Black Girl Ventures Foundation (BGV), Rare Beauty Brands, and retailer JC Penney have announced finalists for the 2023 National Beauty Pitch Competition.

The contest will welcome seven Black and brown beauty entrepreneurs to compete for a prize that includes a $10,000 grant, retail distribution, mentorship with critical executives at Rare Beauty Brands, and additional capital from crowdfunding.

“We are excited about the 2023 National Beauty Pitch Competition — a remarkable opportunity for Black and brown women founders in the beauty industry. This journey promises invaluable resources, mentorship, and funding avenues to accelerate the growth of beauty startups,” Bee Law, BGV Pitch program manager, said.

The yearly competition is open to qualifying founders across the U.S. who generate revenue under $1 million. The competition received 255 applications. The next phase of the contest will take place on Oct. 12, and viewers can vote by making financial contributions to each finalist’s crowdfunding campaign. All finalists will receive the money raised, and the founder who has raised the most money will be declared the winner, a statement reads.

“At Rare Beauty Brands, we are extremely passionate about the life and world-changing power of entrepreneurship, and we have been extremely inspired by all of the entrepreneurs who have entered this pitch competition over the past three years,” Rare Beauty Brands CEO Chris Hobson said in a statement. “It has been incredible to work closely with past winners, and we’re excited about the new crop of founders this year. We’re thrilled to partner with Black Girl Ventures and JCPenney on this mission to lift up underrepresented founders in the beauty industry.”

See the seven finalists participating in the BGV pitch contest.

Canita Worth, Founder of Nita’s Nails Galore — Gastonia, N.C.

Nita’s Nails Galore is a nail supply company that offers self-levelling acrylic powders to educate nail technicians on properly maintaining natural nails with acrylics.

Halima Hubbard, founder of Bath Notes — Los Angeles

Bath Notes is a Sensory Bath & Body line curated to stimulate the senses of touch, smell, and sound through body care and tech for the ultimate beauty fusion of wellness for the mind, body and soul.

Kaylah A. Joseph, founder of LAID Hair Care — Huntsville, Alabama

LAID Hair Care believes that every style should be protected. The brand boasts the only salon-quality multivitamin scalp and hair health system powered by clean ingredients and manufacturing.

Keta Burke-Williams, founder of Ourside — New York

Ourside crafts award-winning luxury fragrances for free spirits, dreamers, and outsiders. They rewild your soul one conscious, small-batch scent at a time.

Orion Brown, founder of BlackTravelBox — Denver

BlackTravelBox is a brand created to meet the specific needs of the $129 billion Black travel market. Their mission is to provide clean and effective hair and skincare essentials, ensuring every traveller looks and feels their best on their journey.

Rachel Zeigler, founder of Naked Chemistry Skincare — Los Angeles

Naked Chemistry Skincare is a conscious skincare company started by a licensed cosmetologist looking for vegan and effective skincare to prevent, heal, and alleviate ingrown hairs.

Whitney McElwain, founder of Daybird — Austin, Texas

Daybird is an anti-beauty brand that creates clean, functional makeup for a one-step routine, giving customers their time back and mental space to do what matters most with your morning. Its hero product is a makeup, skin care, and sun care hybrid.