Temple Owls take their talents and entrepreneurial spirits everywhere—even the beauty industry.
From cosmetics to haircare accessories, these six alumna and entrepreneurs from the Fox School of Business are shaking up the industry with their innovative ideas.
Camille Bell, Founder of Pound Cake
While taking theater makeup classes her senior year, Camille Bell, KLN ’15, noticed a persistent issue in the makeup industry—most makeup products aren’t designed with Black and brown skin tones in mind, especially lipstick.
Thus, Pound Cake was born with a mission to help lessen the gap in lipstick options for people of color. Pound Cake, the pro-Black, pro-fat, and pro-queer cosmetics company, was developed by Bell with co-founder Johnny Velasquez. The team launched their company with help from Blackstone LaunchPad and their Innovative Idea Competition winnings. The Innovative Idea Competition is hosted by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI) at the Fox School.
The Philly-based cosmetics company offers a Cake Batter lipstick line, which features six vegan red lip colors, designed to compliment different lip tones. In 2020, Pound Cake was selected as one of Allure’s Best of Beauty award winners. Only a year later, when Pound Cake officially launched its website, it sold out within 48 hours.
Taylor Sanders, Founder of Snake Magic Skin Care
During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor Sanders, TYL ’21, BBA ’21, began making body scrubs by hand while living with her parents. Only a junior at the time, Sanders sold her products to other Temple students through social media.
About a year later, Snake Magic Skin Care began after Associate Professor Dwight Carey encouraged Sanders to enter IEI’s annual Be Your Own Boss Bowl, a university-wide entrepreneurship competition that allows Temple alumni, faculty and staff to compete for cash prizes, products and professional services.
Though Sanders didn’t win the competition, Snake Magic Skin Care was shaped by the feedback of investors and industry professionals. She created a website, developed marketing campaigns and held her first brand photoshoot following the competition.
Most recently, Snake Magic Skin Care expanded its clean product line to include bath bombs. The goal, Sanders has expressed, is for the company to one day have a full line of products and be sold in popular beauty retailers.
CherRaye Glenn-Flowers, Founder of Brownce
When CherRaye Glenn-Flowers, BBA ’15, worked as global audience insights and analytics analyst for the Wikimedia Foundation, she traveled all over the country. Each time, she lugged around a second bag of hair products for her 4C hair.
That’s when she began researching the market and consumer behavior of marginalized beauty services. Two years later, in 2021, Glenn-Flowers self-funded and launched Brownce, an app and community that connects Black and Brown people with beauty professionals that fit their hair needs, locally or on the go.
Aside from connecting people with industry professionals, the Brownce app also hosts educational content about haircare and Shop Talk, a community forum, and a safe space.
Neha Raman, Founder of Rungh
Neha Raman, BBA ’18, has always been creative. Growing up, she participated in musicals and dance performances, which introduced her to the world of cosmetics.
Raman was in high school when she first thought of creating DIY nail polish. She researched and experimented with chemicals, color pigments, manufacturing and safety until she developed the Rungh system: a 60-second process that lets people create their own nail polish color with the help of base liquid bottles, color capsules and a mixer.
Raman’s Rungh Cosmetics nail polish set has been featured in BuzzFeed, Insider, Bustle and more. Her goal is to create a full line of beauty products for Rungh.
Khadijah Robinson Rice and Kiana Muhly, Founders of AQUA Waterproof Headwear
Unable to find waterproof yet fashionable headwear, Khadijah Robinson Rice, BBA ’04, knew she had to invent her own. She discussed the idea with her friend and business partner, Kiana Muhly, BBA ’03, and the two began developing a stylish, waterproof turban.
After perfecting their design and getting a patent, the two launched AQUA Waterproof Headwear in 2019. The company now boasts a variety of turbans and wraps, with unique designs. No more shying away from the rain or avoiding the pool.
Christina Emile, Founder of Glow Naturally
For as long as Christina Emile, CPH ’15 can remember, she has suffered from eczema. Bouncing from different steroid creams and dermatologist-recommended products, she experienced her worst flare-up in 2015, which led her to discover she was allergic to many of the ingredients commonly found in beauty products.
With seemingly nowhere else to turn, Emile decided to create Glow Naturally, an all-natural skincare brand that nourishes sensitive skin without the chemicals found in many products on the market.