Hopeful girl bosses of the world, listen up: Sabrina Tan, founder and CEO of Skin Inc., which helped put Singaporean beauty products on the map, wants you to know it’s all possible.
Her launching of a collaborative movement by women leaders looking to inspire other women to rise up and chase their dreams, Galboss Asia, held its first symposium last month. “It’s about encouraging the multi-hyphenate and being proud of it: You are a mother, a daughter and a wife, but you’re also a boss,” Tan told Kore in an email interview. The network of entrepreneurs, business leaders and aspiring visionaries is a “supportive hub,” she said.
Young entrepreneurs and influencers Aimee Song, Tan Su Shan and Shannon Kalayanamitr, as well as Tan, gave TED-style speeches at the sold-out, one-day event, where Singaporean Minister for Culture Grace Fu was also a guest. Tan said the empowerment movement is all about thinking big and “bringing their A-game in order to change the game.”
It’s much of what she’s done as one of Singapore’s most visible leaders in beauty – her company, launched in 2007, offers fully customizable, paraben- and fragrance-free serums made from private skin analyses and consultants. “Our mission is to empower every individual with the knowledge they need to care for their own unique skincare needs,” Tan said.
The idea for her business started when, riddled with eczema-prone skin and in eternal search of her personal “holy grail” product, she looked into a skincare routine that did not require 15 steps and three sets of products.
(Courtesy photo/Skin Inc.)
“I was filled with the passion to find a better way to achieve the results I wanted,” Tan said. “Skincare needed to get smarter so it could meet the needs of busy, working women like me.”
Describing Skin Inc. as a beauty brand “born of technology,” Tan – who worked with tech giants like Oracle and HP before diving into the beauty sector – said her company now operates in 100 cities in the U.S., Asia and Europe.
“I have always been a go-getter, and have a network and support system of mentors and peers who I can go to when I face a challenge, be it professional (or) personal,” Tan said. “The challenges for me have been [to figure out] how to continue to stretch and go beyond to find the next best thing which will help to improve the lives of others.”
