Leila Velez
About Leila Velez
Leila started working at McDonald's at 14 years old. She became the youngest McDonald's manager at 16. At 19 she opened her first business: Beleza Natural (natural beauty). The company grew to become the largest beauty institute chain specialized in curly hair treatments in Brazil with 4000 employees, 120 thousand clients per month in 5 different states with more than 50 business units, along with a cosmetics factory with total annual revenue of $100 million dollars. Leila is now launching her new start-up. Curl Lab is the First Customized Curly Hair Products In The World and uses an AI-driven proprietary approach to personalization, educating the consumer and delivering a holistic and customized curly hair product set that is both effective and affordable. More than two decades of experience in the curly hair market combined with artificial intelligence technology have allowed the company to create a unique platform for understanding each consumer's distinctive hair characteristics and behaviors. Using a client's uploaded photo and answers to Curl Lab's hair consultation quiz, bespoke formulas are created to address all client's hair routine needs. Selected by the World Economic Forum as a “Young Global Leader” (Davos - Switerzland). Chosen as an Endeavor Entrepreneur by Endeavor Global (New York - USA) and a “Rising Talent” by the Women Global Forum (Deauville - France). Awarded Female Entrepreneur of the year by Endeavor (San Francisco - USA), “Business Women Award” by Veuve-Clicquot (Reims - France), and “Best Entrepreneur of the New Brazil” by Você SA Magazine (São Paulo - Brazil). Strongly involved in initiatives to promote gender parity, racial equality, and entrepreneurship (CEO Champions, Mulheres do Brasil, Winning Women (E&Y), and mother of two wonderful young adults (Pedro e Aliel). Leila is a guest speaker about entrepreneurship, innovation, and management in Brazil and several other countries like the United States, France, Great Britain, Portugal, Uruguay, Argentina, and others. Graduated in business on ESPM, Leila also has an executive MBA from Coppead UFRJ and specialization courses at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and MIT. Leila is a Columbia University (ECLA Program), Coppead UFRJ, and Farmax board member. She is a former board member at The Coca-Cola Institute in Brazil, ETHOS Institute, CDES (Board for social and economic development - Brazilian Government), and Endeavor Brazil. Leila is a female entrepreneurship enthusiast and volunteers as a mentor to small businesses.