Ulta Beauty wants to invest in Black-owned beauty brands. The beauty retailer announced that it will invest $25 million into driving more access to the industry for BIPOC brands as well as provide more Black-owned brands on the store shelves.
The company has also appointed Tracee Ellis Ross to serve as its new Diversity and Inclusion Advisor. In her new role, the actress and hair entrepreneur will “provide counsel and insight, and drive accountability to Ulta Beauty–with a specific focus on BIPOC brand development, diverse leadership development, and supplier diversity.”
“I look forward to formalizing an already existing dialogue and partnership around diversity and inclusion with Mary Dillon and the Ulta Beauty team,” the black-ish star said in a press statement. “This work requires commitment and accountability from Ulta Beauty to ensure measurable goals are achieved. I am hopeful and optimistic our work together will create foundational change.”
Ulta also announced that it will feature more inclusive branding in its marketing campaigns with dedicated beauty initiatives geared toward different marginalized communities.
“As the country’s beauty retail leader, we believe we have the power to shape how the world sees beauty and as such, we have a responsibility to inspire positive change and drive greater diversity, inclusivity, and equity. We are deeply committed to leading purposefully with and for underrepresented voices across retail and beauty on our D&I journey,” said Mary Dillon, CEO, Ulta Beauty in the statement.
“Authenticity as an inclusive brand with welcoming experiences for all and an approachable assortment are tenets of how we champion diversity at Ulta Beauty,” continued Dillon. “We have mapped these commitments to impact every facet of our work. We look forward to sharing more as we continue on this journey with steadfast commitment from our teams and our newly established advisory Tracee Ellis Ross, who brings passion, experience, and perspective to this important work.”
