Closing the Gap Between Founders and Investors: Moj Mahdara's Perspective

April 11, 2023 : Moj Mahdara, the CEO and architect of Beautycon, has shifted its focus to the world of venture capital. Beautycon was known for its ability to mobilize Gen-Z and diversity to turn the beauty industry on its head for almost a decade. However, when the pandemic hit, hundreds of live event businesses were shut down, forcing Mahdara to leave Beautycon. Reflecting on their journey as serial entrepreneurs, Mahdara founded the non-profit organization, Beauty United, to educate and guide BIPOC founders. They then joined Intuition Capital, a seed-stage fund, and co-founded Kinship Ventures alongside beauty and wellness founder Gwyneth Paltrow. Mahdara also started weekly virtual calls for founders to discuss how the beauty industry could advance amidst the pandemic. When Beauty United was founded, it adopted Professor Loretta J. Ross’s strategy to call people “in” instead of “out” in response to the Black Lives Matter protests. The organization aimed to mobilize founders and leaders’ collective power and influence in the beauty and wellness industry as a force for good. Supported by several companies such as Estee Lauder, Unilever, and P&G, the Beauty United fellowship and mentorship program is currently in its 3rd class. Mahdara’s operational experience as a minority founder with a deeply honed instinct on where the consumer is going has allowed them to offer a unique perspective to support other founders as they build and scale their companies. Mahdara has applied its “founder-led” perspective at Intuition Capital, investing in high-growth tech, AI, Web3, beauty, and the future of health and commerce. Mahdara’s perspective accounts for social influence and the rapidly changing cultural values around the economy, entrepreneurship and what consumers want.