Briogeo founder Twine says “internal resiliency” is entrepreneurs’ shared superpower

Background and Milestones

• Nancy Twine joined Goldman Sachs as a VP before launching Briogeo in 2012; she left the firm in 2014 to focus on the startup full-time.
• In 2012, Twine became the youngest Black woman to launch a product line at Sephora.
• The company raised over $20 million in private equity funding before selling.
• Briogeo was acquired by Wella, an international beauty company, in 2022 after a strategic M&A process.

Origin Story and Product Strategy

• The concept for Briogeo originated in 2010 following the sudden passing of Twine's mother, serving as a therapeutic outlet for her.
• The brand name combines "brio" (Italian for vibrant/life) and "geo" (Latin for earth/nature), reflecting its mission for inclusivity and clean ingredients.
• Twine's childhood experience making natural beauty products with her physician/chemist mother established the company's "clean" formulation philosophy.
• Early product validation occurred at the Cosmoprof trade show in Las Vegas, leading to initial retailer interest.
• The brand's initial Sephora deal was secured after buyers visited her booth anonymously (badges flipped) at the trade show; Twine later found head buyer Margarita on LinkedIn to pitch the brand formally.
• Early operational hurdles included manual packing of inventory and a lack of established playbooks for indie beauty brands.

Goldman Sachs Influence and Entrepreneurial Lessons

• Twine attributes her ability to thrive without training manuals to her time at Goldman Sachs, which taught her to find solutions independently.
• Working through the 2007 financial crisis crisis built internal resilience, a trait Twine identifies as critical for surviving business setbacks.
• Twine advises entrepreneurs that many businesses fail not due to poor products, but because founders lack the resilience to stay the course through ups and downs.

Industry Trends and Future Outlook

• Clean beauty has evolved from a niche trend to "table stakes" for survival in the industry, with retailers like Sephora and Ulta now offering "Clean" and "Clean Plus" seals.
• The industry is shifting toward "Clean Plus Planet Positive" initiatives, with Sephora reviving programs to mandate carbon footprint reduction and sustainable packaging by next year.
• Twine notes that while marketing diversity has improved, the industry still needs to address internal DE&I to ensure diverse voices are present in product development teams.

Exit Strategy and Post-Exit Activities

• Twine accepted private equity investment in 2019 to fund inventory scaling, acknowledging the capital-intensive nature of the beauty industry.
• The decision to sell to Wella was driven by the acquirer's 140-year history in hair care and the strategic opportunity to access the untapped salon professional channel.
• Post-exit, Twine has launched a content platform (nancytwine.com) to share lessons and entrepreneurship advice.
• She has joined the board of directors for the philanthropic organization "Room to Grow," focusing on financial education for young children.