MUSE Accelerator

The MUSE Accelerator supports eight early-stage brand founders, particularly those from underrepresented communities, as they prepare to launch and thrive in retail. We educate, inspire and support underrepresented founders and entrepreneurs with the resources, critical skills and financial support needed to grow their business and prepare for retail distribution. In tandem, MUSE participants become part of a community and support network of leaders that helps empower each participants’ journey.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. or Canadian citizen and currently residing in the U.S or Canada, and their business must be registered in the U.S. or Canada.

To ensure a holistic, enriching experience that equips participants with real-life skills to succeed, Ulta Beauty has developed a robust 10-week curriculum focused on brand development, including: 

• Brand Strategy & Positioning: An immersive, 360-degree planning session that provides tools, support, and resources needed for long-term success. 

• Retail 101: Expert training on how to successfully launch, grow and thrive in a national, omni-channel retail environment. 

• Supply Chain & Logistics: A critical course on planning for and navigating distribution channels to ensure optimal customer experiences. 

• Demo Week & Celebration: An opportunity to pitch to Ulta Beauty retail merchants and network with investors. 

Each brand accepted into the MUSE Accelerator receives $50,000 in financial support to help accelerate their businesses and valuable resources to establish a foundation for long-term success. Ulta Beauty and long-time partner Fifteen Percent Pledge also select one member of the cohort to receive an additional $10K award.  

In addition to financial support, a big focus of the program is mentorship, which is a critical element for nurturing brand development and long-term success. Over the course of the program, each brand receives dedicated mentorship from industry leaders who are successfully building their brands. MUSE participants truly become part of a community and network of leaders that they can tap into for support and empowerment – now and into the future.

Our goal is to ensure participating brands are armed with the necessary tools, funding and resources to successfully launch and thrive in an omni-channel retail environment. Each brand in the cohort will have the opportunity to pitch their business to Ulta Beauty merchants at the end of the program, but there is no guarantee any will launch at Ulta Beauty following completion of the program.   The reality is, not every brand is ready for retail at the conclusion of the program, and that’s OK. Our focus with the MUSE Accelerator is to ensure we help brands prepare for retail so that once they are ready, they can thrive. Our program equips founders with the real-life skills to succeed in retail – whether that’s at Ulta Beauty or somewhere else. And our support for these brands doesn’t end when the program ends. We continue to foster relationships with our MUSE graduates and care about their long-term success.

Please contact [email protected] should you have any questions.