Beauty & Fashion

Kadidja Dosso

CEO & Founder Dosso Beauty

Kadidja Dosso is the CEO and Founder of Dosso Beauty, an e-commerce organic beauty supply company. Her mission is to build an organic beauty empire that offers high-quality hypoallergenic hair extensions and clean hair products that are safe for people of color who suffer from scalp/skin sensitivities. Dosso Beauty was founded in 2018 a few months after her grandmother passed away. She was always Kadidja’s biggest advocate, and best friend, and she knew that she would want her to pursue her dreams in her honor. Kadidja decided to start the business after staying up for 72 hours of brainstorming, praying and conducting research on how to enter the market. Prior to building Dosso Beauty, Kadidja by trade was a Management Consultant at Accenture LLP for 6 years in New York City. After winning Pharrell Williams Black Ambition HBCU Grand Prize of $250K, along with $250K for her Alma Mater the illustrious Hampton University, Kadidja decided to pursue her business full time. As founder & CEO of Dosso Beauty, Kadidja handles operations, procurement, product creation/innovation, funding, and event coordination. She oversees the daily sales reports across platforms, applications for business grants/accelerator programs, and constant improvements of business growth. To date, Ms Dosso has been able to procure over $700,000 in non-dilutive funding to grow her business. Kadidja believes that the everlasting imprint that Dosso Beauty is destined to make on the beauty industry and each person that interacts with the brand. Dosso Beauty’s mission is more than offering hypoallergenic braiding hair and organic skin/hair care to the market, it’s about providing a platform for people to reinforce the confidence that they have within themselves for them to succeed. Kadidja received her Bachelor’s degree from Hampton University in Business Administration, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Kendall Reynolds

CEO & Design Director Kendall Miles Designs

Magnificent, exquisitely made shoes have captivated Kendall Reynolds ever since she could walk. The Chicago native has always had an unerring eye and intuitive affinity for superb craftsmanship and timeless design—even before she could articulate these concepts. Today, she is the CEO and Design Director of her namesake luxury brand, Kendall Miles Designs, which she started while still a senior at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She received her BA in International Relations in 2016. After participating in three collection cycles, Kendall and her team committed to a direct-to-consumer business model that features seasonless, limited-edition drops of luxury footwear. She has recently added Saks Off Fifth as her first retail partner as she scales distribution to reach more “Muses” in her growing community of followers and consumers. Kendall attended Ars Sutoria, the world-renowned university for shoe and bag design in the center of Milan. While there, she had intensive training in all technical aspects of shoe development, from design to construction. Her training has given her the specific knowledge necessary to combine avant-garde construction methods with time-honored, classic design in her creations for Kendall Miles Designs. She is committed to maintaining true couture standards, and hand sketches all creations herself. Additionally, all of Kendall Miles Designs footwear is handmade in Italy. At just 29, Kendall is already a standout in the shoe industry, receiving high praise from professionals in the field. Her company has generated significant gross revenues validating a solid corporate foundation. The future is bright for building a company that will capture significant market share in the luxury fashion accessory category and represent diversity in an industry dominated by European fashion conglomerates.

Kwaku Agyemang

Co-Founder & CFO BrownMill Company

As an accomplished marketing visionary and business development expert, Kwaku has a proven track record of driving innovation and growth in highly competitive markets. Co-founding BrownMill Company, a fashion lifestyle brand, he spearheaded initiatives that transformed the brand from a grassroots startup to a thriving business with over $350k in annual revenue. Kwaku's tenure at Spotify, Twitter, and Goldman Sachs was marked by his leadership in pioneering projects, where he developed and implemented strategies to enhance brand engagement and customer acquisition. His expertise lies in transforming challenges into opportunities, creating value in every project he undertakes, and consistently delivering results that exceed expectations. Kwaku received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Rutgers University.

Sochima Mbadugha

VP of Strategy and Business Operations Topicals

Sochi is the VP of Strategy and Business Operations at Topicals, a skincare brand that has taken the beauty world by storm. She loves helping consumer brands solve their most challenging problems. After graduating from the University of Florida with her Finance degree, she started her career as an Associate in Boston Consulting Group's Atlanta office. She loves the thrill of trying new things and as an insecure overachiever in recovery, she is learning the art of aggressively planning her future while leaving room for life to work its magic.

Tia Adeola

CEO & Founder Tia Adeola

Tia Adeola started her self-titled clothing line in her dorm room in 2016. Rapidly gaining traction, her clothing has been worn and loved by Gigi Hadid, SZA and Dua Lipa, and more. She has solidified the brand’s position in the luxury fashion space after her first official runway show in New York Fashion Week (NYFW) in 2020. The show became one of the breakout shows of the week garnering press from Vogue, Elle, CNN, and many more. In November of 2023, Tia took the runway to her country Nigeria, where she showcased her Resort 23 collection. In the fall of 2020, Tia produced her first fashion film, titled “Black is Beautiful”, which was nominated in five categories at the 2021 International Fashion Film Awards. Tia has recently been named one of Bloomberg’s “Ones to Watch” and was featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, as she continues to redefine the future of fashion.

Maya Jones (Moderator)

2Y Student Columbia Business School