into the world of scent.

Today, Mara continues to pioneer a new category of fragrance experience, drawing inspiration from color, sound, texture, light, and emotion to craft scents that enhance and personalize everyday life. Her passion for storytelling through fragrance, and her unwavering belief in Pura’s mission, have cemented her role as one of the most influential creative forces in scent design.

Moderator

MARGAUX ANBOUBA
Senior Beauty & Wellness Editor, Vogue

Margaux Anbouba has asked a lot of questions since she was a little girl. Sometimes it can be kind of annoying, but it’s also a fantastic asset as Vogue’s senior beauty and wellness editor. She loves to get lost in long conversations with cosmetic chemists about which mineral sunscreen feels the most luxurious when it comes to formulating; stop random people on the street to discover who dyed their hair; hear your birth story and how last weekend’s cacao ceremony went; and she always wants to see the scientific studies to back up the claims behind a new beauty product. She’s also been wearing vintage clothing since she was 15 years old, and writes about anything and everything about her closet (including her skivvies) in her free time. Before her position at Vogue, she was on staff at ELLE and won an award for her writing there, as well as worked at goop, and D Magazine.

Panelists

AAMIR ATTARWALA
Principal, Nemat Perfumes

Aamir Attarwala is a fifth-generation member of the Attarwala family, whose legacy in Indian perfumery spans over 170 years. The family’s journey began in Udaipur, Rajasthan, where they mastered the art of crafting attars also known as perfume oils. In fact, the family name can be translated into “Creator of Perfumes”. This rich heritage laid the foundation for Nemat, a family-owned perfume brand that has a cult following.

Growing up immersed in this tradition, Aamir wears multiple hats within the family business. He is deeply involved in various aspects, from product development and supply chain to storytelling, ensuring that each fragrance reflects the family’s commitment to quality and cultural authenticity. His focus lies in crafting brand narratives that honor the family’s heritage while embracing the future, bringing a thoughtful, contemporary voice to a centuries-old craft.

Aamir’s passion for the beauty Industry extends beyond Nemat into mentorship and community-building. In 2024, he served as a mentor for ULTA Beauty’s MUSE Accelerator program, supporting early-stage BIPOC beauty entrepreneurs.

Today, he continues to evolve the legacy of Indian perfumery with a blend of creativity, empathy, and respect for the traditions that shaped him. His efforts ensure that the Attarwala family’s rich heritage continues to thrive in the modern beauty industry.

CLEO DAVIS-URMAN
Co-Founder, Barrière

Cleo is the co-founder and CEO of vitamin and adaptogen patch brand Barrière. Before launching Barrière with her co-founder Alexa Adams in 2020, Cleo spent over a decade in corporate fashion and styling. Motivated by her own struggles with nutritional deficiencies, she set out to create a more effective and stylish solution to everyday wellness, expanding the brand into transdermal supplement patches. Prior to lauching Barrière, Cleo’s most recent professional roles included Brand Manager at Moda Operandi and Director of Special Projects at Saks Fifth Avenue, where she led brand, marketing, and e-commerce strategy for these top fashion destinations. She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

IAN GINSBERG
President/Founder, C.O. Bigelow Chemists, Inc.

Born in Long Island in the 1960s, Ian Ginsberg was an aspiring musician when he decided to pursue a career as a pharmacist. After attending pharmacy school in the early ‘80s and obtaining his license in 1985, Ginsberg focused on creating his own niche in the family business at C.O. Bigelow – the landmark West Village drugstore that was (and still is) a fixture of New York City culture.

Hailed by WWD as the “Apothecary Guru,” Ginsberg is responsible for successfully ushering the multigenerational business into the 21st century while still maintaining its heritage. He has also turned C.O. Bigelow into an illustrious, highly sought-after brand that’s recognized worldwide. Originally opened in 1838 and bought by Ginsberg’s grandfather in the late 1930s, the apothecary’s unmatched selection of global luxury beauty products offer a truly unique shopping experience that can’t be rivaled by the drugstore and beauty chains that now flood the city. An iconic beacon for hard-to-find favorites from around the world, C.O. Bigelow continues to attract some of the most famous NYC dwellers and visitors, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Elvis Costello, Hugh Jackman, Liv Tyler and Justin Theroux.

Ginsberg’s expert knowledge of what a true apothecary should be has not only kept the 186-year-old business relevant, but has also made it the one-of-a-kind global phenomenon that it is today.  President of C.O. Bigelow, the third-generation pharmacist and businessman continues to expand the family brand. The store’s website, cobigelow.com, carries the entire line of C.O. Bigelow cosmetics and skincare products, as well as the coveted international items that stock the shelves of the free-standing store. C.O. Bigelow products can also be found at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and other prestige retailers around the globe, as well as in luxury hotel amenity programs worldwide. In recent years Ginsberg founded Bigelow Trading, a company that distributes multigenerational, family-owned heritage brands such as Marvis, Proraso, Valobra and Tenax to prestige retailers around the country.

In addition to his business pursuits, Ginsberg is an active community member, speaker and humanitarian. He is a board member and past Chairman of the Board for the Independent Beauty Association, current advisory board member of Revieve and AO2 Clear and has been an advisory board member for BEBOE, Violet Grey, Zipdrug, and CollegeFashionista. He is a frequent guest speaker and has spoken at New York University’s Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences of Long Island University, WWD Beauty Summit, HBA Global, CEW, FounderMade, Cosmoprof and the Downtown Project. Ginsberg is involved in many philanthropic activities including Memories Matter and Pink Promises, 2 charities he founded with his wife Stephanie to benefit the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation respectively.

YARDEN HOROWITZ
Co-Founder, Spate

Yarden Horwitz is the Co-founder of Spate, an AI-powered platform trusted by over 200 CPG brands—including L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, and P&G—to uncover emerging trends and make data-driven decisions. Prior to launching Spate in 2018, Yarden was at Google, where she co-founded the trendspotting division and spotted trends such as turmeric, cold brew, and face masks. Recognized as a top female leader by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yarden currently serves on the board of CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women). She is a frequent speaker at leading beauty industry events such as CEW’s State of the Beauty Industry and Cosmoprof, and is often quoted in publications like WWD, Vogue Business, and The New York Times.

Featuring

LAURIE LAM
Chief Brand Officer, e.l.f. Beauty

Laurie Lam is the Chief Brand Officer at e.l.f. Beauty, a multi-branded portfolio which includes namesake brand e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, Naturium, Well People and Keys Soulcare. She is responsible for strengthening e.l.f.’s branding and setting its strategy for growth across all categories, as well as championing their mission to make the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip, face and skin concern.

With nearly 20 years of experience building global brands, she’s an accomplished business leader and dynamic marketer in the beauty industry. Prior to joining e.l.f. Beauty, Laurie was at L’Oréal USA where she has held several leadership positions within the group’s Professional Products Division and Consumer Products Division in the US, France and Asia-Pacific. Her experience spans across Marketing, E-commerce & Digital, Acquisitions & Business Development and Innovation.

in conversation with

JAMES MANSO
Beauty Market Editor at WWD & Beauty Inc.

James Manso is the beauty market editor at WWD and Beauty Inc. Previously, he was the beauty reporter for WWD and Beauty Inc. He has also written for V Magazine and Byrdie.com, covering fashion, beauty and culture. He is an alumni of NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences, where he studied journalism and French. James is a San Diego native and an avid runner

Moderator

KIMBERLY CARNEY
Founder & CEO, GlossWire

Kimberly Carney is the Founder and CEO of The Wires, three high-growth global B2B2C platform marketplaces: FashWire, GlossWire and CasaWire. Kimberly is an entrepreneur who is passionate about tech, supporting emerging brands, and a fierce advocate for both individual and company success. She is deeply experienced in building and growing successful businesses.

With over 20 years of experience in marketing for mobile and tech companies and 15 years in the multi-brand retail space, Kimberly has a unique perspective into fashion and beauty’s interplay of data and marketability. The drive to bridge the connection between technology, consumers and brands was the catalyst for Kimberly to launch FashWire. In 2018, she seized the opportunity in the fashion sector to connect fashion designers and consumers by leveraging technology in an innovative, low cost and scalable way. Kimberly combined her previous experience in tech with her retail knowledge and industry experience to develop a platform where emerging and established brands could co-exist in one space, providing valuable data for the industry.

In addition to disrupting the fashion space, Kimberly launched into beauty in 2021 with GlossWire, a one-stop technology platform solution catering to emerging beauty brands. GlossWire has grown to over 300 beauty brands and Kimberly is already making a significant impact in the beauty industry, including being a named a finalist in Unilever Prestige and WWD’s Project Connect in 2021 and in the 2022 Glossy Beauty Awards for Best Use of Emerging Digital Platform. With the success of FashWire and GlossWire, Kimberly recently launched into the home and décor $700B global market with CasaWire.

Kimberly was the 1st Place Winner for Women in Business in the 2021 for the International Trade Council’s Go Global Awards and won New Retail Concept for Fashion Group International’s 2021 Rising Star Award in 2021 She serves on the Board of Gifting Brands and most recently, FashWire won Best Fashion Marketplace in the 2022 Glossy Fashion Awards. Kimberly is also recognized by New York Fashion Tech Lab as an industry expert and by Authority Magazine as a female disruptor in technology. Most recently, Kimberly received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at Fashion Group International’s 2023 Rising Star Awards. Kimberly holds an BA in Business Management and Marketing from Seattle University.

Kimberly is a rare mix of fashion, beauty, and tech with an entrepreneurial spirit. She has an innate talent to identify market needs and delivers on those needs through passion, vision, drive and authenticity. Simply put, she is a trailblazer within the retail digital sector.

Panelists

CYGALLE DIAS
Founder, Cygalle Beauty

Cygalle Dias has been working in fashion, beauty, and marketing for over twenty-five years. Her background in public relations, special events, branding, and marketing inevitably inspired her to originate Synergy House. As the founder of Synergy House, she created a domain where specialty brands were aligned with the most sought-after celebrities.

Her clientele included prominent brands such as Vera Wang, Miramax, Stella McCartney, Tory Burch, Max Azria, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, Nicole Miller, MTV, Nike, Sony, and Puff Daddy. Cygalle’s team created luxurious cross-marketing opportunities for companies large-scale events focused on celebrity influences.

In 2005, Cygalle Dias took her experience to focus on her passion focused on holistic wellness. She developed Cygalle Beauty a luxury skin-care line that was carried at her second spa that she remolded in Casa de Campos. Her formidable, eco-friendly sanctuary lead to her receiving a honorary doctorate for her trail blazing work in holistic health by New York College of Health Professions.

In 2009, Vanity Fair named her Cygalle healing Spa at Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic, ‘The Top Global Spa’. Her unique treatments attracted a celebrity following that included Kate Hudson, Helena Christensen, and Rosario Dawson. In 2015, she started her skincare business, Cygalle Beauty. A natural and organic skincare line that has been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Marie Clare, and Style.

EDWIN BORQUEZ
Founder, Curl Daddy

Edwin Pierrot is a visionary creative known for his dynamic presence as a content creator, creative director, talent scout, and beauty entrepreneur. With a career defined by bold storytelling and aesthetic innovation, Edwin has become a trusted voice in fashion, beauty, and digital culture.

He is the founder of Curl Daddy, a clean, vegan haircare brand reshaping the natural beauty landscape with products that promote healthy hair and unapologetic authenticity. As a creative director and talent developer, Edwin fuses strategy with artistry—producing standout visuals, curating breakthrough talent, and building brand narratives that connect with culture and community.
Whether behind the lens or behind the scenes, Edwin is known for bringing vision to life—with purpose, passion, and power.

SUSANA CHEN
Co-Founder, Never Have I Ever

Susana Chen is the designer and co-founder behind Never Have I Ever Shop, the first artist-licensed press-on nail brand. With a strong background in design leadership, creative strategy, and brand positioning, she built the company’s identity and market impact alongside partner Jess Wu.

Susana’s entrepreneurial journey reflects her passion for creativity, resilience in leadership, and commitment to amplifying diverse artistic voices through innovative design.