Episodes

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty with Jodi Katz, we explore how legal and financial experts fuel the growth of beauty and wellness brands. Guests Kara Posner, Partner at Gianuzzi Lewendon and Thomas Cunningham, Director of Business Development at Physician Growth Partners share how they help founders navigate funding, scale strategically, and prepare for exits. From childhood dreams of animation and pro sports to careers in law and investment banking, Kara and Thomas reveal how early...

In Episode 292 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with Sarah Foley, Managing Partner at InviNext Growth Partners and Caroline Chiaroni, Vice President at TJC for a compelling conversation at the intersection of private equity, consumer brands, and personal passion. From childhood dreams of veterinary clinics and art galleries to managing multi-million-dollar investments in beauty and wellness, these two trailblazers share how creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking shape t...

In Episode 291 of Where Brains Meet Beauty with Jodi Katz, the spotlight turns to two investors redefining what it means to back beauty and wellness brands: Kara LaForgia, Founder & Managing Partner at Hive Ventures, and Rich Gersten, Co-Founder & General Partner at True Beauty Ventures. Their paths to venture capital could not be more different, yet both reflect the persistence, gut instincts, and passion that this industry demands. Kara’s story is one of constant reinvention. A lawyer by trai...

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty we meet Kevin Kim the Director of Beauty & Personal Care Investment Banking at Raymond James. His career journey didn’t begin with balance sheets and deal rooms it began with medicine. As the oldest son of two psychiatrists, Kevin grew up assuming he’d follow in their footsteps. But by late high school, he realized his path needed to be his own. Drawn to a more global career, he pivoted from pre-med aspirations to business, ultimately landing in inves...

What do NASA and luxury beauty have in common? In this stellar episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Jodi Katz sits down with Lindy Firstenberg, Senior Vice President, Beauty & Luxury at Alix Partners and Catherine Nekavand, Partner at Alix Partners - two powerhouse leaders who traded space suits and oil rigs for silk scarves and fragrance launches. Lindy, who once tested satellite mechanisms at NASA, shares how her journey took a glamorous turn at Louis Vuitton, where she helped launch the bran...

In this high-energy finale of our Health Compass: Navigating Careers in Wellness theme, host Jodi Katz welcomes Lisa Rossmann, Chief Concept Officer at Hand & Stone Spa and Bryan Appio, CEO of Drywater for a dynamic conversation about leadership, career pivots, and hydration. Lisa shares her journey from aspiring spy to beauty industry executive, while Bryan reflects on early entrepreneurial ventures and a drive to succeed shaped by his upbringing. Together, they explore what it takes to lead w...

Preventative care meets powerful branding in this electric conversation with Dr. David Kim, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Lightsaver and Vicente Vasquez, Global Senior Brand Design Manager at Colgate-Palmolive. We explore the emotional and behavioral roots of beauty rituals — and what it really takes to shift them. From daily sunscreen to oral care routines, they reveal why so many people know what to do, but still don’t follow through. Vicente brings a sharp creative lens, shap...

Host Jodi Katz sat down with two women at the forefront of redefining health care as we know it: Liz Josefsberg, Founder & CEO of Target 100 Inc and Sarah Pesce, COO of stealth-mode wellness startup Radence. Despite wildly different paths—Liz went from Broadway star to Weight Watchers executive, while Sarah pivoted from nurse practitioner to health-tech builder—both share a mission: to help people move from “sick care” to well care. Liz's early career was center stage—literally. She spent year...

Jodi Katz sat down with two powerhouse women making waves in personal health: Taryn Shockley, USA Sales & Education Manager at AlumierMD, and Kelly Murphy, General Manager at Lola. What followed was a deep, human, and often hilarious look at ambition, imposter syndrome, reinvention—and the workouts that keep them grounded. Taryn’s story starts on the balance beam. A gymnast from age two, she was competing at elite levels by ten and earned a full ride to ASU. But when an injury ended her collegi...

What does a TikTok-famous hand surgeon and the descendant of mushroom farmers in France and have in common? Purpose—and the courage to follow it, even when the path looks nothing like the plan. Jodi Katz sat down with Dr. Erin Nance, founder of FeelBetr Health and Sonia Gaillis-Delepine, founder of Verdoie. While their companies serve different corners of the wellness space, both women share a mission: to help people better understand their bodies—and to redefine what care really looks like. Th...

We sat down with two trailblazers in women’s health Claire Coder, founder and CEO of Aunt Flow and Smita Asrani, VP of Partnerships at UE Life Sciences. The episode opened with childhood dreams—Claire reminisced about staging Britney Spears concerts in her closet, while Smita shared her early love of horses. Neither imagined a future in healthcare, but both ultimately found themselves tackling some of the most overlooked (and long overdue) issues in women’s wellness. Claire shared her journey f...

In this raw and honest conversation, leaders Cara Kamenev, President of Stripes Beauty and Sharon del Valle, General Manager of Kose America Inc, break away from the typical leadership talk to share real, unfiltered truths about navigating life and leadership. In this episode, they dive into the power of self-trust, the importance of listening to your inner needs, and the strength found in vulnerability. Cara opens up about how making decisions based on what you truly need—not just your goals—l...

What if the key to exceptional leadership isn’t commanding authority but leaning into vulnerability? What if the moments you feel most uncertain are the ones that hold the greatest growth opportunities? In this week’s episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz delves into these questions with Henry Davis, CEO of Sakara Life, and Debbie Perelman, a partner at InviNext Growth. Together, they explore how leading with radical candor, authenticity, and empathy can ignite team transformation...

Ever wondered how a casual compliment or a brief conversation could shape your career? Networking isn’t always about grand gestures or polished pitches—it can be as simple as noticing someone’s shoes, discussing the weather, or striking up a chat with the person standing by themselves in a crowded room. Sometimes, the smallest interactions can spark the most meaningful connections. In the latest episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with Nancy Berger Founder of Start Wit...

How do childhood dreams translate into powerhouse careers? What happens when your path turns unexpectedly and leads to something even bigger? In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with Dawn Hilarczyk, COO of Borghese and Vimla Black-Gupta, former CEO of Ourself, to uncover the unexpected twists, bold pivots, and defining moments that shaped their journeys. Vimla was once voted “Most Likely to Own a Spa” in high school, a prediction that eerily foreshadowed her p...

What does it take to lead with authenticity, embrace career pivots, and champion a mission that blends wellness and beauty? In the latest episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with Maria Warrington, CEO of Beacon Wellness Brand, for an insightful conversation on leadership, authenticity, and the evolving role of wellness in our lives. Maria’s journey is anything but conventional. As a young student, she was laser-focused on becoming a pediatrician, drawn to the precisio...

What happens when two powerhouse women sit down to talk about leadership, resilience, and the courage to embrace the unknown? You get an episode you can’t afford to miss. In the latest episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz brings together Danessa Myricks, Founder and CEO of Danessa Myricks Beauty, and Anncy Rowe, Chief Commercial Officer of Rodan + Fields, in front of a live studio audience for a conversation that’s equal parts inspiring and thought-provoking. As the conversation...

We’re thrilled to honor the 2024 Listen Again Award winners in this special Where Brains Meet Beauty episode. Join us as we celebrate the transformative journeys of Emily Culp, Selena Cox, and Jeanine Lobell—three extraordinary women whose resilience, innovation, and leadership have driven remarkable success. We invite you to unplug and journey through their awe-inspiring stories, rich with dynamic insights and captivating perspectives. These pioneering women guide us into a world where taking ...

What if the small moments in life held the biggest power to transform? In this milestone episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, we sit down with Selena Cox, Executive Director DMM of Beauty at CVS, to explore her career journey, innovative retail leadership approach, and how she champions beauty accessibility and inclusivity. As a self-proclaimed dreamer and a dedicated collaborator, Selena’s career has been defined by a knack for connection and her ability to turn everyday challenges into meanin...

What happens when rejection becomes the catalyst for greatness? In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, we sit down with powerhouse Dr. Naana Boakye, a board-certified dermatologist whose journey is a testament to resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to holistic skin health. From overcoming medical school rejection to consulting for A-list celebrities and launching two of her own skincare lines, Dr. Boakye shares the remarkable path that has defined her career. As the firstborn of...

What started as a two-week pop-up experiment quickly grew into a global clean beauty revolution. In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, we dive deep into the career journey of Romain Gaillard, Founder & CEO of The Detox Market. What began as a curiosity-driven concept soon blossomed into a movement that reshaped the beauty industry. Romain shares his 15-year journey of transforming The Detox Market from a space for discovery into a global brand recognized for its commitment to sustainabil...

Picture this: Your sugar cravings aren’t about willpower but a complex neurological battle happening deep inside your brain. This week, we’re uncovering a revolutionary approach to wellness with Dr. Nicole Avena, the neuroscience maverick set to change everything you thought you knew about health. As an Associate Professor at Mount Sinai and bestselling author of Sugarless, Dr. Nicole has revealed a shocking truth: Sugar activates the same dopamine pathways as cocaine, locking millions in a rel...

What happens when you realize the walls that have protected your success might also be limiting your potential? In this captivating episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Kelly Fanning, SVP and General Manager of Clinique North America, reveals the moment that changed everything – a simple lunch with friends that forced her to question whether her success was truly her own or simply a product of her environment. After fifteen years of climbing the corporate ladder at Johnson & Johnson, Kelly foun...

When you’re committed to a path, what does it take to rise to the top? In this heartfelt episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, we sit down with the remarkable Dr. Dendy Engelman, an award-winning dermatologist who shares her inspiring journey of dedication and compassion in the world of dermatology and aesthetics. Dr. Dendy’s story begins with a simple school field trip alongside her physician father that ignited her passion for medicine. From that moment, she dedicated herself to years of hard ...