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May 1 marks the beginning of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which celebrates the achievements and contributions of people of Asian descent in the United States.
In 2021, Pew Research reported that the Asian community was the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S. By 2060, the number of U.S. Asians is projected to reach 35.8 million, more than triple their 2000 population. In step, the number of newly vested Asian-American startup founders has increased, though they still represent just one-third of the number of white founders, according to Morgan Stanley. But major retailers have begun to step up and dedicate support to the AAPI community through accelerator programs. At Ulta, the MUSE program equips founders of color with the necessary tools and expertise to build and expand their brands.
In addition, AAPI-founded brand founders are giving fellow founders a leg up through collaboration. In 2022, the founders of skin-care brand Cocokind, among others, launched AAPI Bestseller Beauty Collection. The organization offers a beauty box featuring Asian-founded beauty brands across skin, body, hair, makeup and nails. Ten dollars of every limited-edition box sold goes to AAPI non-profit organizations benefiting the community.
“I love that, as an AAPI founder, we finally have a seat at the table. Inclusivity makes us stronger, and the beauty industry has room for all of us,” said Priscilla Tsai, founder of Cocokind.
With AAPI Month kicking off today, consider supporting one of our AAPI-founded brand picks. From clean to luxury beauty to innovative feminine care, below is a selection of AAPI-owned to support this month and beyond.
D’Alba
D’Alba is a Korean luxury skin-care brand focused on delivering natural, anti-aging skin-care results to consumers across the globe. The brand, founded in 2006 by Ban Seong-yeon, got its inspiration from Italy’s Piedmont region Alba, which is best known for its truffles — a main ingredient in many of D’Alba’s products. D’Alba is also vegan-certified and creates sunscreens that are dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.
Kinn
With Kinn, founded in 2017, Jennie Yoon made sure to instill her ethos into the foundation of the modern jewelry brand. Kinn is built on the principles of honoring one’s own stories and traditions, both old and new. The brand has become known for unique, modern heirlooms with an emphasis on sustainability. All of the pieces from Kinn feature recycled 14-karat gold, conflict-free gemstones or ethically sourced diamonds.
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August
In the world of feminine care, best friends and founders Nick Jain and Nadya Okamoto are looking to refresh the narrative. The genderless, tax-free — the brand covers the tampon tax for all of its products — period-care brand is approaching the category in a fun, creative way. That’s through its Gen Z-forward marketing and sustainable packaging, for example.
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Cocokind
Founded in 2014 by Priscilla Tsai, Cocokind is a skin-care brand that prioritizes high-quality products and a low environmental impact. Last year, the brand announced a partnership with Patch to support 11 climate projects. The combined efforts resulted in nearly 102,000 pounds of removed carbon dioxide. Coconut oil as the brand’s hero ingredient.
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