CEW

What CEW does

CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women, Inc.) is a New York-headquartered 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization serving the beauty, health, and wellness industry. Founded in 1954, the organization connects what its materials describe as 8,000–10,500 individual members representing over 3,500 companies — spanning beauty brands, fragrance houses, media outlets, suppliers, and retailers — through membership, events, content, mentorship, and awards. Its core product is annual membership priced at $225 (with a $150 discounted tier for indie brands and nonprofits and a free student tier); ancillary revenue comes from event sponsorships, event tickets, premium programming, and corporate partnerships.

The organization's product surface is built on six pillars: (1) CEW Membership, delivering annual dues-funded access to the community; (2) CEW Events, including the signature Connections series, Beauty Expo, and CEW Beauty Awards; (3) CEW Beauty News and Industry Reports, producing 50+ exclusive reports per year from partners such as Charm.io, Spate, Jump Accelerator, Perfect Corp., and IPSY; (4) Professional Development, including the Career Accelerator and Mentorship Program; (5) the CEW + SCAD Executive Leadership Fellowship, a 3.5-day residential program priced at $6,000; and (6) Cancer and Careers, a philanthropic sub-brand under the CEW Foundation that served over 600,000 people in 2025. Technology infrastructure is conventional — a WordPress website, a Salesforce-style member portal at my.cew.org, and standard event-listing tools — with no proprietary platform or AI stack.

CEW's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging reputation, board connections (Ulta, L'Oréal USA, Beekman 1802, MECCA, WWD, Citi), and recurring programming to acquire and retain members rather than paid acquisition or product-led growth. Customer segments include beauty industry professionals (primary), indie beauty brands, and students — distributed across the US and increasingly into the UK. Governance rests with a Board of Governors chaired by Jill Scalamandre (CEO of Beekman 1802), with Carlotta Jacobson (20+ year President) and Elana Drell Szyfer (recently added President, ex-RéVive/Estée Lauder/Avon/L'Oréal) at the operational helm.

Name

CEW

Legal name

Cosmetic Executive Women, Inc.

Website

https://cew.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit founded in 1954 that runs the beauty, health, and wellness industry's largest professional membership community, connecting 8,000–10,500 industry professionals and 3,500+ companies through events, exclusive reports, mentorship, and awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CEW generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees. Professional membership costs $225 per year, with discounted rates for indie brands and non-profits. Student membership is free.
2. Event Sponsorships: CEW generates revenue through event sponsorships, with companies sponsoring Connections events, the Beauty Expo, and various virtual and in-person programming.
3. Event Tickets: CEW sells tickets to various events and programs, including the CEW + SCAD Executive Leadership Fellowship at $6,000 per participant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEW is a nonprofit professional membership organization that operates the beauty, health, and wellness industry's largest community, selling annual memberships to individual professionals and providing access to networking events, mentorship, industry reports, and career development programming. Members gain entry to signature programs including the Beauty Awards, Connections events, the CEW + SCAD Executive Leadership Fellowship, Career Accelerator, and the Member Directory, while revenue is supplemented by event sponsorships and ticketed programs.

Product overview

CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) is the beauty, health, and wellness industry's largest professional community, operating as a membership-based trade organization rather than a commercial product company. The organization's core offerings include: CEW Membership providing access to an 8,000+ member global community of professionals across beauty brands, fragrance houses, media outlets, suppliers, and retailers; CEW Events featuring year-round programming with Connections events partnering with retailers and suppliers; CEW Beauty News delivering industry coverage, Executive Moves, and Product Watch features; CEW Industry Reports offering over 50 exclusive reports annually from partners like Charm.io, Spate, and Jump Accelerator; CEW Beauty Awards recognizing excellence; and the CEW + SCAD Executive Leadership Fellowship for executive development. Additional programs include the CEW Career Accelerator and CEW Mentorship Program for professional development, plus the Cancer and Careers initiative under the CEW Foundation. The organization connects professionals from emerging talent to C-suite executives through networking, recognition, resources, and education to advance careers in the beauty industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CEW Membership Annual professional membership providing individual beauty-industry professionals with access to CEW's 8,000+ member global community, industry events, exclusive trend reports, mentorship, and networking across beauty brands, fragrance houses, media outlets, suppliers, and retailers.
• CEW Events Year-round programming including signature industry events, networking sessions, panels, award programs, and Connections events featuring brand partnerships with retailers and suppliers such as Cosmoprof North America, NielsenIQ, Henkel, IPSY, Meta, and Sally Beauty.
• CEW Beauty Awards Prestigious industry awards program recognizing excellence in the beauty industry, including Consumer Choice Awards and the annual CEW Beauty Awards recognizing brands such as Medicube, Dior, and Nutrafol.
• CEW + SCAD Executive Leadership Fellowship Three-and-a-half-day residential leadership intensive program held at Savannah College of Art and Design focused on creativity as leadership, executive presence, design and organizational leadership, and mindful leadership, targeted at beauty-industry executives ($6,000 per participant; August 4-7, 2026 cohort).
• CEW Career Accelerator Professional development program delivering articles, virtual events, and workshops providing beauty professionals with tools and confidence to advance their careers, featuring sessions with industry leaders.
• CEW Mentorship Program Structured group experience bringing members together in curated cohorts for meaningful discussion, real-world insights, and career growth guided by industry leaders.
• CEW Industry Reports Exclusive reports and trend analyses from leading industry partners including Charm.io, Spate, Jump Accelerator, Daash, WSL Strategic Retail, SeeMe Index, Beauty Intelligence, Perfect Corp., and IPSY, with over 50 exclusive reports available annually.
• CEW Member Directory Online membership directory accessible to CEW members providing contact information, titles, and organizational affiliations of professionals across the beauty, health, and wellness industry.
• Cancer and Careers CEW Foundation initiative empowering and educating people with cancer to thrive in their workplaces through expert advice, interactive tools, and educational events, serving more than 600,000 people in 2025 across online, print, and in-person channels.
• CEW Beauty News Industry news coverage including Beauty News articles, Executive Moves profiles, Product Watch features, and curated trend reports covering beauty industry developments, market insights, and company announcements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members gain access to network of 10,500+ professionals in beauty
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IPSYcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 July 2026CEW partners with IPSY for networking events in the Miami area, bringing together CEW members and beauty insiders for cocktails and industry conversations.
• HenkelcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 July 2026CEW Connections event at Henkel Consumer Brands Hair Professional North America headquarters in Culver City, featuring brands including DevaCurl, JOICO, Kenra Professional, and Schwarzkopf Professional.
• NielsenIQ (NIQ)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 July 2026CEW partners with NIQ for Beauty Insights Live events exploring consumer loyalty trends in the beauty landscape. Events feature presentations by NIQ and retailer partners like Ulta Beauty.
• Cosmoprof North AmericacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 July 2026CEW hosts a Member Mixer at Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas, bringing together beauty industry professionals for connection, conversation, and community.
• The MBS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026The MBS Group, in partnership with CEW, released its third diversity and inclusion report for the global beauty sector, measuring representation of women and ethnic minorities at Board and executive committee levels.
• NielsenIQcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026CEW UK partnered with NielsenIQ to produce the 2026 Beauty Reset report identifying industry trends including polarised beauty market, constrained consumer spending, and K-Beauty growth.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEW partners with SCAD's De Sole School of Business Innovation to deliver the CEW + SCAD Executive Leadership Fellowship, a three-and-a-half-day residential leadership intensive program held on SCAD's Savannah, Georgia campus.
• Pattern (Beautycounter)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPattern Beauty sponsors the Indie Hair Virtual Event, supporting independent hair care brand community and education.
• NordstromminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNordstrom serves as sponsor for Indie Hair Virtual Event, supporting beauty industry events and networking.
• MANEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMANE, a fragrance and flavor company, sponsors the Indie Hair Virtual Event.
• Diamond PackagingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond Packaging sponsors the CEW x NielsenIQ Beauty Insights Live event.
• Marcy LabsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarcy Labs sponsors the Connections CEW x Cosmoprof North America event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• BeautyMatter: Beauty industry business intelligence and media platform with editorial, data products, and industry events. Comparable as a content/research provider to CEW's 50+ annual reports, but operates as a commercial media business rather than a nonprofit association.
• Beauty Independent: Digital media and community platform serving indie beauty brands with news, events, and educational content. Overlaps with CEW's indie beauty programming and member base; an emerging digital-first alternative to association membership.

Direct peers

• Fashion Group International: Membership-based nonprofit for fashion and beauty industry executives, with comparable programming (events, awards, networking, professional development). Direct peer in the adjacent fashion/beauty executive association space.
• Indie Beauty Expo: Trade event and community focused on independent beauty brands, with expos, awards, and brand showcases. Comparable to CEW's indie segment and event programming, though narrower in scope (indie-only) and event-led rather than community-led.
• ICMAD (Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors): Trade association for indie cosmetic brands and contract manufacturers, serving a similar membership base to CEW's indie beauty segment. Comparable as an association providing regulatory, educational, and networking support to beauty industry members.
• The Fragrance Foundation: Industry nonprofit dedicated to the fragrance sector, with membership, awards programs (Fragrance Foundation Awards), and consumer education. Closely comparable in operating model to CEW: dues-funded trade association with events, awards, and member services in beauty adjacent vertical.
• Personal Care Products Council: The leading U.S. trade association for the cosmetic and personal care products industry. Directly comparable to CEW as a membership-based industry association serving beauty companies, though broader in scope and manufacturer-led rather than executive-led.
• Society of Cosmetic Chemists: Professional society for cosmetic chemists, organized as chapters with membership, meetings, and educational programming. Same association model as CEW but serves the formulation/R&D side of beauty rather than the executive/business side.

Regional players

• Cosmetic Executive Women UK: Sister organization operating in the UK with same brand, mission, and association model. Regional peer serving the same member archetype in a separate geography; potential affiliate, partner, or competitive expansion vector for CEW.
• Cosmetic Business (Germany): European trade fair and conference organizer serving the cosmetics industry with B2B events and supplier connections. Comparable to CEW's event programming in a different geography, serving a similar exhibitor/buyer ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cew
• Instagraminstagram.com/cewinsider
• Xx.com/cewinsider
• Facebookfacebook.com/CosmeticExecutiveWomen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CEW