It’s estimated that the beauty industry has a market cap of more than 500 billion dollars in the United States alone. Household names such as Loreal and Estée Lauder and retailers such as Sephora and Ulta are big business and influence nearly every part of our society. From magazine covers to instagram, brick and mortar stores to online marketplaces, beauty products reflect who are as a society. 

For years the industry has employed persons of all backgrounds and gender identities. More recently industry leaders have leaned into the diversity and inclusion movement with initiatives such as Pull Up or Shut Up designed to force transparency among beauty brands on their diversity initiatives. But Laura Kraber noticed something else was missing from the market. 

So many of the creative minds in the beauty industry toiled behind the scenes to produce products and images that fit neatly into gender roles and beauty stereotypes. Though not an entrepreneur by nature, Kraber watched and listened to her kids as they navigated effortlessly through the world of gender fluidity when an idea struck her and nagged at her conscience. 

The Yale grad who worked in marketing throughout her career and was keenly familiar with the startup culture never saw herself as an entrepreneur. But the more she researched the cosmetic industry she realized that while the industry was rich with talent of all gender identities, there were few, if any products that truly spoke to them as consumers. Kraber had no background in cosmetics and it was risky to enter an industry with so many established brands, but the idea wouldn’t leave her mind. Thus, We Are Fluide was born. 

We Are Fluide showcases and celebrates gender-expansive beauty and under-represented faces and voices and supports young people’s self-expression and creativity. We talk to founder Laura Kraber about executing on a vision, remaining focused during a pandemic and driving fearlessly into her mission.

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Show Notes:

• We Are Fluide

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