December 16, 2025 — Rare Beauty Brands, parent company of Patchology and Kate Somerville, in partnership with JCPenney, is proud to announce the three winners of the 2025 LIFT Beauty Accelerator, an initiative designed to provide funding, mentorship, and retail access to underrepresented beauty founders.
The three selected founders represent the next generation of product innovation and are committed to solving key needs in the beauty landscape. Following a competitive application period, the 2025 LIFT Beauty Accelerator is pleased to support:
- Femigist (Amara Onwukaeme, Founder, Chief Estrogen Officer) – A beauty-as-wellness brand creating plant-powered systems that simplify and elevate hormonal care for hormonal acne, hirsutism, and PCOS.
- Hair Cultivated (Victoria Eisner, CEO & Kira Mengistu, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer) – A brand where beauty meets medicine, offering clinically-proven, medically-backed hair-regrowth solutions wrapped in modern luxury and sensorial elegance.
- Nuekie (Eunice Cofie-Obeng, Founder, Chief Cosmetic Chemist, and CEO) – A brand delivering skincare solutions uniquely formulated for people of color through an innovative blend of modern science and traditional African medicine to address skin concerns such as acne and hyperpigmentation.
The LIFT Beauty Accelerator supports early-stage, product-based brands by providing $10,000 in non-dilutive grant funding, executive mentorship, and in-kind services, along with the invaluable opportunity to pitch for distribution with JCPenney.
“The LIFT Beauty Accelerator is not just a program; it is an active investment in the future of the beauty industry, built on the belief that diverse perspectives fuel true innovation,” said Chris Hobson, CEO of Rare Beauty Brands. “We are proud to continue building this platform where underrepresented founders can not only thrive but redefine the market.”
Lisa Green, Vice President, Division Merchandise Manager for Beauty and Salon at JCPenney, shared her support for these founders as they continue to grow their businesses. “We are once again so proud to be part of the LIFT Beauty Accelerator program, which enables us to amplify the work of these incredibly talented and driven entrepreneurs. We look forward to learning more about these brands as the founders have the chance to pitch their products for the shelves of JCPenney Beauty, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.”
Meet the 2025 Winners: Quotes from the Founders
Amara Onwukaeme, Founder, Chief Estrogen Officer, Femigist:
“I am incredibly excited that Femigist was chosen for this year’s LIFT Beauty Accelerator Award. This isn’t just a win in business, but a win for women as we continue our mission to make hormonal wellness solutions that are gentle, innovative, and effective. This partnership will allow us to increase our visibility and secure the inventory necessary to get Femigist in the hands of more women. We are very grateful to be mentored by seasoned professionals and hope to pass it forward in the future.”
Victoria Eisner, CEO & Kira Mengistu, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, Hair Cultivated:
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to win the LIFT Beauty Accelerator Award. It sends the signal that the beauty industry is just as ready as we are to elevate women’s hair growth out of the drugstore aisle and into luxury science. It’s a major nod to our mission of making effective hair regrowth both glamorous and clinically proven. We’re most excited to tap into world-class mentorship that will help us scale boldly and bring the gold standard of hair growth to even more women.”
Eunice Cofie-Obeng, Founder, Chief Cosmetic Chemist, and CEO, Nuekie:
“It is a tremendous honor to be selected for the LIFT Beauty Accelerator Award. With the support of this program, we’ll be able to expand our marketing and connect with more people of color who are dealing with acne and hyperpigmentation. I look forward to working with the program’s mentors to positively shape the future of the beauty industry.”
Program Impact
The LIFT Beauty Accelerator continues to build on its mission to support underrepresented voices. The sessions for the 2024 program were noted as “thoughtful and relevant,” with one past winner, Jamila Powell, founder of Naturally Drenched, stating, “I walked away not just with tools—but with a true community”.
About Rare Beauty Brands
Rare Beauty Brands’ mission is to develop and scale unique brands with a truly positive impact, that inspire and empower. In a word, rare. Rare Beauty Brands (RBB) is the parent company of Patchology & Kate Somerville. RBB’s LIFT Beauty Accelerator program provides more visibility, supplier diversity opportunities, corporate mentorship, and funding for founders. For more information, visit rarebeautybrands.com.
About JCPenney
JCPenney, part of Catalyst Brands, is the shopping destination for America’s diverse, working families. With inclusivity at its core, the Company’s product assortment meets customers’ everyday needs and helps them commemorate every special occasion with style, quality and value. JCPenney offers a broad portfolio of fashion, apparel, home, beauty and jewelry from national and private brands and provides personal services including salon, portrait and optical. The Company and its 50,000 associates worldwide serve customers where, when and how they want to shop – from jcp.com to more than 650 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
In 2022, JCPenney celebrated 120 years as an iconic American brand by continuing its legacy of connecting with customers through shopping and community engagement. Please visit JCPenney’s Newsroom to learn more and follow JCPenney on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
