{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"133795","rtpr_id":"nBw6kRnM4a","ticker":"ULTA","exchange":"NASDAQ","all_tickers":["ULTA"],"title":"Ulta Beauty Announces 2026 MUSE Accelerator Cohort","author":"Business Wire","published_at":"2026-09-02T12:00:01.498Z","article_body":"Ulta Beauty Announces 2026 MUSE Accelerator Cohort\n\nThe Muse Accelerator Program Celebrates Five Years of Supporting Emerging\nBrand Founders \n\n\n * Ulta Beauty announces the 8 brands selected for the fifth annual MUSE\nAccelerator Program, a 10-week program providing early-stage brands with\nfunding, mentorship and retail-readiness resources.\n\n * The 2026 MUSE Accelerator will award $410,000 in funding – $50,000 to each\nparticipating brand, plus an additional $10,000 award to a recipient selected\nby Ulta Beauty and the Fifteen Percent Pledge – to help founders accelerate\ngrowth and prepare for national retail distribution.\n\n * Since launching in 2022, Ulta Beauty’s MUSE Accelerator has supported 30+\nearly-stage brands, awarded more than $1.5 million in funding and provided\n150+ coaching hours.\n\nUlta Beauty, the nation’s largest beauty retailer, has selected the 8 beauty\nand wellness brands that will participate in the fifth annual MUSE Accelerator\nProgram, as part of Ulta Beauty’s ongoing dedication to supporting brand\ndevelopment and retail readiness.\n\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/)\n\n2026 MUSE Accelerator brands\n\nStarting September 14, these early-stage brands spanning haircare, skincare,\nfragrance, cosmetics and body care, will kick-off an enriching 10-week journey\nthat includes a robust curriculum, mentorship and funding to fuel growth and\nprepare for retail distribution.\n\nMeet the 2026 MUSE Accelerator Cohort:\n\n\n * Jade Mui-Wong & Tina Mui, AWARE Hair: AWARE Hair is a professional scalp\nwellness brand redefining proactive care at the root. Designed for the modern\nneeds of scalp and hair, the brand’s high-performance formulas support\nholistic scalp health without compromising luxurious salon results.\n\n * Osaremi Sade Parham, Blue Water Girls: A Caribbean-inspired beauty brand\nbringing the feeling of a private island escape to sun and body care. Through\nclean, glow-enhancing formulas and joyful storytelling, the brand inspires\neveryone to embrace the sun and celebrate their natural radiance.\n\n * Alexis Flores, Dos Mundos: Dos Mundos is a Latin-owned luxury fragrance house\nrooted in culture, memory and the feeling of living between worlds. Through\nscent, the brand translates Latin stories into modern, intimate and elevated\nfragrances made to feel personal, emotional and deeply lived-in.\n\n * Jordan Polk, MIA Outdoor Hair™: Redefining hair care for life outdoors with\nhigh-performance formulas designed to address the unique stressors hair and\nscalp face outside. The brand’s hero product, HairBlock™, is a\ntexture-aware leave-in serum powered by a three-UV-filter system and\nsustainable biotechnology to help support hair against the drying and damaging\neffects of sun, salt water and chlorine.\n\n * Jenny Ching Lien Farelli, Mochiglow: A fine fragrance house inspired by the\nscents of Asian desserts & drinks. Mochiglow transforms flavors like rice,\nmochi and matcha into perfumes that capture feelings of joy, comfort and\nnostalgia.\n\n * Monica Stevens, MoKnowsHair: A salon-quality collection of products for all\ncurl types and textures, formulated by Master Cosmetologist MoKnowsHair, to\nhelp you have the BEST, healthiest version of your hair.\n\n * Ernestine Cecelia Meadows, Prados Beauty: An award-winning beauty brand\nfounded by Xicana and Yoeme makeup artist Cece Meadows to create authentic\nrepresentation and visibility for Indigenous communities in the beauty\nindustry. Through high-performance, culturally inspired cosmetics and\nmeaningful collaborations with Indigenous artists, Prados Beauty celebrates\nidentity, creativity and community while making beauty a space where everyone\nbelongs.\n\n * Sana Mithani & Lizna Kabani, Prereq Care: The self-care bridge for how Gen\nAlpha actually lives, co-founded with 50 real preteens and teens who shaped\nevery decision from formula to packaging. On-the-go, microbiome-friendly,\ndermatologist-approved formulas manage odor, calm redness and protect the skin\nbarrier through the shifts of puberty — built for backpacks, not bathrooms,\nand all the in-between moments of life.\n\n“For five years, MUSE has elevated emerging voices with the potential to\nshape the future of beauty, providing founders with greater access to the\nresources, mentorship and support that can help them succeed,” said Lauren\nBrindley, chief merchandising and digital officer at Ulta Beauty. “We’re\nproud to have supported 32 brands and counting and look forward to seeing the\nimpact this next cohort will have on our industry.”\n\nMUSE Accelerator: Five Years of Impact\n\nLaunched in 2022, the MUSE Accelerator supports Ulta Beauty’s ongoing\nefforts to magnify, uplift, support and empower underrepresented voices in the\nindustry while curating an inclusive assortment that represents All Things\nBeauty, All In One Place(®) for beauty enthusiasts. In the program’s five\nyears, the MUSE Accelerator has become a proven incubator, thoughtfully\nidentifying and nurturing founders with strong vision, efficacious products\nand scalable potential.\n\nThrough MUSE, Ulta Beauty has:\n\n\n * Supported 30+ early-stage brands\n\n * Awarded $1.5MM+ in funding\n\n * Provided over 150 coaching hours\n\n * Launched multiple brands into the Ulta Beauty ecosystem for distribution,\nincluding Pound Cake, Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, Scarlet by RedDrop and Ocoa\n\nAbout MUSE Accelerator\n\nEach brand in the 2026 MUSE Accelerator cohort receives $50,000 in financial\nsupport to help accelerate their business and valuable resources to establish\na foundation for long-term success. Additionally, Ulta Beauty and long-time\npartner Fifteen Percent Pledge will select one member of the cohort to receive\nan additional $10K award, based on the brand’s sales growth, whitespace\nopportunity and community impact. In total, Ulta Beauty will grant $410K in\nfunds to eight brands.\n\nA core component of the Accelerator is the 10-week curriculum intentionally\ndesigned to equip participants with real-life skills to succeed in retail,\nincluding brand strategy and positioning, fundamentals for retail success, and\nsupply chain logistics, as well as the opportunity to pitch Ulta Beauty retail\nmerchants and network with investors.\n\nMUSE participants will also hear first-hand from influential voices in the\nbeauty and wellness space through intimate fireside chats featuring Deepica\nMutyala, CEO and founder of Live Tinted; Grace Ray, CEO of Cécred; Nancy\nTwine, founder of Briogeo; Jessica Cruel, editor in chief at Allure Magazine;\nChelsea Riggs, founder of Amika; Dianna Ruth, founder of Milk Makeup; and\nCristina Nuñez, founder of True Beauty Ventures, among others.\n\n2026 MUSE Accelerator Mentors\n\nIn addition to obtaining the necessary knowledge and financial support needed\nto grow a business, MUSE participants are surrounded with a network of\nexperienced leaders from Ulta Beauty and other brand founders within Ulta\nBeauty’s brand portfolio, creating impactful connections and relationships\nthat endure beyond the 10-week program.\n\nThe MUSE Accelerator mentors for 2026 are:\n\n\n * Shontay Lundy, Creator and Founder of Black Girl Sunscreen\n\n * Priscilla Tsai, Founder and CEO of Cocokind\n\n * Gina Woods, CEO and Co-Founder of Donna’s Recipe\n\n * Nils Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of Good Molecules\n\n * Alicia Grande, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Grande Cosmetics\n\n * Ju Rhyu, Co-Founder of Hero Cosmetics\n\n * Malena Higuera, CEO of NOYZ\n\n * Julissa Prado, CEO of Rizos Curls\n\n * Tony Prado, Co-Founder and COO of Rizos Curls\n\n“We are honored to return as mentors in Ulta Beauty’s 2026 MUSE\nAccelerator Program,” said Julissa Prado and Tony Prado, co-founders of\nRizos Curls. “Rizos Curls lives by the 3 C’s of Curls, Community and\nCulture, and we are deeply connected to empowering the next generation of\nentrepreneurs with the insights and resources that have been instrumental in\nour own journey as founders. Having experienced firsthand the wide scope of\nbuilding and scaling a brand, we know how meaningful it can be to have access\nto mentorship, community and the right resources to succeed at retail. We’re\nproud to play a role in MUSE to help the next generation turn their visions\ninto lasting and impactful brands.”\n\nNew this year, Ulta Beauty is introducing Alumni Spotlights to its programming\nto celebrate the MUSE participants who have accelerated their businesses since\ncompleting the program and pass on valuable learnings to this year’s cohort.\nFeatured alumni include OCOA, Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, Scarlet by Red Drop\nand POOM Cosmetics.\n\nOCOA, a 2024 MUSE Accelerator alum, launched in more than 460 Ulta Beauty\nstores and on Ulta.com in August 2025. As the first Dominican hair care brand\nat Ulta Beauty, OCOA is now celebrating its first year at Ulta Beauty – an\nexciting milestone in the brand’s continued growth and journey since\nparticipating in the Accelerator program.\n\n“Being accepted into the MUSE program transformed the entire trajectory of\nour business,” said Cory Varona and Nicol Varona, co-founders of OCOA.\n“The program didn’t just prepare us for national retail, it provided the\nfinancial investment, world-class mentorship and internal sponsorship needed\nto scale into over 460 Ulta Beauty stores just a year later in 2025. It truly\ntakes a village to thrive at this level, and the generosity of the brand\nmentors, merchant partners and the entire Ulta Beauty team gave us the\nblueprint and confidence to execute our dream.”\n\nTo learn more, visit http://www.ulta.com/muse-accelerator\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fmuse-accelerator&esheet=54597441&newsitemid=20260902181965&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fmuse-accelerator&index=1&md5=6eb6ce99eb5753c559bd38f61cb66541)\n.\n\nAbout Ulta Beauty\n\nUlta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA) is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the\nU.S. and a leading destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care,\nwellness and salon services. Since opening its first store in 1990, Ulta\nBeauty has grown to more than 1,500 stores across the U.S. and redefined\nbeauty retail by bringing together All Things Beauty. All in One Place(®).\nWith an expansive product assortment, professional salon services, and its\nbeloved Ulta Beauty Rewards loyalty program, the company delivers seamless,\npersonalized experiences across stores, Ulta.com and the Ulta Beauty App –\nwhere the possibilities are truly beautiful. Ulta Beauty is also expanding its\npresence internationally through its subsidiary, Space NK, a luxury beauty\nretailer operating in the U.K. and Ireland, its joint venture in Mexico, and\nits franchise in the Middle East. For more information, visit www.ulta.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2F&esheet=54597441&newsitemid=20260902181965&lan=en-US&anchor=www.ulta.com&index=2&md5=d9c58d79f4f33e8245499961bf8c2a99)\n.\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/)\n\nUlta Beauty Media Contact: PR@Ulta.com (mailto:PR@Ulta.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nBw6kRnM4a","title":"Ulta Beauty Announces 2026 MUSE Accelerator Cohort","author":"Business Wire","ticker":"ULTA","created":"2026-09-02T12:00:01.498Z","tickers":["ULTA"],"exchange":"NASDAQ","article_body":"Ulta Beauty Announces 2026 MUSE Accelerator Cohort\n\nThe Muse Accelerator Program Celebrates Five Years of Supporting Emerging\nBrand Founders \n\n\n * Ulta Beauty announces the 8 brands selected for the fifth annual MUSE\nAccelerator Program, a 10-week program providing early-stage brands with\nfunding, mentorship and retail-readiness resources.\n\n * The 2026 MUSE Accelerator will award $410,000 in funding – $50,000 to each\nparticipating brand, plus an additional $10,000 award to a recipient selected\nby Ulta Beauty and the Fifteen Percent Pledge – to help founders accelerate\ngrowth and prepare for national retail distribution.\n\n * Since launching in 2022, Ulta Beauty’s MUSE Accelerator has supported 30+\nearly-stage brands, awarded more than $1.5 million in funding and provided\n150+ coaching hours.\n\nUlta Beauty, the nation’s largest beauty retailer, has selected the 8 beauty\nand wellness brands that will participate in the fifth annual MUSE Accelerator\nProgram, as part of Ulta Beauty’s ongoing dedication to supporting brand\ndevelopment and retail readiness.\n\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/)\n\n2026 MUSE Accelerator brands\n\nStarting September 14, these early-stage brands spanning haircare, skincare,\nfragrance, cosmetics and body care, will kick-off an enriching 10-week journey\nthat includes a robust curriculum, mentorship and funding to fuel growth and\nprepare for retail distribution.\n\nMeet the 2026 MUSE Accelerator Cohort:\n\n\n * Jade Mui-Wong & Tina Mui, AWARE Hair: AWARE Hair is a professional scalp\nwellness brand redefining proactive care at the root. Designed for the modern\nneeds of scalp and hair, the brand’s high-performance formulas support\nholistic scalp health without compromising luxurious salon results.\n\n * Osaremi Sade Parham, Blue Water Girls: A Caribbean-inspired beauty brand\nbringing the feeling of a private island escape to sun and body care. Through\nclean, glow-enhancing formulas and joyful storytelling, the brand inspires\neveryone to embrace the sun and celebrate their natural radiance.\n\n * Alexis Flores, Dos Mundos: Dos Mundos is a Latin-owned luxury fragrance house\nrooted in culture, memory and the feeling of living between worlds. Through\nscent, the brand translates Latin stories into modern, intimate and elevated\nfragrances made to feel personal, emotional and deeply lived-in.\n\n * Jordan Polk, MIA Outdoor Hair™: Redefining hair care for life outdoors with\nhigh-performance formulas designed to address the unique stressors hair and\nscalp face outside. The brand’s hero product, HairBlock™, is a\ntexture-aware leave-in serum powered by a three-UV-filter system and\nsustainable biotechnology to help support hair against the drying and damaging\neffects of sun, salt water and chlorine.\n\n * Jenny Ching Lien Farelli, Mochiglow: A fine fragrance house inspired by the\nscents of Asian desserts & drinks. Mochiglow transforms flavors like rice,\nmochi and matcha into perfumes that capture feelings of joy, comfort and\nnostalgia.\n\n * Monica Stevens, MoKnowsHair: A salon-quality collection of products for all\ncurl types and textures, formulated by Master Cosmetologist MoKnowsHair, to\nhelp you have the BEST, healthiest version of your hair.\n\n * Ernestine Cecelia Meadows, Prados Beauty: An award-winning beauty brand\nfounded by Xicana and Yoeme makeup artist Cece Meadows to create authentic\nrepresentation and visibility for Indigenous communities in the beauty\nindustry. Through high-performance, culturally inspired cosmetics and\nmeaningful collaborations with Indigenous artists, Prados Beauty celebrates\nidentity, creativity and community while making beauty a space where everyone\nbelongs.\n\n * Sana Mithani & Lizna Kabani, Prereq Care: The self-care bridge for how Gen\nAlpha actually lives, co-founded with 50 real preteens and teens who shaped\nevery decision from formula to packaging. On-the-go, microbiome-friendly,\ndermatologist-approved formulas manage odor, calm redness and protect the skin\nbarrier through the shifts of puberty — built for backpacks, not bathrooms,\nand all the in-between moments of life.\n\n“For five years, MUSE has elevated emerging voices with the potential to\nshape the future of beauty, providing founders with greater access to the\nresources, mentorship and support that can help them succeed,” said Lauren\nBrindley, chief merchandising and digital officer at Ulta Beauty. “We’re\nproud to have supported 32 brands and counting and look forward to seeing the\nimpact this next cohort will have on our industry.”\n\nMUSE Accelerator: Five Years of Impact\n\nLaunched in 2022, the MUSE Accelerator supports Ulta Beauty’s ongoing\nefforts to magnify, uplift, support and empower underrepresented voices in the\nindustry while curating an inclusive assortment that represents All Things\nBeauty, All In One Place(®) for beauty enthusiasts. In the program’s five\nyears, the MUSE Accelerator has become a proven incubator, thoughtfully\nidentifying and nurturing founders with strong vision, efficacious products\nand scalable potential.\n\nThrough MUSE, Ulta Beauty has:\n\n\n * Supported 30+ early-stage brands\n\n * Awarded $1.5MM+ in funding\n\n * Provided over 150 coaching hours\n\n * Launched multiple brands into the Ulta Beauty ecosystem for distribution,\nincluding Pound Cake, Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, Scarlet by RedDrop and Ocoa\n\nAbout MUSE Accelerator\n\nEach brand in the 2026 MUSE Accelerator cohort receives $50,000 in financial\nsupport to help accelerate their business and valuable resources to establish\na foundation for long-term success. Additionally, Ulta Beauty and long-time\npartner Fifteen Percent Pledge will select one member of the cohort to receive\nan additional $10K award, based on the brand’s sales growth, whitespace\nopportunity and community impact. In total, Ulta Beauty will grant $410K in\nfunds to eight brands.\n\nA core component of the Accelerator is the 10-week curriculum intentionally\ndesigned to equip participants with real-life skills to succeed in retail,\nincluding brand strategy and positioning, fundamentals for retail success, and\nsupply chain logistics, as well as the opportunity to pitch Ulta Beauty retail\nmerchants and network with investors.\n\nMUSE participants will also hear first-hand from influential voices in the\nbeauty and wellness space through intimate fireside chats featuring Deepica\nMutyala, CEO and founder of Live Tinted; Grace Ray, CEO of Cécred; Nancy\nTwine, founder of Briogeo; Jessica Cruel, editor in chief at Allure Magazine;\nChelsea Riggs, founder of Amika; Dianna Ruth, founder of Milk Makeup; and\nCristina Nuñez, founder of True Beauty Ventures, among others.\n\n2026 MUSE Accelerator Mentors\n\nIn addition to obtaining the necessary knowledge and financial support needed\nto grow a business, MUSE participants are surrounded with a network of\nexperienced leaders from Ulta Beauty and other brand founders within Ulta\nBeauty’s brand portfolio, creating impactful connections and relationships\nthat endure beyond the 10-week program.\n\nThe MUSE Accelerator mentors for 2026 are:\n\n\n * Shontay Lundy, Creator and Founder of Black Girl Sunscreen\n\n * Priscilla Tsai, Founder and CEO of Cocokind\n\n * Gina Woods, CEO and Co-Founder of Donna’s Recipe\n\n * Nils Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of Good Molecules\n\n * Alicia Grande, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Grande Cosmetics\n\n * Ju Rhyu, Co-Founder of Hero Cosmetics\n\n * Malena Higuera, CEO of NOYZ\n\n * Julissa Prado, CEO of Rizos Curls\n\n * Tony Prado, Co-Founder and COO of Rizos Curls\n\n“We are honored to return as mentors in Ulta Beauty’s 2026 MUSE\nAccelerator Program,” said Julissa Prado and Tony Prado, co-founders of\nRizos Curls. “Rizos Curls lives by the 3 C’s of Curls, Community and\nCulture, and we are deeply connected to empowering the next generation of\nentrepreneurs with the insights and resources that have been instrumental in\nour own journey as founders. Having experienced firsthand the wide scope of\nbuilding and scaling a brand, we know how meaningful it can be to have access\nto mentorship, community and the right resources to succeed at retail. We’re\nproud to play a role in MUSE to help the next generation turn their visions\ninto lasting and impactful brands.”\n\nNew this year, Ulta Beauty is introducing Alumni Spotlights to its programming\nto celebrate the MUSE participants who have accelerated their businesses since\ncompleting the program and pass on valuable learnings to this year’s cohort.\nFeatured alumni include OCOA, Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, Scarlet by Red Drop\nand POOM Cosmetics.\n\nOCOA, a 2024 MUSE Accelerator alum, launched in more than 460 Ulta Beauty\nstores and on Ulta.com in August 2025. As the first Dominican hair care brand\nat Ulta Beauty, OCOA is now celebrating its first year at Ulta Beauty – an\nexciting milestone in the brand’s continued growth and journey since\nparticipating in the Accelerator program.\n\n“Being accepted into the MUSE program transformed the entire trajectory of\nour business,” said Cory Varona and Nicol Varona, co-founders of OCOA.\n“The program didn’t just prepare us for national retail, it provided the\nfinancial investment, world-class mentorship and internal sponsorship needed\nto scale into over 460 Ulta Beauty stores just a year later in 2025. It truly\ntakes a village to thrive at this level, and the generosity of the brand\nmentors, merchant partners and the entire Ulta Beauty team gave us the\nblueprint and confidence to execute our dream.”\n\nTo learn more, visit http://www.ulta.com/muse-accelerator\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fmuse-accelerator&esheet=54597441&newsitemid=20260902181965&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2Fmuse-accelerator&index=1&md5=6eb6ce99eb5753c559bd38f61cb66541)\n.\n\nAbout Ulta Beauty\n\nUlta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA) is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the\nU.S. and a leading destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care,\nwellness and salon services. Since opening its first store in 1990, Ulta\nBeauty has grown to more than 1,500 stores across the U.S. and redefined\nbeauty retail by bringing together All Things Beauty. All in One Place(®).\nWith an expansive product assortment, professional salon services, and its\nbeloved Ulta Beauty Rewards loyalty program, the company delivers seamless,\npersonalized experiences across stores, Ulta.com and the Ulta Beauty App –\nwhere the possibilities are truly beautiful. Ulta Beauty is also expanding its\npresence internationally through its subsidiary, Space NK, a luxury beauty\nretailer operating in the U.K. and Ireland, its joint venture in Mexico, and\nits franchise in the Middle East. For more information, visit www.ulta.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ulta.com%2F&esheet=54597441&newsitemid=20260902181965&lan=en-US&anchor=www.ulta.com&index=2&md5=d9c58d79f4f33e8245499961bf8c2a99)\n.\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/)\n\nUlta Beauty Media Contact: PR@Ulta.com (mailto:PR@Ulta.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-09-02T12:00:01.794246116Z","server_sent_at_ms":1788350401794},"received_at":"2026-09-02T12:00:01.880Z","source_url":"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902181965/en/"},"analysis":{"id":"122688","press_release_id":"133795","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Other Specialty Retail","sector":"Consumer Discretionary"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"operations_update","narrative":"Ulta Beauty selected 8 emerging beauty and wellness brands for the fifth annual MUSE Accelerator, a 10-week program providing funding, mentorship and retail-readiness resources.\n\nThe 2026 cohort will receive $410,000 in total — $50,000 per brand plus a $10,000 award chosen by Ulta Beauty and the Fifteen Percent Pledge.\n\nSince launching in 2022, the program has supported 30+ early-stage brands with more than $1.5 million in funding and 150+ coaching hours; alumnus OCOA has scaled into more than 460 Ulta Beauty stores since its 2025 launch.\n\nThe accelerator functions as a low-cost scouting pipeline for Ulta's emerging-brand assortment, but the dollar amounts are immaterial to the company's financials.","sentiment":"neutral","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Ulta's accelerator doubles as a low-cost brand-scouting pipeline feeding emerging labels into its 1,500+ store fleet — immaterial financially but strategically on-brand."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"cohort_size":8,"per_brand_grant_usd":50000,"total_2026_grant_usd":410000,"ocoa_alum_store_count":460,"program_duration_weeks":10,"coaching_hours_provided":"150+","cumulative_funding_awarded":"$1.5 million+","cumulative_brands_supported":"30+","fifteen_percent_pledge_award_usd":10000}},"quotedText":"For five years, MUSE has elevated emerging voices with the potential to\nshape the future of beauty, providing founders with greater access to the\nresources, mentorship and support that can help them succeed","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Lauren Brindley","role":"Chief Merchandising and Digital Officer, Ulta Beauty"},{"name":"Jade Mui-Wong","role":"Co-founder, AWARE Hair"},{"name":"Tina Mui","role":"Co-founder, AWARE Hair"},{"name":"Osaremi Sade Parham","role":"Founder, Blue Water Girls"},{"name":"Alexis Flores","role":"Founder, Dos Mundos"},{"name":"Jordan Polk","role":"Founder, MIA Outdoor Hair"},{"name":"Jenny Ching Lien Farelli","role":"Founder, Mochiglow"},{"name":"Monica Stevens","role":"Founder, MoKnowsHair"},{"name":"Ernestine Cecelia Meadows","role":"Founder, Prados Beauty"},{"name":"Sana Mithani","role":"Co-founder, Prereq Care"},{"name":"Lizna Kabani","role":"Co-founder, Prereq Care"},{"name":"Deepica Mutyala","role":"CEO and founder, Live Tinted"},{"name":"Grace Ray","role":"CEO, Cécred"},{"name":"Nancy Twine","role":"Founder, Briogeo"},{"name":"Jessica Cruel","role":"Editor in chief, Allure Magazine"},{"name":"Chelsea Riggs","role":"Founder, Amika"},{"name":"Dianna Ruth","role":"Founder, Milk Makeup"},{"name":"Cristina Nuñez","role":"Founder, True Beauty Ventures"},{"name":"Shontay Lundy","role":"Creator and founder, Black Girl Sunscreen"},{"name":"Priscilla Tsai","role":"Founder and CEO, Cocokind"},{"name":"Gina Woods","role":"CEO and co-founder, Donna's Recipe"},{"name":"Nils Johnson","role":"CEO and co-founder, Good Molecules"},{"name":"Alicia Grande","role":"Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Grande Cosmetics"},{"name":"Ju Rhyu","role":"Co-founder, Hero Cosmetics"},{"name":"Malena Higuera","role":"CEO, NOYZ"},{"name":"Julissa Prado","role":"CEO and co-founder, Rizos Curls"},{"name":"Tony Prado","role":"Co-founder and COO, Rizos Curls"},{"name":"Cory Varona","role":"Co-founder, OCOA"},{"name":"Nicol Varona","role":"Co-founder, OCOA"}],"products":["HairBlock","Ulta Beauty Rewards"],"companies":[{"name":"Ulta Beauty","ticker":"ULTA","relationship":"filer"},{"name":"Fifteen Percent Pledge","relationship":"partner"},{"name":"Space NK","relationship":"subsidiary"},{"name":"AWARE Hair","relationship":"program cohort brand"},{"name":"Blue Water Girls","relationship":"program cohort brand"},{"name":"Dos Mundos","relationship":"program cohort brand"},{"name":"MIA Outdoor Hair","relationship":"program cohort brand"},{"name":"Mochiglow","relationship":"program cohort brand"},{"name":"MoKnowsHair","relationship":"program cohort brand"},{"name":"Prados 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