When Leslie Valdivia and Joanna Rosario-Rocha started Vive Cosmetics, the beauty industry was overdue for change. “We want to redefine what beauty looks like,” said Leslie Valdivia. “Telenovela beauty-starts are not the majority of the community.”

The pair decided to venture into the world of cosmetics due to the lack of representation and products that support the many differences that exist amongst Latinas: skin tone, ethnicity, and shape. “Why should we have to compromise?” asks Valdivia. “That’s when it clicked. Joanna and I looked at each other and said, ‘We have to do something’. Vive Cosmetics was born.

They started doing research and learning about development, production and sales of high-quality beauty products, all while maintaining their full-time jobs. “We did not have a background in cosmetics, but I have been a beauty consumer for a long time and my background is marketing,” mentioned Valdivia.

During their research they found California Capital Women’s Business Center, which provides individualized counseling and a range of classes for all types of business owners. They started to work with a counselor with the Business Center to develop a business plan,

“What’s so exciting to see is that California Capital has assisted Vive Cosmetics since the beginning,” said Deborah Lowe Muramoto, CEO of California Capital. “From their business plan, attending various seminars, networking, participating at events, working their plan and continuing to focus on their goals, our staff and counselors have been there for Joanna and Leslie the entire venture.”  

The business center recently awarded a loan to Vive Cosmetics. With new capital and a clear picture of their financial goals, the founders are busy expanding and planning for the future. Leslie now works for the company full-time, and they are working with a product development consultant who is providing valuable guidance as they create new products and reformulate some of their original products. “We are learning, we are figuring it out as we go,” said Rosario-Rocha. “We have a passion and we have mentors. We are excited to be here.”

The capital infusion allows the partners to continue innovating their products to meet the changing needs of customers to include product lines beyond lipstick, and revamping their packaging to make it more sustainable. Their goal is to uplift the Hispanic community as a whole, with the focus on collaboration rather than competition—staying true to their passion for beauty con cultura.

“We find so many of the models, photographers, and creative directors we work with through Instagram,” Valdivia says. “We’ll put a call out to our community when we’re working on a campaign and need talent, and we will get hundreds of people tagging their friends or reaching out themselves. There is nothing better than seeing our followers wearing and loving our products.”