The L’Oréal Pitch Day is an open call to emerging beauty brands seeking to define the new generation of science-forward skincare.
Brands are invited to apply to pitch to a panel of judges made up of L’Oréal innovation thought leaders, who will share insights to help fuel the brands’ innovation and growth journeys.
5 finalists will be selected to present a ten-minute live pitch followed by ten minutes of Q&A with the judges on April 2 at Dermatological Beauty Connect.
Deadline: March 15, 2025
Qualifications
- Brands, direct-to-consumer services, medical or aesthetic device companies, and biotech companies with an offer targeted to aesthetic or medical aesthetic benefits
- Companies must have been commercially launched for at least one year in order to be eligible
- Team sizes for companies invited to pitch should be limited to no more than 3 people
L’Oréal will be accepting a maximum of 5 teams of finalists to participate in this event. Finalists will be required to enter into a confidentiality agreement with L’Oréal USA prior to L’Oréal Pitch Day.
The Prize
The winning team will be invited to send up to 3 representatives for a visit to L’Oréal USA headquarters in New York City including visits with key leaders from L’Oréal as well as a workshop with L’Oréal’s corporate venture capital arm BOLD. L’Oréal USA will reimburse the travel expenses for the winning team of up to $2,000 per person. Payment will be made directly to such teams’ employers. L’Oréal reserves the right to choose another team if such initial winning team is unable to meet the expectations that come with winning the prize.
Meet the Judges
Christian Bouchard
Leslie Harris
Leslie Eden Harris has dedicated 20 years to L'Oréal, currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer for the Aesthetics Incubator Center within L’Oréal’s Dermatological Beauty division. This group focuses on launching aesthetic beauty innovations for physician-dispensed brands. Previously, she held the Chief Strategy Officer position for Advanced Research within L'Oréal's Research & Innovation division. She also served as Global General Manager of SkinCeuticals, the #1 medical aesthetic skincare brand worldwide. Prior to SkinCeuticals, Leslie held key marketing and innovation roles at Kiehl's and Garnier.
Her education includes a B.A. in Economics from Wellesley College, an M.A. in Fashion History and Theory from the London College of Fashion, and an M.P.S. in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Beyond her professional life, Leslie is a passionate beauty historian and actively volunteers in dog rescue, supporting organizations that care for senior, hospice, and special-needs dogs.
Presca Ahn
Presca Ahn, Investment Director, BOLD – Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development
As a global investment director at BOLD, the venture fund of L’Oréal, Presca oversees the fund’s brand & technology investments worldwide. Prior to joining BOLD, Presca was a private equity investor at Five Arrows Principal Investments following three years as an investment banker at Rothschild & Co in Paris. In her earlier career, she was an operator in the art market, notably representing artists & artist estates at an international gallery and serving as CEO of a major contemporary art museum in Beijing. Presca holds a BA from Yale College; an MSc from the London School of Economics, where she was a Fulbright Scholar; and an MBA from INSEAD.
