Dare to Disrupt Episode 29: Inventing Dazzle Dry Nail Polish with VB Cosmetics Founder Vivian Valenty

Vivian is founder and president of VB Cosmetics, a fully integrated manufacturing company with global brands of clean, nature- and science-based, functional and proprietary beauty products. Its transformational product, Dazzle Dry, a quick-dry nail polish system, is revolutionizing the nail industry. After 17 years on the market, Dazzle Dry now still has no equal in performance. 

In this episode, Vivian shares stories about her upbringing in the Philippines, overcoming discrimination and harassment in the workplace, acquiring nine patents as an accomplished bio-organic chemist and inventor, and inventing the foundation for what would become Dazzle Dry.

At the end of the episode, recent Penn State student Devanshi Mittal joins the conversation. Devanshi just graduated this past May from Penn State with a degree in computer science. She is the founder of Trails, a software application designed to offer a centralized platform that unites students and alumni through an AI-driven, forum-based Q&A and knowledge-sharing space. Devanshi has participated in the Idea TestLab and the MVP DevLab at Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank. Devanshi and Vivian discuss building your startup team, the importance of continuing to innovate based on customer feedback, and the benefits of growing your business slowly and steadily.

Episode Chapters

0:00 – 5:24 Growing up in a one-room hut in the Philippines 

5:24 – 6:27 Studying chemistry at the MIT of the Philippines 

6:27 – 9:18 Acquiring a travel grant to get to Penn State 

9:18 –11:22 Studying enzymes at Penn State 

11:22 – 14:49 Overcoming discrimination and harassment in the workplace 

14:49– 16:32 Discovering a replacement for phosphates when no one else could 

16:32 – 20:05 300 formulations to innovate the nail polish industry

20:05 – 21:22 Creating the final formulation on a deadline 

21:22 – 22:46 Pivoting away from UVA when newly deemed carcinogenic 

22:46 – 24:24 10 years of inventions and patents 

24:24 – 25:14 Why she doesn’t believe patents are for small businesses 

25:14 – 27:15 Inventing the foundation of Dazzle Dry 

27:15– 30:33 Overcoming the recession and building a business plan  

30:33– 32:08 Leaving a legacy of helping others, preserving the planet 

32:08 – 41:50 Student section 

32:08 – 33:48 Securing funding 

33:48 – 36:31 Building a team of experts

36:31– 38:30 Continuing to innovate based on customer feedback 

38:30 –41:22  The complexities of scaling up for manufacturers  

Download full episode transcript

About Vivian Valenty

Vivian is founder and president of VB Cosmetics. She received her bachelor’s in chemistry from Mapua University in the Philippines, and her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Penn State. 

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Dare to Disrupt is a podcast about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. Learn more.