Amy Liu launched her sensitive skin brand Tower28 at age 40, betting her 15 years of industry experience on a personal mission to fix her own skin issues.
From chronic eczema to a Sephora staple
Liu spent years working for major companies like Kate Sommerville and Josie Maran, but she still hesitated to start her own venture. She had lived with chronic eczema and sensitive skin her entire life. Even with firsthand knowledge of how product efficacy could change a person’s life, she felt unready to leap. That changed shortly after she turned 40 during a conversation with a former business school classmate.
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The friend asked what she was waiting for and offered to invest in her dream. Liu reached out to other friends and family, all of whom were excited to support her vision for the new brand. She credits this persistence with helping her become a strong leader, despite having been exposed to some of the worst bosses you might imagine.
Seven years later, Tower28 sells products every ten seconds in Sephora. The company has grown to serve everyone from essential workers and gym rats to celebrities and influencers like Hailey Bieber and Toni Bravo. The brand maintains 100% compliance with the National Eczema Association, focusing its product development on sensitive skin needs. During the conversation, Amy shared that she dealt with chronic eczema and sensitive skin her entire life. However, despite working in major roles at companies like Kate Sommerville and Josie Maran and having firsthand experience of how product efficacy could change her life, she still didn’t feel ready to leap.
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Building access for minority founders
Liu’s leadership style developed through exposure to difficult situations, including some of the worst bosses she has ever encountered. She also prioritizes education, launching Clean Beauty Summer School in the summer of 2020. This professional development program provides industry access and training to BIPOC founders who might otherwise lack those opportunities. In the summer of 2020, she decided to develop Clean Beauty Summer School, a professional-development program that gives BIPOC founders industry access and education that they might otherwise not have access to.
The company regularly gives back to minority founders and maintains a commitment to inclusivity. Liu’s background includes growing up in Los Angeles in a predominantly white community instead of a Chinese-American neighborhood. Her father, an entrepreneur, tried to discourage her from starting a business, but her persistence led to the creation of a brand that serves a wide range of skin types. Amy shared what it was like growing up in Los Angeles, in a predominantly white community, instead of a Chinese-American neighborhood. She also detailed her parents’ decision to move to America and why her dad, an entrepreneur, tried to dissuade her from starting a business.
