Kristen Noel Crawley's KNC School of Beauty is back in session! The KNC Beauty founder started her tuition-free virtual beauty school to help BIPOC women on their entrepreneurship journeys through the fashion and beauty world, with expert advice and guidance from panelists who have found success in those industries.
Crawley, who founded her brand in 2016, came up with the idea for KNC School of Beauty in 2020. “I was stuck on finding a way that I could give back to the community in a way that’s natural to me,” she told Teen Vogue of her inspiration. “And it hit me: I’ve always had great mentors when it came to my business and network, so I thought, ‘Why not give that wisdom to the masses and take it to the next level?’”
Crawley initially got her start in the beauty world with a column on Elle.com, then moved into the product side after a trip to Tokyo, where she discovered lip masks and was inspired to create her own more natural version. “Once I checked the ingredients, there were way too many. I had wished there was a more natural lip masks option, so I created one,” she shared. “Not to mention, being from the windy city of Chicago, chapped lips were an everyday struggle. It was no brainer.” Two years later, Crawley launched her “hero product,” the KNC Lip Masks. “I was just getting started.”
Kristen Noel Crawley launched the first KNC School of Beauty in 2020, with another installment in 2021, and after taking a short break to welcome a child, she's ready for 2024. This year, panelists include entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman; Maeva Heim, founder of Bread hair care; and Madison Utendahl, founder of Utendahl Creative. Bronfman, an angel investor who has been friends with Crawley for years, will speak to what makes a good investment, while Heim will talk about launching your own brand. Utendahl, a former editor at Refinery29, will discuss “the importance of honing in on your super power and how to cultivate that.”
Crawley created the KNC School of Beauty to share everything she's learned as an entrepreneur. Had she had such a platform in the early days of her career, “I definitely would’ve saved money and time, and made way less mistakes, but again, all of that is part of the journey and experience of entrepreneurship,” she said.
Beauty is just one of her interests, and she has plans to tap into all of them in the future; Crawley tells Teen Vogue that she's considering a kids clothing line and venturing into interior design. “I believe you shouldn’t limit yourself and I needed to spread that message the best way I knew how: to encourage the youth that all things are possible if you work smart.”
KNC School of Beauty takes place on March 27 at 1 p.m ET live on Twitch. Click here to sign up.
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