ABOUT THE CATALYSTS
All it takes is an idea. Whether you’re a brand founder, fashion designer, content creator, perfumer, photographer, skincare scientist, or makeup artist, The Catalysts is an open invitation for new ideas set to transform the future of beauty – and an opportunity to receive vital funding to make your plans reality.
Created by The Estée Lauder Companies’ New Incubation Ventures, The Catalysts is a program that seeks to identify and uplift emerging and independent creative storytellers who have visions for the beauty world by providing mentorship, financial resources, and project support. Launching for the first time in 2024, it is a year-long global initiative championing up-and-coming creative innovators defining and inspiring the beauty conversation.
New Incubation Ventures (NIV) is the strategic early-stage investing and incubation arm for The Estée Lauder Companies. NIV partners with forward-thinking founders and entrepreneurs to create, fund and support the best beauty brands and business models that will shape the future of beauty. Through this, it also builds an actionable pipeline of diversified brands and new engines of growth for the Estée Lauder Companies portfolio.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD BEAUTY, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, and the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD.
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok is supporting The Catalysts to amplify the next generation of beauty founders.
Vanessa Craft, TikTok’s Global Head of Content Partnerships, will be serving as a jury member for this year’s program. She is a champion of next-gen talent, building engaged communities and directing game-changing content and driving innovative business strategies. Vanessa is responsible for accelerating the growth, content strategy and business development for TikTok’s top Global partners across Fashion, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Education and Sports with highlights including TikTok's first sponsorship of the Met Gala 2024.
Before joining the world of tech, Vanessa was an award-winning journalist and Editor-in-Chief at ELLE Canada and in 2021, she was featured on Variety's 2021 Global Entertainment Impact List.