Beauty Changes Lives Raises Over $440,000 in Support of Organization’s Programs at Annual Gala

The 10th annual Beauty Changes Lives Gala gathered industry executives and rising stars to raise over $440,000 for programs benefitting beauty and wellness professionals.

At the Loews Hotel on April 21st, Co-founders Lynelle Lynch, CEO of Bellus Academy and Robert Passage, Chairman & CEO of Pivot Point International, shared that they created Beauty Changes Lives (BCL) to provide scholarships to aspiring professionals in beauty, esthetics, cosmetology, nail technology and massage therapy. Since its inception in 2013, the organization has raised over $8 million in support of their mission to make beauty and wellness careers a first choice and have impacted the lives of more than 1,500 individuals.

“What we all should do once you reach a certain level of success – meaning happiness – is then give some of that to the next generation,” says Tricoci University founder and 2024 Legacy Award winner Mario Tricoci. “And the organization Beauty Changes Lives is all for that – giving scholarships, giving back to the industry -- and that is what we all wish to do at the end of the day.”

A priority initiative for the organization is to promote the industry as a lifelong profession. By advancing a culture of nourishing cross-generational relationships, widening accessibility to educational opportunities, and empowering professionals to start their own businesses, “We’re here to make beauty and wellness careers a first choice,” said Lynch.

Julia Travaglia, an account coordinator for Amika who obtained her cosmetology license through a scholarship sponsored by Sephora, says the efforts of the Beauty Changes Lives organizers is changing the face of the industry – for the better. “This is building up future stylists and making the space more inclusive and accessible. They’re bringing it leaps and bounds past where it currently is and are opening the space to people who would not be able to enter in the first place.”

The event’s nearly 300 attendees and 40 sponsors, which included beauty brands like L’Oréal, Ulta, and Wella, are matched in this devotion to widening education and accessibility opportunities.

“The theme with Beauty Changes Lives initiatives is the “unite as one” thought process – that we’re stronger together,” said Corey Passage, assistant vice president of marketing at Pivot Point International, the global leader in beauty education. “I think what BCL is doing and continues to do helps people take our industry more seriously. This is an industry that provides sustainable careers and gainful employment, and I think it will take the industry coming together to get that message across.”

While enjoying a dinner and beautiful company, under soft purple lights in the hotel’s Guggenheim Ballroom, guests listened to Kristin Beard, Denice Holcomb, and Jennifer Lord, past recipients of Beauty Changes Lives scholarships who have since opened successful businesses in their communities. Hearing from those who have been directly impacted by Beauty Changes Lives “is empowering my team not only to expand on our impact and grow our program for next year, but it’s also showing us that these initiatives do make a difference,” said Travaglia.

A staple fundraising moment in the evening is the paddle raise where generous attendees pledged over $160,000 in support of Beauty Changes Lives. Before emcees Sam Villa, co-founder and COO of Sam Villa, and Elizabeth Faye, founder of Hair Love University, began the bidding, Faye asked the crowd of executives to pause for a moment, take a breath, and shout out their motivation for giving back. The answers?

Community. Connection. Destiny. Potential. Passion. Growth. Legacy. Gratitude. Empowerment. Self-love. Belonging. Family - a testament to the power of beauty industry luminaries; individuals whose love and reverence for their craft continually inspires them to give back through fundraising and education measures.

“Why wouldn’t you want to perpetuate the industry? It’s only going to help your business and it’s also the right thing to do,” said Phil Horvath, President and CEO of Chatters Limited Canada and treasurer of Beauty Changes Lives.

“That’s what matters in this industry - helping people from the start,” added Travaglia.

Other honorees of the evening included Candy Shaw, who received the newly established “Power of One” award. Shaw’s One Day, One Ticket initiative, which asked individual artists and salon team members to donate the value of one service ticket to Beauty Changes Lives, raised over $133,000 on March 21st. “I hope you take this money and touch someone in a way that this industry has so graciously touched me,” said Shaw.

John Paul and Michaeline DeJoria were honored with another new award this year, celebrating the impact of Generational Family Businesses in the industry. Co-founder, John Paul DeJoria accepted the award on behalf of his family and introduced Mara Mitchell to provide a special tribute to her late husband Angus, son of Paul Mitchell and co-owner of the brand, who passed away in early January at 52. “Let’s band together and continue to share light, and let’s love and live like Angus,” Mitchell said before announcing the new Angus Mitchell Authentic Scholarship Fund.

“Beauty gave me an opportunity to be somebody, to feed my kids, to grow a business, and employ other people in this industry,” adds Elizabeth Faye of how she’s been impacted through the trade and why she’s motivated to empower the next generation of professionals.

“I felt heard, seen, beautiful and loved for the first time. And that’s how beauty changes lives.”

Beauty Changes Lives is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to making careers in beauty and wellness a first choice. Through its scholarship, mentorship, awareness and education programs, Beauty Changes Lives is empowering the next generation of professionals and elevating the industry. To get involved or make a donation, please visit https://beautychangeslives.org