2025 LIFT Beauty Accelerator Partners with Coast to Coast Fulfillment to Help Underrepresented Beauty Brands Grow
Last Updated: August 22, 2025 | ⏱ 6 min
Coast to Coast Fulfillment is proud to support the 2025 LIFT Beauty Accelerator, an industry-shaping program that champions early-stage beauty founders from historically underrepresented communities.
Organized by Rare Beauty Brands in partnership with JCPenney Beauty, the LIFT program is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses through real-world support, expert mentorship, and access to capital.
We’re excited to contribute to this year’s mission to elevate emerging beauty brands by offering operational support that helps participants scale faster and smarter. Read on to learn more about Coast to Coast Fulfillment’s involvement in the 2025 LIFT Beauty Accelerator, and how you can apply.
About the LIFT Beauty Accelerator
Launched by Rare Beauty Brands, the LIFT Beauty Accelerator is designed to do exactly what its name suggests—accelerate early-stage beauty entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities. The program focuses on leveling the playing field in an industry where access to funding, distribution, and retail shelf space hasn’t always been equitable.
By combining mentorship, industry connections, operational support, and the opportunity for national retail exposure, LIFT helps founders turn great ideas into thriving businesses. Since its inception, the program has brought fresh beauty innovators into the spotlight and driven meaningful change in the indie brand space.
In 2024, LIFT awarded early-stage beauty brands with $10,000 grants, and it’s gearing up to do the same in 2025.
Coast to Coast Fulfillment’s Role
Coast to Coast Fulfillment has been a proud supporter of the LIFT Beauty Accelerator since day one. We believe that underrepresented founders deserve not only a seat at the table but also the tools and infrastructure to build sustainable, scalable businesses. That’s where we come in.
As the fulfillment partner for Rare Beauty Brands — including Patchology, Dr. Dana, and Dot Dot Dash — we understand the growing pains that come with scaling a beauty brand. One minute you're packing orders in your garage, and next your living room is overflowing with inventory. That setup may work for a while, but it’s not built to scale.
Coast to Coast Fulfillment has the infrastructure in place to help you take your order fulfillment to the next step. Our goal in the LIFT Accelerator is to ensure that when a brand is ready to grow—from inventory management to streamlining fulfillment—it has the operational support needed to move forward smoothly.
Here’s how Coast to Coast Fulfillment can help:
Warehousing and Inventory Management
Store your products safely in our secure facility with real-time tracking.
eCommerce Fulfillment
Fast, reliable order fulfillment for Shopify, Amazon, TikTok Shop, and more.
Omnichannel Fulfillment
Connect your sales channels across platforms to keep orders flowing and inventory in sync.
Kitting and Assembly
From influencer kits to custom bundles, we help bring your creative vision to life.
Retail and Wholesale Support
Need to prep products for retail or ship in bulk to partners like JCPenney? We’ve got you covered.
Scalable Support as You Grow
Whether you're shipping a few hundred orders or preparing for nationwide distribution, we have the resources and warehouse space to scale with you.
To further support this year’s cohort, we’re contributing $2,500 in “in-kind services” for this year’s winners, including a $500 credit toward onboarding and fulfillment fees at Coast to Coast Fulfillment. It’s our way of removing friction from the outsourcing process and helping you move confidently into the next stage of your business.
LIFT Beauty Accelerator 2025
The 2025 LIFT Beauty Accelerator is now open to early-stage beauty brands that meet the following criteria:
Applicants are 18 or older and from an underrepresented background in the beauty industry
Company is incorporated in the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada
Business is in early-stage status with no institutional funding, limited distribution, and less than $1 million in revenue
Beauty products—cosmetics, skincare, haircare, fragrance, etc.—must be at least at the prototype stage
Contestants will be evaluated on the following:
Compelling founder story and demonstrated commitment to the brand’s mission
Product innovation and early traction or customer engagement
Scalable business model and go-to-market strategy
Winners of the LIFT Beauty Accelerator 2025 Will Receive
NON-DILUTIVE FUNDING
Minimum of $10,000 to each of the program-winning brands
RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunity to pitch to JCPenney for potential in-store or online distribution
PRACTICAL MENTORSHIP
Personalized, real-time guidance from Rare Beauty Brands and partners
IN-KIND SERVICES
Coast to Coast Fulfillment: $2,500+ in kind services, including $500 credit towards onboarding and fulfillment fees for each of the three finalists
Validated Claim Support: $1,000 in kind services, including consulting + free product screening for each of the three finalists
The Benchmark Company: $20,000 worth of claims testing for each of the three finalists
Applications are now open. Visit the LIFT Beauty Accelerator page for full details and to apply. Applications close on September 22, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.
2024 Success Stories
Last year’s winners shared their experiences in the LIFT Accelerator program, and their insights speak volumes. Here’s what some of them had to say:
“We thoroughly enjoyed our experience with the LIFT Accelerator Program—from the mentorship, to the other brands in our cohort, and the services provided. We always left the monthly meetups with our other cohort members and the Rare Beauty Brands team having learned something new and with helpful, actionable insights that were immediately applicable to our business.”
Veena Krishnan
Co-Founder and CEO, Daybird
“Participating in the LIFT Accelerator Program was an incredibly valuable experience for me as a founder. The sessions were insightful, relevant, and thoughtfully led, and I especially appreciated how accessible the executive team was throughout the entire program. No question ever felt too small or insignificant—they truly created a safe, open space for learning and growth.”
Jamilia Powell
Founder, Naturally Drenched
“Winning gave me so much confidence to know my customers really want to see us grow and expand. The money we won went straight to the production and preparation to launch onto the major retailer’s website without hesitation. To be honest, the best part of winning the competition was having the Rare Beauty Brands team on my side.”
Kim Roxie
Founder and CEO, LAMIK Beauty
Want to Learn More About Order Fulfillment?
For beauty brands looking for a fulfillment partner that understands the industry and the fast pace of startup growth, Coast to Coast Fulfillment is here to help. With decades of experience working with indie and emerging beauty brands, we know what it takes to scale efficiently and successfully.
From custom kitting to omnichannel fulfillment, we offer the expertise and hands-on support needed to take your brand to the next level. Use the button below to schedule a free consultation and explore how Coast to Coast Fulfillment can support your business and accelerate your growth.