We were lucky to catch up with Emily Perez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Emily thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

At Latinas in Beauty, our mission to cultivate equity and increase representation for Latina professionals and Latina-owned brands in the beauty industry.

As a Latina professional in the beauty industry, I founded the organization as I witness the disparities Latina women were facing in the industry and saw the opportunity to build community to unite the collective, elevate our voices, and provide our community with access to the resources they need to achieve their professional and entrepreneurial goals.

Latinas are a driving force in the beauty industry, leading as innovators and trendsetters and significantly contributing to market growth. It’s staggering to consider that despite Latina consumers spending $12 billion on beauty in 2024, they are often underserved by the very industry that profits from their purchasing power. How can an industry ignore such a powerful consumer base? At Latinas in Beauty, we’re committed to changing this dynamic and ensuring that the Latina voice is not only heard but also celebrated and amplified.

I’m deeply passionate to leverage our platform to advocate for a community that has been historically overlooked by an industry which benefits tremendously from their purchasing power.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi, I’m Emily Perez and I am a beauty industry professional. My journey to the beauty industry has been a bit unconventional. It wasn’t a lack of interest, but rather a lack of awareness of the opportunities.

My original life plan was to go to college and become a veterinarian. After interning at a vet hospital, I knew immediately that as an empath, this career would not be the best for me. Upon graduating from college with a degree in Animal Science, the options presented to me were limited. After applying to every job posting that I thought I would be a good fit for, I landed my first job at an animal health pharmaceutical company managing their regulatory product registrations in Latin America. From animal health I moved to a consumer products goods company, and after a few years there- a role in beauty came knocking.

To fully understand my journey, I have to share that I’m originally from Brazil and moved to the US at the age of 10. As a first-gen corporate professional, I had to learn to navigate this new world without the blueprint or guidance from mentors. That experience sparked my passion for mentoring other women, especially Latinas, to help them find their voice, advocate for themselves, and advance much faster than I did.

Latinas in Beauty was born from my own journey in the beauty world. I’m incredibly proud of taking that leap of faith and creating this organization. I had a strong sense of the power and influence of this community, and I knew the industry would eventually see it too.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Latinas in Beauty started as an LLC in 2020 and relaunched as a nonprofit in October 2024.

Through Latinas in Beauty, I connected with Margarita Arriagada, founder of Valde Beauty. Margarita, a beauty industry veteran, is passionate about supporting Latina entrepreneurs and increasing the representation of Latina-owned brands in retail, which led her to establish The Latinx Beauty Entrepreneur Grant.

Recognizing the impact of Latinas in Beauty, Margarita proposed a collaboration to maximize our impact.

In these discussions, Margarita introduced me to Nadine Tapia, another experienced beauty professional who shares our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs through funding.

Understanding the power of unity, we joined forces to drive our mission forward.

We are now the board of Latinas in Beauty. I serve as the Executive Director, Margarita Arriagada the Secretary, and Nadine Tapia the Treasurer.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest thing I’ve had to actively unlearn is that my contributions alone are enough for success. Culturally, I was raised, like many Latinas, to keep my head down, be grateful for any opportunity, and avoid speaking up. I had to actively fight against this, because I learned through my corporate journey that while a strong work ethic is essential, remaining silent simply doesn’t lead to career advancement. Unlearning that allowed me to find the confidence to advocate for myself, seek out opportunities, and negotiate for fair compensation and promotions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.latinasinbeauty.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinasinbeautyofficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latinasinbeauty/
• Other: personal
  IG: https://www.instagram.com/emilycristinainc/
  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyperez1/