South Asians in Sephora — Diipa Büller-Khosla, Lisa Mattam, Nisha Phatak, Rooshy Roy (Live Panel)
In a first-ever live multi-founder panel from South Asian Trailblazers, Simi Shah sits with 4 South Asian beauty founders at the vanguard of South Asian-inspired beauty: Diipa Büller Khosla (indē wild), Rooshy Roy (Aavrani), Nisha Phatak (Lion Pose), and Lisa Mattam (Sahajan).
The conversation was born from a single line. When Rooshy returned to Trailblazers to announce Aavrani's acquisition, Simi asked about whether the dynamics with other founders were collaborative or competitive. Her response?That there's actually a "Desis at Sephora WhatsApp group." Simi made it her mission to bring that group chat to life — every South Asian beauty founder in Sephora who could be in the room.
Inside: how Diipa built indē wild's hair oil from her mother's recipe into Sephora's #1 seller; why Rooshy says she launched Aavrani at Sephora "too early" — and that it'll take 100 brands for South Asian beauty to become a true category; how Nisha cold-emailed Mindy Kaling and took a Zoom 48 hours after giving birth; how Lisa pioneered clean + clinical Ayurveda before Sephora had a "Clean" shelf.
KEY TOPICS:
Why South Asian beauty isn't yet mainstream — and what makes a true category
Sephora's road map: when to launch, when to wait
The influencer-to-founder pivot, fundraising, and being underestimated
Building for the US, UK, and India consumer at the same time
Founder life and motherhood: the "balance is a lie" doctrine
Follow:
Diipa Büller Khosla: @diipakhosla · @indewild
Rooshy Roy: @rooshyroy · @aavrani
Nisha Phatak: @nishaphatak · @lionpose
Lisa Mattam: @lisamattam · @sahajan
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