Finalist: Sasha Plavsic

Founder/Chief Creative Officer
Ilia Beauty

Born in Vancouver and raised in a rural, oceanside setting, Sasha Plavsic has always been close to nature. She found herself in Los Angeles in 2006 and spent several years working as a branding executive within the fashion and beauty industries. Upon examining the ingredient list on her favorite lip balm, Plavsic was shocked to discover many of the ingredients were not safe. The challenge was set – re-create lip balm so that it would be safe, effective and natural. This is how the story of ILIA began.