Nancy Twine, founder and CEO of Briogeo, has never been one to follow the beaten path.
After leaving her career in finance in 2014, Twine entered the beauty industry and, at just 29 years old, made history as the youngest Black woman to launch a product line at Sephora.
Now, in celebration of Women’s History Month and in the spirit of paying it forward, the entrepreneur, founder, investor, and philanthropist is using her platform to empower the next generation of women entrepreneurs.
Twine, through Briogeo, has partnered with Ulta Beauty to launch the Makers Mindset Workshop, a free program designed to support and uplift women-led businesses in the consumer goods space.
The initiative, which officially opened applications on International Women’s Day (March 8, 2025), offers founders the tools, resources, and mentorship needed to scale their Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) brands.
“When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I didn’t have a roadmap. From bootstrapping my business to scaling operations, I learned through trial, error, and sheer determination,” Twine shared.
“I realized many of the best insights—the ones that actually move the needle—aren’t found in traditional business courses. They come from real-world experience and learning directly from those who’ve been in the trenches.”
That’s why she created the Makers Mindset Workshop, which she says is designed to give early-stage brand founders “real, actionable guidance, as well as access to insider knowledge from people who have done it before.
“Women entrepreneurs, in particular, continue to face significant hurdles in funding, mentorship, and access to key business insights, and we’ve intentionally launched on International Women’s Day to give talented female founders the support they need to not just survive, but thrive.”
The program will select ten participants, who will be announced on April 14. These founders will take part in eight workshop sessions led by the Briogeo founder herself, alongside a powerhouse lineup of industry leaders.
The sessions will cover critical topics such as fundraising, marketing, and product development, providing participants with the skills and knowledge needed to grow their businesses.
The workshop will culminate with the Grant Pitch, which will offer participants an opportunity to pitch their brands for a share of $15,000 in grant funding. Ulta Beauty, Briogeo, and Makers Mindset will be funding the grant.
Some of the instructors lined up for The Makers Mindset Workshop include:
- Kendall Toole (Founder of NKO Club)
- Danessa Myricks (Founder & CEO of Danessa Myricks Beauty)
- Stephen Lasky (CFO of Briogeo)
- Monique Benoit (Senior Merchant at Ulta Beauty)
- Michelle Cordeiro Grant (Founder of LIVELY and GORGIE)
- Pritika Swarup (Founder & CEO of Prakti Beauty)
- Amy Liu (Founder & CEO of Tower 28)
- Cristina Nunez (Co-Founder & Managing Partner of True Beauty Ventures)
Applications for the Makers Mindset Workshop are open from March 8 to March 31. For more information and to apply, visit makersmindset.com/workshop.
