Bridge Mentorship Selects DAMDAM Tokyo, Viktor Michael And Salwa Petersen For Second Cohort Of 2023

DAMDAM Tokyo, Viktor Michael and Salwa Petersen have been selected for the second 2023 cohort of Bridge Mentorship, a program created by early-stage beauty and wellness investment firm True Beauty Ventures in partnership with Beauty Independent.

During the six-month program, the three brands spanning skincare, personal care and haircare will get the inside track on the fundraising process and guidance on brand positioning, product development, distribution and marketing. They were picked from 150 applicants for Bridge Mentorship’s second class of 2023. 

In evaluating brands for Bridge Mentorship, Cristina Nuñez, general partner and co-founder of TBV, which has Crown Affair, Aquis, K18, Maude, Kinship, Moon Juice, Cay Skin and Youthforia, a graduate of the Bridge Mentorship program, in its portfolio, says she focused on founders’ stories and expertise along with their brands’ perspectives on cultural traditions, scientific innovation and consumer experiences. In their specialties, she recognizes DAMDAM Tokyo, Viktor Michael and Salwa Petersen as distinguishing themselves from the beauty hordes. 

Rich Gersten, co-founder and general partner of TBV, adds that the firm also assesses a brand’s product assortment, distribution potential, financial profile and the growth of the category it’s in to determine if it has a strong foundation for a viable long-term business. He says, “The bar keeps getting higher and higher for brands in beauty and wellness today driven by the ever-growing demands of the consumer for innovation, results, transparency and more. We try to mirror this high standard in the filter we use for entry into both the TBV portfolio and the Bridge Mentorship program.” 

Clean skincare brand DAMDAM Tokyo merges clinical and clean beauty practices. It’s rooted in Japanese culture and uses ingredients like shiso, the superfood konnyaku and komenuka or rice bran oil. Co-founders Go Giselle and Philippe Terrien aim to make DAMDAM Tokyo a next-generation J-beauty brand catering to modern consumers’ needs with ethical sourcing, respect for local craftsmanship and regenerative agricultural practices. The brand has attracted global attention with its cleansers, hydrating mist and moisturizer, and experiential retail pop-ups. 

Developed by Nadya Kozlova and Shay Sim, co-founders of Kukumber Skin Lounge, a three-unit Seattle area med-spa concept that has cultivated loyal customers, Viktor Michael is pioneering the burgeoning aesthetics aftercare category. It’s pre- and post-treatment products are formulated to slash downtime following injectable treatments by incorporating recovery-boosting ingredients like arnica, bromelain and dragon’s blood. Nuñez says, “They are playing in a category that has tremendous opportunity as beauty services and spas continue to expand across the U.S,” 

Chébé, a natural blend with chébé seed harvested in Chad, is the star ingredient in premium textured haircare brand Salwa Peterson’s products. Chébé has been a staple for haircare in Chad dating back millennia. Salwa Petersen’s namesake founder is proud of her brand’s healthy repeat purchase rate and says it’s reached a high velocity of sales at retailers such as The Detox Market and Thirteen Lune. She hopes to leverage Bridge Mentorship’s program to fine-tune Salwa Petersen’s positioning and elevate its packaging.

Since launching in 2022, Bridge Mentorship’s cohorts have included nine beauty and wellness brands. Its curriculum is designed to shore up their businesses and help them become ready for institutional funding by providing action plans to foster professional development. The program for the second cohort of 2023 goes from July to December.

Each cohort’s programming is slightly different, according to Caroline Weintraub, VP at True Beauty Ventures. She says TBV considers the characteristics of individual brands in order to structure a bespoke immersive program. “Depending on the stage, size and category of the brands, we tailor introductions, learning sessions and office hours to best address those needs,” explains Weintraub. 

As a result of findings from Bridge Mentorship’s run so far, TBV has tweaked the curriculum to aid brands in better articulating their positioning and differentiation in the market. “In our first cohort, we did not focus on refining this piece as much, but, as we continue to learn from our mentees, we identified this as an area where most could benefit,” says Weintraub. “We are excited this year to offer even more resources and support through collaborations with branding and design agencies as well as PR agencies in the beauty and wellness space.” 

While Bridge Mentorship’s formal curriculum lasts six months, the relationships TBV has with brands in the program extends well beyond that. TBV often has catch-up calls, in-person meet-ups and even weekend direct message conversations with brand founders from past cohorts. 

“We view our mentees as an extension of the TBV family, and while we may not have consistent touchpoints, as we do during the mentorship program, we are always here for advice, feedback, or anything that our mentees may need,” says Nuñez. “We feel so fortunate that the cohorts have valued this experience and actioned some of the feedback they received to improve their businesses.”

On Nov. 29, Bridge Mentorship mentees and TBV will be featured on a special episode of Beauty Independent’s In Conversation webinar series to review key learnings from the program. Applications for the first cohort of 2024 will open in December this year.