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.
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