Daash Intelligence, an AI-powered competitive intelligence platform that gives beauty brands access to weekly sales insights, has formed an Advisory Board of esteemed beauty founders, innovators and thought leaders who will support the company’s strategic growth.

Daash’s Advisory Board launch follows the recent release of its new platform, My.Daash. Designed to optimize the user experience, the platform offers customizable insights, AI compatibility and advanced attribute intelligence covering ingredients, benefits, formats, finishes and more.

Dawn Francisco, Tina Gu, Scott Kestenbaum, Amy Liu, Melissa Mao and Priscilla Tsai will provide expert guidance on issues such as emerging beauty market trends and ways Daash can enhance its data intelligence to better serve its partners.

“Beauty and retail are dynamic, rapidly evolving industries where success requires having an intimate understanding of your clients’ businesses and needs,” said Philip Smolin, co-founder and CEO of Daash Intelligence. “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with—and supported by—such a stellar team of leaders. Their insights are informing our decision-making and helping Daash build new products that meet our clients’ needs, while also fostering strong relationships for us with brands across the industry.”

Emerging Beauty Brands

The formation of the Daash Advisory Board underscores the company’s commitment to creating solutions that help beauty brands compete more effectively. Input from members has already informed the company’s development of price tracking tools, as well as advanced ingredient and benefit trend analyses that help brands respond quickly to shifts in consumer demand.

“Daash is table stakes for brands in the beauty category, where having access to real-time insights at the retailer, brand and product level is a true competitive advantage,” said Francisco. “I’ve experienced the power of Daash’s platform firsthand on the brand side, and I’m excited to now be collaborating with this incredible team as a strategic advisor. In a crowded market, Daash is leveling the playing field for emerging beauty brands and unlocking new layers of insight for established global players.”

Daash Advisory Board

Dawn Francisco is a seasoned beauty industry executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth across retail, brand and direct-to-consumer channels. She is one of the few C-level leaders with a comprehensive background spanning major retailers, global beauty enterprises and high-growth brands. Francisco previously served as chief revenue officer at Anastasia Beverly Hills, where she led global revenue strategy and execution. Prior to that, she was CEO of B-Glowing, GM/VP North America at The Estée Lauder Companies and VP of Marketing at Dermstore.

Tina Gu, chief financial officer and head of digital & growth at Sarah Creal Beauty, oversees financial strategy and owns the brand’s DTC channel, growth marketing functions—including paid media, email and SEO/AEO—and analytics. Previously, she was product marketing Lead at Meta, where she focused on SMB and creator measurement, and held senior roles in M&A and global marketing at The Estée Lauder Companies. She has also advised early-stage beauty brands through launch, including Saie Beauty.

Scott Kestenbaum, co-founder and general manager at Maesa, is a seasoned leader at the brand incubator behind brands such as Kristin Ess, Being Frenshe and Fine’ry. Kestenbaum oversees the Managed Brands group at Maesa and is responsible for growth strategies as well as new business development.

Amy Liu, CEO and founder of Tower 28, a seven-year-old skincare and beauty brand made for sensitive skin. Prior to, she served as a marketing consultant and marketing and finance instructor at FIDM. Liu also previously held marketing leadership roles at Josie Maran Cosmetics, Kate Somerville and Smashbox Cosmetics.

Melissa Mao, chief sales officer at OSEA Malibu, is a seasoned beauty industry sales executive with experience driving domestic and global growth. She previously served as Vice President of Sales at SC Johnson’s COOLA brand, where she led sales across US and international markets. Mao’s earlier experience includes serving as VP of sales at Earthlite, Inc., where she led sales across five global brands.

Priscilla Tsai, CEO and founder of cosmetics brand Cocokind. Cocokind offers accessible skincare designed for sensitive skin and is sold at every Ulta and Target. She previously worked in equity research at JP Morgan.