Thrive Causemetics: Karissa Bodnar. How a Beauty Business Made Millions for a Mission
Karissa Bodnar, founder of Thrive Causemetics, explains how the death of her friend Christy Lamond inspired her to leave L'Oréal and build a beauty brand with a mission to give back to cancer patients and other causes. She details the formulation of specialized false eyelashes and waterproof adhesatives free of toxic ingredients, funding early production through her life savings and a full-time job at Bulletproof while pitching major retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom who rejected the vision. After years of struggling with near-zero sales, a viral moment driven by customer advocacy for her Infinity Waterproof Eyeliner propelled the company to $30 million in revenue, leading to a strategic decision to remain direct-to-consumer and privately held to maintain control and focus.