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…
Members-only article
Unlock the rest of this story
Join free to keep reading RetailBoss retail coverage, industry analysis, and market intelligence.
- Full article access
- Industry analysis
- Free account
Free access. No credit card required. Your account is created after you verify your email.
Discussion
0 Comments
No comments yet
Start the conversation
Share your take on this story and help shape the discussion.
Sign in to join the discussion.