From Tuesday, February 22 to Monday, February 28, we’re celebrating the third annual National Black Estheticians’ Week, also known as NBEW—during the last week of Black History Month.
Please check our schedule of speakers, streaming live, right here on SpaSho.
Organization: Dell Medical School at The University
of Texas at Austin.
Dermatologist & Assistant Professor
Topic: Skin Cancer and Black People: Would Sunscreen Have Saved Bob Marley?
Organization: Brown Skin, Too. Founder
Lisa VanBockern tells the story of how she started Skin Script Skin Care, how she survived the first years of business, and how she developed skin care products highlighting the TCA peel designed for Fitzpatricks 4-6.
1pm EST: Julie Keller Callaghan
3pm EST: Rensl Dillon, PhD and Mina Georgewell
Organizations: PCA. EltaMD.
Rensl Dillon, PhD, Director of Research & Development at PCA SKIN & EltaMD Skincare
Mina Georgewill, Global Innovation Manager at EltaMD Skincare
Topic: Protection for Melanated Skin
Topic: Our Black Skin’s Health
Topic: Black Does Crack: Common Challenges and Solutions for Melanin Rich Skin
Topic: Tips and Tricks for Lash Artists
Topic: Growing and Sustaining Your Esthetic Business . . . Amid a Pandemic
Topic: Your Menu and You
1pm EST: Lashelle Ullie
3pm EST: Charity Hudnall
Adewole (Ade) Adamson, M.D., MPP, is a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. His primary clinical interest is in caring for patients at high risk for melanoma of the skin, such as those with many moles (particularly atypical moles) or a personal and/or family history of melanoma.
Adamson’s research involves understanding patterns of health care utilization including overuse and underuse in dermatology. He is interested in how effectively and efficiently the health care system delivers care to patients with skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States. He is passionate about health care disparities, access to specialty health care and health care costs. He speaks nationally about health care quality, value and the application of evidence-based medicine within dermatology.
Adamson is a proud graduate of Morehouse College, where he received a Bachelor of Science in biology and French. He later earned a medical degree with honors at Harvard Medical School as part of the health sciences and technology program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While in medical school he spent a year conducting basic science research in immunology at the National Institutes of Health and later earned a Master in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School as a Zuckerman fellow in the Center for Public Leadership.
He completed his internship in internal medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital followed by residency training in dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, where he was recognized with awards for his professionalism, leadership and community service work. After graduation, he spent three years on faculty in the department of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tereska E. James is the President & Founder of Brown Skin, Too (BST) which she began in December 2015 after the loss of her sister Tanya to melanoma. BST provides advocacy, prevention and education of melanoma, which is the most serious form of skin cancer, and promotes skin wellness for people with darker skin types.
Under the tutelage of melanoma expert, Dr. Ade Adamson with the University of Texas at Austin, Tereska established The Tanya A. Haman Melanoma Research Fund which seeks to provide research funding focused to address healthcare disparities around melanoma.
Tanya’s story and Brown Skin, Too were featured in a June 2018 article from “O” Magazine called Save Our Skin which focused on skincare activism for black women. Tereska also serves as a collaborative partner with the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) where she participated in a Facebook Live session for their 25th Anniversary Special Guest Series focused on melanoma in people of color and the health disparities that they face in honor of Black History Month. She also delivered the keynote address in 2020 for their annual Advocacy & Hill Day which sought to secure additional funding and awareness for melanoma research from congressional leaders.
Ms. James is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. In addition to serving on the Board of the Classical Theatre of Harlem, she previously served as Co-Chair of the African-American Womens’ Leadership Council for the Chicago Foundation for Women. And, she was the Associate Board Chair of Scholarship Chicago. Tereska was also honored as a “Tomorrow’s Leaders Today” recipient by Public Allies, an organization geared towards advancing new leadership to strengthen communities, nonprofits and civic participation.
Along with Brown Skin, Too, Tereska is an advertising executive with more than 15 years in agency account management experience and has served as a driving force across marketing agencies including McCann Worldgroup, Wunderman, DDB, Burrell Communications and Havas. She’s led consumer and B2B focused initiatives for world-class organizations such as Citibank, Bank of America, The Home Depot, Midas, Sears, ExxonMobil and Procter & Gamble.
Tereska, born and raised in Delaware, received her undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and currently resides in the greater Boston, MA area.
Lisa, the owner and founder of Skin Script Skin Care, is an aesthetician with a primary background in medical aesthetics. Her focus is on corrective skin care for all ethnicities. She cares about aestheticians and their success. She feels that the best foundation is the relationship with the customer and ensuring success all around: in business and in the effects of great skin care. She believes this is achieved through effective products, exceptional customer service, fast shipping and quality education. She wants to empower aestheticians to customize and make wise treatment choices, rather than relying solely on protocols.
Pamela Springer has been in the aesthetics industry for more than 20 years. She is a highly sought-after speaker for TV, medical conferences, aesthetic trade shows and of course Instagram Lives! She has appeared on Oprah, and a variety of local and national tv shows on networks such as: Fox, NBC and ABC.
As an expert in aesthetics, Ms. Springer addresses the beauty industry’s lack of specialized training when it comes to the skin differences between people of other races.
Her company, Global Skin Solutions, has become a national continuing education provider for the California Board of Registered Nursing. Being a Continuing Education provider allows Ms. Springer to train medical staff on the nuances of ethnic skin; how to lower risk factors and enhance results.
Her passion is educating other skin care professionals on the unique nuances of ethnic, pigmented skin. Before opening The Skin & Makeup Institute of Arizona in 2000, Pamela studied under a board-certified dermatologist and medical school professor specializing in Ethno-Dermatology.
She is also the author of, “Don’t Be Left in the Dark: Learn How to Master Chemical Peels and More.
Julie Keller Callaghan is the co-founder of Well Defined, a comprehensive wellness resource for industry professionals and consumers. She is also an executive recruiter and marketing specialist for Hutchinson Consulting, as well as a consultant and strategist for numerous wellness brands.
Additionally, she is a seasoned journalist who specializes in spa, travel, health, wellness, beauty, and sustainability. Previously, Julie led the American Spa team for 15 years as the editor-in-chief and publisher.
Under her leadership, the brand evolved to include a print publication, a website, an active social media community, multiple awards programs, and numerous events. She is the founder of the American Spa Women in Wellness Leadership Conferences and the American Spa CBD Summit.
She was named a 2019 Folio Top Woman in Media in the Industry Trailblazers category, and she and her team won an ISPA Innovate Award in 2018 for their work with women in leadership.
As the Director of R&D at CP Skin Health Group Inc., Rensl Dillon is responsible for delivering the innovation pipeline for professional skin care brands PCA Skin, EltaMD & Filorga by translating technical pillars in areas like pro-aging, aesthetic procedures, and skin protection into best-in-class products. Rensl has a passion for bringing transformative technology to the forefront of his work. Most recently, his contributions include the launch of PCA’s Exlinea Pro Peptide Serum and the EltaMD Skin Recovery System, which both utilize patented ingredient technologies.
Rensl has an extensive background in R&D at Colgate which spans from identifying horizon technology platforms in eCommerce to bringing advancements in oral care to market. A holder of ten patents, he attributes his training in Sythentics & Design Thinking Facilitation to his success in leading teams across Colgate to deliver exceptional innovation.
In addition to completing his M.S. & Ph.D in Inorganic Chemistry at Northwestern University, Rensl has worked as a research collaborator at the Center for Energy & Environmental Studies at Princeton University. He holds a B.A. in Chemistry and a B.A. Economics from Clark University.
Mina is the Global Senior Brand and Innovation Manager for EltaMD Skin Care, the #1 dermatologist-recommended sun care brand in the US. Through Mina’s naturally curious mindset and passion for skin care, she leads EltaMD to develop cosmetically elegant sun care products with all skin types and lifestyles in mind. She believes in the power of sun protection and seeks formulas that set the benchmark for what a sunscreen can do.
A true citizen of the world, Mina has vast global innovation experience leading product development and brand management for acclaimed consumer goods companies such as Target, Henkel and PZ Cussons in Africa, Europe and North America. She holds a Masters degree from the University of West London in Business & Corporate Communications and a Bachelor’s degree from Rivers State University, Nigeria.
Katie Anderson is the Editor In Chief of Skin Inc., a role she has served since 2015. Katie had a passion for beauty, even before she made it a career, having grown up working summers sweeping hair and running perm rods in her aunt’s salon. She has been a beauty editor for over 17 years, starting her career covering beauty and lifestyle for Chicago-based lifestyle magazine Chicago Scene before making her way to cosmetic science and formulation magazine Cosmetics & Toiletries and then later to Skin Inc. She currently serves as Editor In Chief over Allured Business Media’s professional beauty brands including Skin Inc., WellSpa 360, Nailpro and Beauty Launchpad. Katie is an avid follower of beauty trends, often trying new things on herself, and she lives for a good facial massage.
Katina Gilmore is very well versed in not only skin, but in health as well. She is a: Registered Nurse, a Licensed Esthetician and a Licensed Esthetics Educator.
She specializes in educating and treating Afro-ethnic skin concerns, specifically acne conditions. She has trained extensively in acne treatments, medical aesthetic procedures such as: botox, fillers, laser therapy and body contouring.
She is the Founder of: Black Estheticians & Skin Therapists Association; the Coco Pod: Botanical Boutique & Skin Therapy Suite; The Pink Pineapple: Sugar & Steam Spa; and The Skin Health Coach: Advanced Skincare Education
As a nurse who practices esthetics, she cares for the whole person—the whole body.
Jacquelyn Hill brings almost 30 years of experience to IMAGE Skincare’s domestic sales team. As the Director of Business Development -School Division, Jacquelyn is responsible for the strategic growth of IMAGE Skincare’s school partnerships.
With a varied background in nearly every facet of the skincare industry, Jacquelyn draws on her experience as an Aesthetician, certified medical electrologist, laser technician, and licensed esthetics instructor to develop and maintain key business partnerships.
She is as passionate about skincare as she is about helping accounts reach their full potential, and we are thrilled to have someone with her expertise as the leader of the IMAGE School Program.
Dawn joined PCA SKIN as a Business Development Consultant in 2009, where her desire to become involved in all aspects of our customers’ practices led her to become a Certification Specialist and eventually advancing into a Corporate educator and International educator in 2012. Prior to joining PCA SKIN, she worked for a plastic surgeon for two years and eventually started her own private practice. As she was researching different skin care lines, she was most impressed with PCA SKIN’s vision, treatment philosophy and support. Dawn is passionate about sharing her experience with all of her students, and is able to customize her classes to fit the individual needs of each and every practice and their patients.
Tracy is an accomplished executive with more than 20 years experience leading and building national and international companies. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and thrives on keeping up with the latest beauty trends and products. Tracy holds a Bachelor’s degree from University Wisconsin, Eau Claire.
Mia opened Mia’s Minks in 2010 to offer quality eyelashes in San Jose, California and later opened Mia’s Lash Labs in 2014; a training and learning center for eyelash extensions, also in San Jose, California. In January 2017, she opened her Houston, Texas training and learning center, then shortly closed in 2020 due to Covid. Mia continue to run Mia’s Lash Labs and remained enthusiastic about learning as a student. As a connector within her company she strives for on-going education so she can offer growth, integrity, and the best quality services possible. Mia is founder of the Lash Artist & PMU Artist Club Inc. created in August of 2021 on Clubhouse and has offered a platform for a large community from Artist who are just starting out to those advancing greatly in the Eyelash Extentions, Beauty Esthetic and the PMU Industry. The Lash Artist & PMU Artist Club is a non profit that aims to offer support and information that is shared openly to the community in the beauty industries. Mia is the connector who seeks to recognize value in brands, the Beauty Professionals and assist the advancement of individual Artist through her school Mia’s Lash Lab and through the non-profit Lash Artist & PMU Artist Club.
Toshiana is a licensed esthetician for 16+ years who grew into an international educator, traveling globally to facilitate spa and beauty-related programs that she created. At one time, she led a team of 250+ estheticians nationally as the Director of Esthetics for an iconic luxury spa chain Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas with over 30 locations. She was also the Regional Operations Director of four full-service spa/salons, including two inside of Saks Fifth Avenue and the Education Executive for the iconic brow artistry brand Anastasia Beverly Hills. Toshiana also held positions of leadership at other luxury influencer brands in spa, cosmetics, and retail. In 2016, became a full-time entrepreneur who parlays her wealth of experience in spa training, operations and development to help small business owners, solo practitioners and independent brands grow and scale through her consultancy, SpaWorx.
Seeing a gap in the spa and wellness space for support, professional development, resources, and education for underrepresented and marginalized spa pros, she founded the Network of Multicultural Spa and Wellness Professionals (NMSWP) to be the gap filler.
Aliesh Pierce, LE is the founder of AskAliesh Skin Care. She is also the author of Treating Diverse Pigmentation, a textbook for estheticians. She began her career in the beauty industry as a makeup artist living between Milan and Zurich. Moving back to the states, she immediately attracted celebrity clients and became the personal makeup artist of Queen Latifah, India.Arie, Ming Na Wen, and even the Obama family. However, when she wanted to get to the core of her clients’ concerns, she turned to skin care and has been a licensed esthetician for almost 20 years.
As an educator, Aliesh trains estheticians to develop a multi-ethnic approach to skin care through her online portal, AskAliesh Learning. Her aesthetics career also includes holding positions as the Director of Education for DMK Clinical Skin Revision and Veria Ayurvedic Skincare, the Marketing Manager for R&E Cosmetics Labs, and the Product Training Specialist for Vitality Institute (VIPeel). She also had a hand in formulating products for Daily Concepts and the new Viola Rouge cosmetics line.
Having honed her skills as a keynote speaker at esthetics trade shows and conferences all over the country, Aliesh now shares her philosophy of diversity and equity with corporations. To date she has shared her message with DermStore in California, Jafra Cosmetics in Italy and Switzerland, an international investment group in Guangzhou China, and on the TEDx stage at Los Angeles City College.
Aliesh currently divides her time working as an independent consultant for emerging brands and offering transformative skincare services at her skin treatment studio in Philadelphia, PA.
Jah Crystal is a personal beauty and wellness life coach. She is a traditionally trained herbalist and master trained skin care specialist with an innate gift of science. Jah Crystal is currently licensed in Washington State as an esthetician and manages BWL Spa Suites, in Lakewood, WA. Jah Crystal shares with you her knowledge of over 30 years experience practicing herbal beauty medicine using a unique system she created called “5 Energies of Skin©”.
Gratitude = Blessings,
Keon is a multiple elevator pitch winner who has partnered with your favorite brands and is the creator of the “Food Truck Empire: 7 keys to Building a 7-Figure Mobile Business” book and mentor program.
MAKING SMOOTHIE MAGIC recipe book and podcast. Smoothie and juice company that specializes in experience.
Sisters and medical professionals, Wendy Jules (RN, BSN) and Carla Nelson (RN, LE) have a passion for caring to melanin-rich skin and celebrating Black women in luxury. In 2016, the sister duo opened Fleur De Lis Beauty & Esthetics in Brooklyn, NY as a MedSpa where luxury treatments meet technology, with a clinical punch.
Specializing in medical grade Chemical Peels, Injectables and beauty techniques tailored for skin of color, Fleur De Lis Beauty & Esthetics offers services that cater to physical and mental wellness through education with innovative treatments including; Personalized Facials, Microneedling, Teeth Whitening, Massage Therapy and IV Hydration.
Wendy Jules is a passionate Aesthetic Registered Nurse and co-owner of Fleur De Lis Beauty & Esthetics nestled right in the heart of Brooklyn, NY. Before launching Fleur De Lis Beauty, Wendy spent years training under NYC’s top dermatologist and plastic surgeons. Prior to working in skincare, Wendy travelled the world as a Crisis Nurse assisting people during natural disasters and casualties. Wendy’s top goal at Fleur De Lis Beauty is to engineer skincare and wellness that will take center stage in the daily lives of her clients by providing a focus on beauty, self-care, and a healthy lifestyle through education.
Carla Nelson is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Medical Esthetician by the state of New York and co-owner of Fleur De Lis Beauty & Esthetics. Knowledgeable, passionate, loving and dedicated to caring for skin of color, Carla has trained under NYC’s top dermatologist and plastic surgeons prior to starting Fleur De Lis Beauty. Her goal is to provide luxury result driven corrective and wellness treatments for skin of color. Carla is dedicated to the field of Aesthetic Nursing and has spent countless number of hours studying corrective measures for skin of color, investing in the best products and innovate technology to ensure results.
Fleur De Lis Beauty & Esthetics is a Medical Spa whose overall goal by the founders as clinicians and sisters, is to assist their clients with various beauty enhancing treatments and techniques. Fleur De Lis Beauty & Esthetics has grown their clientele to include various celebrities & influencers who trust their skin to Fleur De Lis Beauty & Esthetics including SZA, Angela Yee, Yvette-Noel Scheure, Neil Farinah, Kéla Walker, Claire Sulmers, and Ursula Stephen by utilizing their expertise and high-end skincare technology. At Fleur De Lis Beauty & Esthetics, they believe that beauty isn’t just a look, it’s a lifestyle. Visit www.fdlbeauty.com for the full menu of services and @fleurdelisbeauty to see results and treatment processes.
Check out their SpaSho profile here.
Darnell brings a level of experience within the Aesthetic, Capital equipment, Skin care and practice development. His expertise with sales and marketing has afford him the ability to remain relevant for 24yrs in the aesthetic industry. Darnell knows a lot of people in the industry, from Dermatologists, Plastic surgeons, Practitioners, Estheticians, salon and spa owners.
Prior to joining the Universal Companies, Wise was the Vice President of Sales for DermaMed Solutions, Where he was very instrumental in increasing their skin care and aesthetic devices within the US market. Wise was also the Vice President of Domina Skin Care (Rome, Italy). Where he was responsible for building a national sales organization to launch the Italian brand within the U.S. Under Wise leadership the company gain market share in the physicians and medical spas market. During his tenure with Domina, he increased sales by 100% in the U.S. over a two-year period, and built a team of 14 sales representatives in key markets. Wise also built a new distribution channel for the brand, while managing corporate accounts and key relationships with existing customers.
Wise was the Regional Manager for Renew Advantage (Twinsburg, Ohio) for the north east region (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland) from August 2012 to January 2014. At Renew Advantage, he was a practice management consultant with a focus on the Cosmetic/Aesthetic medical industry, and managed a national customized patient reward program for aesthetic physicians. Previously, Wise was National Sales Director for Light Age, Inc. (Somerset, New Jersey), a leading global provider of laser hair removal, tattoo removal and aesthetic products, from 2007 through 2012. In this role, Wise led a team of 10 outside sales representatives, Independent sales representatives and distributors within the U.S. which resulted in sales that exceed $12 million annually, and increased the company’s sales by 39 percent from 2009 to 2012.
His career in the skin care and aesthetics industry began in 1996 at NeoStrata Co. (Princeton, New Jersey), developers and marketers of a comprehensive range of clinically-proven, dermatologist developed skin care products. As Director of Professional Sales from 1996 through 2007, Wise was responsible for overall sales and sales team management; oversight of an inbound customer service team; key account development; and sales for five dermatologic brands. He consistently exceeded product sales quotas and objectives while upholding product positioning message and corporate integrity. Wise successfully seeded, launched and sold in and sold-through new products nationally to physician’s offices and managed care groups including Kaiser, Cleveland Clinic, Marshfield Clinic, Mercy Health Group, and Prescription Solution. He also developed and maintained close professional relationships with influential ‘key opinion leader’ physicians in dermatology, plastic surgery, OBGYN, primary care and family practices.
Wise attended Philadelphia Biblical University (now known as Cairn University) where he majored in Social work and Pastoral studies. He is a Certified Trainer of Professional Selling Skills and a Certified Professional Sales Coach, and resides in Chesterfield, New Jersey.
Wise take proud in being personally trained by the inventors of Alpha hydroxyl acid and their benefits, Dr. Van Scott and Dr Rey Yu. And Dr. Donald Heller and Dr. John Walling, the inventors of the Alexandrite laser technology. This has given him firsthand knowledge, wisdom and experience as a skin care specialist.
Wise is also certified in chemical peels, microdermabrasion, IPL, laser hair and tattoo removal just to mention a few. He has won many awards and have been asked to share his journey along with given talks about the aesthetic industry on many topics.
Wise is also co-partner of Electrolysis & Therapeutic Skin Care By Tracy in New Hope PA.
Lashelle Ullie is an LA licensed medical esthetician, skin care specialist, grooming expert, and makeup artist. His celebrity clients have included Kelly Rowland, Toni Braxton, Pat Cleveland, Robi Reed, Emma Watson, Johnny Galecki, Toni Collette, and many other entertainment insiders and celebrities.
His passion for makeup artistry and skincare led to a 20+ year career working in cosmetics and product development with Neiman Marcus, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Bobbi Brown, MAC Cosmetics, and many, many other high-end brands. Lashelle empowers his clients with easy, affective and accessible skin care treatments that result in healthy-looking skin and effortless self-confidence. His Purpose is the education of normalizing mens skin care through the mindset of self-care.
Please check out his SpaSho profile here.
Charity Hudnall is the Vice President of Marketing at Vagaro, the leading business management software for companies and entrepreneurs in the beauty, wellness, and fitness industries. She believes in reaching audiences authentically and creatively, bringing a personal touch to every outreach effort.
Because of her professional passion for helping small business owners in these industries achieve their dreams, she’s led her team in a direction that actively seeks out opportunities for new or improved features within the platform; whether it’s by directly listening to customer feedback or astutely identifying untapped areas of potential.
Her personal passion is developing youth and empowering women to be successful with their careers and personal life goals. She has also held various positions with nonprofit organizations such as, Women Executives Achieving Change Today (WEACT), Girl Scouts, Youth Achieving Destiny(YAD), and more.