Sephora Accelerate 2018 is open for applications
The Sephora Accelerate program is a good fit for the North American market, where entrepreneurship, beauty, and tech are all booming. And, this next class of Sephora Accelerate founders will be the retailer's third.
When the company announced its first Accelerate cohort in May of 2016, Corrie Conrad, the company’s head of social impact, remarked, “Sephora is thrilled to announce the entrepreneurs selected for our Accelerate Cohort program. These female founders from the US, Mexico and Canada have impressed us with their vision and unique approach to beauty,” adding that “We are excited to take the next step in building a supportive community and learning environment for these early stage leaders, who are helping to shape the industry we are so passionate about at Sephora, an industry we are honored to share with these future brand leaders.”
Her comments sum up the Sephora program quite well. But there’s more to it.
What’s involved
Sephora Accelerate is comprised of four segments. The founders begin the program with a week-long business bootcamp. Here, participants “receive help structuring [their] business model, market analysis, growth plan, and funding strategy,” according to the beauty retailer’s website.
The program also includes mentorship. Sephora pairs the selected Accelerate participants up with industry pros for one-to-one learning. There’s a grant that comes along with being selected for the program and founders have access to other funding over the course of the program.
And each year the Sephora Accelerate program concludes with a demo day where participants present their companies to experts, investors, and Sephora senior leadership. The 2017 cohort is gearing up for demo day right now. This year’s event will take place in San Francisco, California, on October 27.
Learn more about the Sephora Accelerate initiative, and find a link to apply here.
