16. Emily Weiss, Glossier
Emily Weiss spent years in the beauty and fashion industry but disliked the “elitist” tone of most cosmetics content and advertising. In 2010, she launched a blog, Into the Gloss, spotlighting celebrities’ beauty routines and favorite products. The blog gained a passionate millennial following, and in 2014, Weiss tapped into those followers to launch Glossier, a cosmetics line with a “no-makeup makeup” aesthetic.
Using what she’d learned from her blog readers, she launched with four products marketed via Instagram. Eleven venture capitalists turned her down before Weiss got backing from a woman-led VC fund. Today, Glossier boasts two stores, over $100 million in annual revenue and long waiting lists for its products.