A visionary leader, Sharon Chuter’s work has redefined what true inclusion means in the beauty industry. The beauty industry recently lost one of its boldest innovators with the passing of Sharon Chuter, founder of Uoma Beauty and the driving force behind the reformative Pull Up for Change movement. Chuter, who died on August 14, 2025, at just 38, leaves behind a legacy that continues to inspire meaningful change across the global beauty sector.
Challenging Norms and Building Community
Born in Nigeria, Chuter spent years working with global brands including L’Oréal and LVMH before founding her own company in Los Angeles. In 2019, she founded Uoma Beauty, focused on making beauty more inclusive. This brand became known for releasing 51 foundation shades aimed at meeting the needs of a wide variety of skin tones, far exceeding the typical shade offerings from competitors.
Chuter’s public remarks and mission consistently focused on creating a company and products that reflect the diversity of real people. She believed that diversity should be embedded in every product from creation to marketing.
Pull Up for Change Radical Transparency
Chuter’s influence spread beyond her own brand. During the racial justice movement of 2020, she launched Pull Up for Change, which challenged beauty companies to disclose the number and percentage of Black employees, especially in leadership. Her efforts pushed hundreds of companies to share their diversity statistics publicly. This movement is recognized as a key force driving greater transparency and accountability throughout the beauty industry.
Chuter encouraged brands to commit to real change, challenging them to adopt anti-bias training and address workplace culture, not just make surface-level pledges. Her advocacy set a new bar for how companies approach diversity and inclusion globally
Impact and Industry-Wide Change
Chuter did more than challenge. She built a path for others. The Pull Up for Change Small Business Impact Fund provided grants to aspiring Black entrepreneurs, furthering economic equity beyond the boardroom. In 2021, the initiative awarded $370,000 in grants to eight Black founders.
Throughout her career, Chuter made it clear that her mission was about more than makeup. While beauty was her starting point, Chuter worked to ensure her platform elevated and empowered communities that are often overlooked by the industry. Under her leadership, Uoma was more than a brand. It became a broader movement supporting and amplifying marginalized voices and building community through genuine celebration and advocacy.
Her influence extended far beyond product launches. She mentored young entrepreneurs, partnered with nonprofits, and used her voice on global stages to call attention to inequality. Colleagues and fans alike credit her boldness and compassion as catalysts for new industry standards. Even after her passing, Chuter’s principles continue to inspire purposeful leadership throughout beauty and beyond.
A Lasting Example
After experiencing burnout and health struggles, Chuter stepped down as CEO in 2023. Her influence, however, continued to ripple through the beauty industry as heartfelt tributes from editors and fellow founders described her as a visionary leader whose determination and authenticity sparked lasting change. Colleagues pointed out that Chuter brought creativity and courage to every project, forging new standards for equity and social impact.
Her powerful advocacy for inclusion inspired brands to rethink product development, company culture, and representation at all levels. She was celebrated not only for her entrepreneurial spirit but also for the compassion she brought to every collaboration, event, and campaign.
Chuter’s legacy endures as a source of motivation for future leaders in the beauty space, reminding us all that change begins with steadfast belief in a better, more just world. Her influence is destined to inspire beauty industry innovators for generations to come.
