Episode 291 - Kara LaForgia & Rich Gersten Venture Capital with Vision: Investing in the Future of Beauty

episode

Previously titled “Episode 291 - Venture Capital with Vision: Kara LaForgia & Rich Gersten on Investing in the Future of Beauty” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 4, 2026

WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY not yet transcribed

▲ 0

Transcript

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet Upvotes decide what gets transcribed next — 0 so far. Sign in to upvote

recent transcribed audio

The Ezra Klein Show: Jensen Huang Thinks A.I. Alarmism Has Gone Too Far 1h 50m · 25 Sep 2026 · Hard Fork

Pretty Little Episode #110 26 min · 25 Sep 2026 · Handsome

Be Upfront About How You Make Money From Your Podcast 2 min · 25 Sep 2026 · One Minute Podcast Tips - Be a Better Podcaster in Just 60 Seconds

High Stakes US-China Sit Down & Flock Surveillance Under Scrutiny | 9.25.26 19 min · 25 Sep 2026 · Morning Wire

Trump Spooked by Plane at Xi Meeting & Sen. Tuberville Rails Against Flying Furries | Merritt Wever 37 min · 25 Sep 2026 · The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Ireland collapse in Kosovo as Israel game looms 13 min · 25 Sep 2026 · Today with David McCullagh

Report any issue

Source

Recorded10 Sep 2025

Publisherfeeds.blubrry.com ↗

Handlerec:13901862

Show notes

In Episode 291 of Where Brains Meet Beauty with Jodi Katz, the spotlight turns to two investors redefining what it means to back beauty and wellness brands: Kara LaForgia, Founder & Managing Partner at Hive Ventures, and Rich Gersten, Co-Founder & General Partner at True Beauty Ventures. Their paths to venture capital could not be more different, yet both reflect the persistence, gut instincts, and passion that this industry demands.Kara’s story is one of constant reinvention. A lawyer by training, she started her career as an NFL sports agent, worked with Birdman and Lil Wayne at Cash Money Records, and went on to become the first employee at multiple startups before launching her own consulting business. From there, she began investing off her balance sheet, eventually managing capital for others and institutionalizing her approach under Hive Ventures. She describes herself as hands-on, gritty, and opportunistic, never afraid to step into an unfilled role or claim an open lane. For her, the ideal founder to back is someone who “eats, breathes, sleeps” their company, often an operator with deep experience at an early-stage brand who impresses her enough to think about them long after a meeting ends.Rich’s trajectory looks more traditional, but with its own twists. After business school, he entered private equity as a generalist, covering consumer companies across food, supplements, and retail. More than 20 years ago, he stumbled into his first beauty investment, Avalon Natural Products, followed by DDF Skincare. What began as an assignment from the founder of his firm “spend half your time on beauty” became a lifelong focus. Though initially skeptical, Gersten came to see beauty as uniquely resilient and endlessly dynamic. He recalls attending his first Women’s Wear Daily CEO Summit as the only private equity investor in the room, a stark contrast to today, where investors and bankers crowd those events alongside brand leaders. Five years ago, he co-founded True Beauty Ventures, a sector-specialized fund that now manages 20 brands across categories, channels, and geographies.Together, their perspectives reveal how beauty investing blends strategy with soul. The capital matters, but so do the founders, the vision, and the consumer connection. Both Hive Ventures and True Beauty Ventures may run lean teams, but they bring something more valuable than scale: deep expertise, empathy for founders, and an insider’s feel for where consumer trends are headed. As Gersten puts it, to invest successfully in beauty, you have to love it. Anything less just doesn’t stick.Thank you to our sponsor Beauty Connect. Get 10% off tickets with code WBMB.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related