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In the words of our judges
“Cassandra’s ingenuity skyrocketed Kitsch from a small startup into a global beauty powerhouse across 25+ countries, setting a new industry standard with her commitment to sustainability.”
In 2009, Cassandra Morales Thurswell had a life-changing epiphany while sitting around the Thanksgiving table with her family: “Everyone looks so pretty, but their hair ties are ruining their outfits.” The next year, she began handmaking hair ties from her home, selling them directly to consumers, salons and boutiques. Being the sole manufacturer provided her flexibility to take customer requests and feedback to expand product offerings and brainstorm new ideas for the business.
Now, Thurswell is the CEO of Kitsch, the growing global lifestyle brand that combines basic hair care needs with fashion and sustainability. Customers can find Kitsch products in more than 20,000 stores worldwide, including major retail and e-commerce sites.
Thurswell is revolutionizing the nearly $100 billion hair care industry with Kitsch’s sustainable products, including solid shampoo and conditioner bars that eliminate the need for plastic bottles and heatless curlers that don’t require electricity. To reduce waste beyond its supply chain, Kitsch has partnered with a company that removes the equivalent of one shampoo bottle worth of plastic from oceans and coastlines for every bar purchased. Kitsch has already helped remove 18 million bottles from waterways — 6 million in 2023 alone, equivalent to 700,000 pounds of trash.
Beyond environmental sustainability, Thurswell prioritizes diversity and inclusion. Women and underrepresented groups currently make up 30% of Kitsch’s board, and women hold the majority of company leadership positions. Thurswell is dedicated to supporting the Latino community and sharing her Latina roots as a Colombian American. She gives back by coaching Latina founders, and in 2022 she launched a female CEO support group to discuss business issues, including scaling.
As Kitsch pioneers new offerings based on lifestyle trends, Thurswell is at the forefront of eco-friendly and high-quality hair care solutions that take the burden of sustainability off the customer — while complementing holiday and everyday looks.