Marissa Shipman

Marissa Shipman is the founder and CEO of theBalm Cosmetics, a firm based in San Francisco. She established the cosmetics company 15 years ago during a transitional period in her life. After years of work in television production, Marissa Shipman quit her job, severed some personal ties, and began a journey west toward California.

Along the way, she met a woman who was employed in the cosmetics industry. Marissa Shipman was fascinated with this idea and decided that she, too, would make her living with makeup and related products. Upon her arrival in California, Mrs. Shipman began to apply for positions with cosmetics firms in the area.

When her initial efforts did not result in a job offer, she decided to go her own way. After reading book after book on cosmetic formulas, she found a simple recipe for lip balm that launched her current empire. With beeswax, shea butter, and castor oil in hand, she created theBalm, a diverse line of products that is now available in more than 100 nations around the world.