Sharon Chuter, the founder and former CEO of Uoma Magnificence, has died on the age of 38.
In response to PEOPLE, the Nigerian-born magnificence government was discovered useless in her Los Angeles dwelling on August 14. The reason for her dying is listed below the Los Angeles Medical Examiner as “deferred,” or below investigation.
Chuter launched her magnificence model, Uoma Magnificence, at Ulta shops in 2019. Its declare to fame was its inclusivity of various pores and skin tones, with its “Say What?!” basis assortment that had 51 shades. She was additionally outspoken about racism within the company world. In 2020, she began the viral marketing campaign #pulluporshutup, in response to the nationwide protests in opposition to the homicide of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The hashtag focused corporations that made performative gestures on-line to handle racism with out taking concrete steps to handle these points inside their very own workplaces. Her Pull Up For Change initiative challenged main manufacturers like L’Oreal and Glossier to reveal the variety of Black staff of their corporations.
In 2023, Chuter stepped down from her place as CEO. On Instagram, she shared that she was prepared to depart the “company grind” and mentioned that she was hospitalized that yr.
“I misplaced 10kgs in a single week, docs thought it might be abdomen most cancers however fortunately it wasn’t and I’m again okay albeit compelled into medical go away which was the true story of my sabbatical,” she wrote within the publish.
Her causes for leaving the model ended up being much more sophisticated. In February of this yr, Chuter filed a lawsuit in opposition to the model’s new proprietor, MacArthur Magnificence, enterprise capitalist fund BrainTrust, and Settle Funding. When Uoma Magnificence re-launched in 2024 below the brand new management, she advised Attract that the rationale she stepped down was as a result of “there would’ve been friction” between herself and BrainTrust.
She claimed within the lawsuit that MacArthur and BrainTrust owed her $50 million in stolen belongings, and he or she sought damages for intentional fraudulent switch. She additionally accused the brand new homeowners of pushing her out whereas she was on her medical go away in 2023.
The wonder founder continued to talk out about social justice and variety and inclusion on her private social media. Previously few months, she had spoken on the College of Southern California and at The Magnificence Trade convention.