Author:Stephanie SaltzmanPublish date:Oct 22, 2020How many times have you heard a CEO say that "capitalism is tied to oppression" in a conversation surrounding the launch of a brand? I've interviewed probably 100 or more brand founders and executives over the course of my career, and I'll tell you: I've heard it once.
"Working in clinical research for so long taught me a ton of things about how to think through drug development, how to run a clinical trial and patient pain points," says Teng. She grew frustrated seeing the lack of access many people had to quality medical care, and also by an egregious lack of diversity in the trials.
Teng: I had really severe eczema, so I was in and out of the doctor's office all the time. I remember just being super embarrassed, carrying around my topical steroids at school or going to sleepovers. I started working at the Stanford University Department of Clinical Research when I was in high school. I went to UC Berkeley for undergrad, and I was able to continue my research [at Stanford] throughout college and post-graduation as well.
Teng: We thought it was important to first listen to our community and figure out what they needed, because they're people who have felt alienated from the skin-care community because of their skin type or tone. Olowe: It took two years for us to fundraise and launch the business. We pitched to everyone — literally everyone — and a lot of people turned us down. One investor called what we were doing 'dormant demand,' and said because it's so taboo to talk about it openly, you don't know the numbers around how many people have it. I also think people had seen so many beauty brands launch over the last few years that they didn't see a skin-care brand being anything new.
On that subject, Topicals made it clear, even before its official launch, that it won't shy away from getting involved in political conversations. The brand posted on Instagram and Twitter about how to care for skin after being teargassed while protesting, which was a really bold and impactful thing to post when so many brands were making lukewarm statements. Tell me about that choice.
Are there any other brands — not necessarily in the beauty space — that you admire or that have inspired you?
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