Full Name
Heela Yang
Job Title
Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder
Company
Sol de Janeiro
Speaker Bio

Moving to Brazil sparked a business idea that became Sephora’s biggest best seller in body care. When Heela Yang arrived in Brazil ten years ago, she could not help but notice the differences in not only the Brazilian body care routine, but also in the Brazilian culture of body positivity and acceptance. This contrast became very clear to her the first time she was on a Brazilian beach, pregnant and in a tiny bikini. There was no judgment, no self-consciousness, and no shame. This became the main inspiration for Sol de Janeiro and the brand tagline: “Love It. Flaunt It. You’ve Got It.” Since launching in the summer of 2015 with just three products, including the cult hero Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, Ms. Yang has led the brand to become a category-leading global body care phenomenon.
 
Prior to Sol, she spent over 12 years in the cosmetics industry with an extensive track record of success leading global brands. She began her career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs Investment Banking with a focus on the retail industry.
 
Ms. Yang is a graduate of Harvard College, Yale Graduate School, and Harvard Business School.
 

Heela Yang