Briogeo: Nancy Twine
Nancy Twine, founder of Briogeo, explains how she transitioned from a Goldman Sachs trader to launching a natural hair care brand after her mother's death inspired her to create effective, clean products for all hair textures. She details the struggle to find a contract manufacturer willing to formulate without sulfates or silicones, leading to a partnership with a small Midwest lab and a strategic decision to launch with only four SKUs instead of fifteen. Twine describes securing her first $100,000 investment from Phil Palmetto after a pitch event, using that capital to secure an initial order from Urban Outfitters and later a test launch at Sephora, which ultimately drove the brand to $40 million in sales.