How Latinas in Beauty Is Fostering a More Equitable Future

The non-profit organization, cofounded by Emily Perez, Margarita Arriagada and Nadine Tapia, is driving Latina representation in the beauty industry.

Latinas in Beauty / Courtesy of Latinas in Beauty

Pay It Forward is a column where we highlight women, brands, and organizations pushing for progress and affecting change within their respective industries. As part of our Pay With Change initiative, features are nominated by SI Swimsuit models, editors and community members. Today, we highlight Latinas in Beauty, a non-profit organization that is working to increase representation for Latina-owned brands and entrepreneurs in the industry.

While Latinas make up approximately 18% of the U.S. population, a mere 9% are in leadership roles within the beauty industry, according to the Latinas in Beauty Benchmark Report. Through their new non-profit, Latinas in Beauty, industry powerhouses Emily Perez, Margarita Arriagada and Nadine Tapia are dedicated to driving Latina representation and equity in the beauty industry while creating programming, community and leadership opportunities to support Latina professionals, from makeup artists to hairstylists.

“Together we are stronger and together we are raising awareness and creating the visibility that our community needs for us to shine,” Perez, who has 10 years of experience in the beauty industry at the corporate level, tells SI Swimsuit. “We are innovators. We are creators. We are leading this industry, not only as consumers, but as well as entrepreneurs and professionals, and we deserve a seat at the table.”

Nadine Tapia, Emily Perez and Margarita Arriagada / Courtesy of Latinas in Beauty

The non-profit’s Pledge for Equity initiative, which has been signed by the likes of Selena Gomez, founder of Rare Beauty, and Tata Harper, founder and CEO of Tata Harper Skincare, is one of the initial ways Latinas in Beauty is creating a call-to-action for the advancement of Latinas in the industry.

“[With the pledge, we want our] entire community of brand founders, content creators and professionals to see that change is coming, that there is a coalition, there is an organization that believes in them, that they can see who is behind them, and that they themselves can support,” Arriagada, founder of Valdé Beauty, says. “We intend to mobilize our community behind the organizations that support them, and really steer them and drive the change that we want to see happen.”

Networking and education are a huge component of the resources Latinas in Beauty offers. Tapia points out that learning about the supply chain and understanding how to create a brand budget are just a few of the many necessary tools for success within the beauty sphere.

“For me, it’s incredibly important to support early-stage founders, and at the same time, in order to see the change, we have to push forward those in the industry to get to those board seats, to get to those CEO roles, to get higher up on the executive ladder,” Tapia, founder and president of Tapia Beauty Group, explains. “And so we’re trying to really attack it from both ends, getting those people in the decision-making roles and also getting those [newer] brands prepared for things like Sephora retail.”

Latinas in Beauty / Courtesy of Latinas in Beauty

While the organization’s peer-to-peer network provides community support, Latinas in Beauty also offers exclusive educational opportunities, resources and in-person events for industry professionals. Next year, Latinas in Beauty will launch a mentorship and coaching program, along with a three-day course at Pepperdine University focused on topics like marketing and product development.

Ultimately, Latinas in Beauty’s goal is to see more Latina-founded beauty brands on retail shelves, along with more Latina industry professionals at the executive level. The non-profit also aims to highlight the community’s impressive purchasing power where beauty is concerned (which is 37% greater annually than non-Hispanic consumers), helping to further economic growth.

At the consumer level, individuals can be more conscious of the brands they’re supporting and the products they’re purchasing. Check out the non-profit’s Latina-owned beauty brands directory, and follow Latinas in Beauty on Instagram for updates here.