Episode 290 - Kevin Kim Crafting Beauty’s Future: Founder-Led Brands and Global Growth

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Previously titled “Episode 290 - Crafting Beauty’s Future: Kevin Kim on Founder-Led Brands and Global Growth” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 4, 2026

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Recorded27 Aug 2025

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In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty we meet Kevin Kim the Director of Beauty & Personal Care Investment Banking at Raymond James. His career journey didn’t begin with balance sheets and deal rooms it began with medicine.As the oldest son of two psychiatrists, Kevin grew up assuming he’d follow in their footsteps. But by late high school, he realized his path needed to be his own. Drawn to a more global career, he pivoted from pre-med aspirations to business, ultimately landing in investment banking.His early years at Houlihan Lokey provided a crash course in analytics and resilience. But financial services M&A, mortgage servicing rights and insurance deals left him craving work that was more dynamic, more connected to culture. That pivot came when he joined boutique bank Financo in New York, where a chance partnership with beauty M&A legend Vennette Ho introduced him to founder-led brands and the artistry of storytelling in finance.From helping Lily Gordon of First Aid Beauty raise early capital, to later selling the brand to P&G, Kevin learned that beauty transactions are never just about numbers, they’re about people. Founders bring vision, quirks, and dreams to the table, and he leaned on skills inherited from his psychiatrist parents: listening deeply, decoding motivations, and helping brands show up as their best selves when it matters most.Today at Raymond James, Kevin has worked on more than 25 beauty deals, guiding brands through capital raises, acquisitions, and exits. He and his team specialize in founder-led businesses, translating brand “sparkle” into financial value while advising buyers on how to preserve the magic post-acquisition. His lens is global covering fragrance booms in Paris, K-beauty trends from Seoul, and indie darlings in Sephora aisles.His leadership style reflects the same ethos: hands-on, people-first, and rooted in immersion. New analysts join him on “Sephora field trips,” learning that to advise in beauty, you must love the category, feel the consumer pulse, and respect its nuances.For Kevin the real thrill isn’t just closing a deal it’s knowing that a beloved brand has a shot at its next chapter, that founder visions are honored, and that beauty continues to evolve as a global language.Thank you to our sponsor Beauty Connect - get 10% off tickets with code WBMB.

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