Leading Retailer Celebrates and Rewards Visionaries, Leaders and Changemakers Paving the Way
Ulta Beauty, the nation’s largest beauty retailer, today announced the MUSE 100, a celebration of 100 inspiring Black voices in beauty, each of whom will be awarded with a MUSE 100 grant to further their impact. Representing the next chapter of itsMUSE platform to Magnify, Uplift, Support and Empower Black voices in beauty, the MUSE 100 is another tangible way the leading retailer is actively working to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Ulta Beauty announces the MUSE 100, a celebration of 100 inspiring Black voices in beauty, each of whom will be awarded with a MUSE 100 grant to further their impact. (Photo: Business Wire)
“We understand our responsibility to inspire positive change and drive greater diversity, equity and inclusion in our industry,” said Dave Kimbell, CEO, Ulta Beauty. “The MUSE 100 champions those who have succeeded in making so much beauty possible, those who represent the future and those who have inspiring stories that deserve to be shared and supported. We are proud to honor and uplift these 100 Muses and hope others find inspiration in learning their stories while celebrating with us.”
The MUSE 100 recognizes a variety of merits including vision, leadership, and the ability to stimulate change, uphold values and champion inclusivity. Spanning beauty brand founders, makeup artists, activists, authors and more, each honoree’s accomplishments were reviewed and selected by the Ulta Beauty DE&I Counsel with input from a panel of industry leaders: Ulta Beauty’s diversity, equity and inclusion advisor Tracee Ellis Ross, Cosmopolitan’s beauty director Julee Wilson, entrepreneur and co-founder of Melanin Haircare Whitney White and celebrity stylist Mecca James Williams.
Each honoree will be awarded with a MUSE 100 grant of $10,000 to accelerate their continued impact and influence, totaling a commitment that exceeds $1 million from Ulta Beauty. These funds are in addition to the $25 million DE&I commitments made by the company in February of this year.
“I’m excited and consistently encouraged by Ulta Beauty’s continued commitments,” said Tracee Ellis Ross, DE&I advisor at Ulta Beauty, CEO and founder of PATTERN Beauty. “The MUSE 100 demonstrates a significant evolution of Ulta Beauty’s mission to uplift Black voices. By shining a light on these inspiring changemakers, we empower Black communities and continue the important work of fostering foundational change.”
In addition to being featured on the Ulta Beauty MUSE 100 website, honoree stories will be shared on Ulta Beauty’s social channels and further amplified via the company’s media partnerships to celebrate individual ventures and inspire others. Following is a closer look at the MUSE 100:
Makeup Magicians: Those making the world more beautiful – artists and innovators in makeup
Hair Raisers: Stylists and influencers changing the hair game one lock, braid, twist at a time
Style Setters: Icons and trend setters in the fashion space
Well Makers: Leaders and founders celebrating the beauty of wellness and mental health
Story Shifters: Those telling the stories of Black beauty
Culture Creators: Influencers, makers and content curators driving culture today and tomorrow
Luminous Leaders: Changemakers and entrepreneurs leading and lighting the way
Executive Excellency: The bosses of beauty, movers and shakers making an impact in the industry
Fearless Founders: Those changing the face of beauty and taking shelves by storm
The Next Gen Muses: Emerging young Black leaders shaking up our world
About Ulta Beauty
At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest U.S. beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. In 1990, the Company reinvented the beauty retail experience by offering a new way to shop for beauty – bringing together all things beauty, all in one place. Today, Ulta Beauty operates more than 1,250 retail stores across 50 states and also distributes its products through its website, which includes a collection of tips, tutorials, and social content. For more information, visit https://www.ulta.com.
Ulta Beauty was recently added to the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, which tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency. More information about Ulta Beauty’s corporate responsibility efforts can be found at https://www.ulta.com/investor/esg
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