Maesa Selected New Beauty Founders for Incubator
The 2027 program supports underrepresented beauty entrepreneurs with grant funding and mentorship.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Beauty
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Maesa has selected four beauty founders for its 2027 incubator program, which provides $35,000 grants and specialized industry mentorship. The initiative aims to help brands from underrepresented communities scale toward a long-term revenue goal of $100 million.
Why it matters
The incubator provides essential financial and strategic resources for early-stage companies to overcome common barriers to growth in the competitive beauty industry. By targeting brands with less than $1 million in revenue, Maesa focuses on scaling businesses at a critical development phase.
This incubator program, launched in 2023, selects early-stage founders to receive $35,000 in grant funding. While the program aims for participant brands to reach $100 million in revenue within 10 years, these are industry projections rather than realized outcomes.
The players
Maesa
A beauty incubator and brand manufacturer focused on building and scaling personal care and cosmetic brands.
Eniye Okah
The founder of Beame, a company that produces UV-detection face patches.
Monique Claiborne Cardwell
The founder of Sugar Standard, a brand specializing in press-on nails for children and tweens.
Hau Yeung
A co-founder of Gemi, a K-beauty inspired hand-care brand.
Erin Choi
A co-founder of Gemi, a K-beauty inspired hand-care brand.
The details
Participants receive tailored guidance by selecting major and minor focus topics for their mentors to address during the program. The curriculum includes intensive sessions at Harvard and concludes with a visit to the trade show Cosmoprof, offering founders professional exposure. This structure is designed to professionalize small operations and prepare them for wider market competition.
Timeline
Maesa launched the incubator program in 2023.
Participants meet at Harvard for expert meetings in October 2026.
The program concludes at the Cosmoprof trade show in January 2027.
Health Landscape
This incubator follows the established pattern of the Maesa incubator program to provide mentorship to emerging beauty brands. It represents a broader trend in the cosmetic industry of supporting niche, independent businesses to compete against established legacy labels.
Consumers interested in the products developed by these brands may see them in the marketplace as these companies scale their operations. If you are a fan of these specific beauty innovations, consider researching the founders' long-term brand commitments and ingredient standards.
The takeaway
Incubator programs like this one provide a critical roadmap for small business growth through mentorship and funding. Readers interested in supporting emerging founders can monitor these brands as they expand their presence in the beauty market.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations and business shifts in the industry by visiting the Beauty section.
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