Toni Ko


Toni Ko is a Korean-American businesswoman and founder of NYX Cosmetics. She currently works in Los Angeles.

Early life

Ko was born in Daegu, South Korea. In 1986, at the age of 13, her family immigrated to the United States. She spent most of her teenage years working for her parents, who also worked in the cosmetics industry. She attended Glendale Community College but dropped out to work for her parents full-time.

NYX Cosmetics

In 1999, Ko founded NYX Cosmetics, being given $250,000 in startup money from her mother. The company earned $4 million in its first year.
In 2014, Ko sold NYX Cosmetics to L'Oréal for $500 million.

Other work

In March 2016, Ko created the Perverse Sunglasses company, which was the eyewear sponsor of Coachella.
She also is the founder and current CEO of Butter Ventures, a principal venture firm based in California that invests in start-ups, especially those created by women.
On September 30, 2019, it was announced that Toni Ko had created a new cosmetics-focused company, Bespoke Beauty Brands, and that the company would launch brands in cooperation with various celebrities and social-media influencers.

Awards

Ko has received awards in connection to her business work, such as the 2015 Leadership Award from NAWBO.