Jenn Harper

“We as Indigenous people have an innate connection to the land, earth, and water. The importance of paying attention to brands that have experience in sustainability is going to be really important for the world going forward.”

Jenn Harper’s life exemplifies the power of dreams put into action. She is the founder of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics INC., a revolutionary cosmetics company which features high-quality, vegan, cruelty-free beauty products designed for low environmental impact and maximum wearability. Cheekbone Beauty aims to help every Indigenous person see and feel their value in the world while developing sustainable colour cosmetics that won’t end up in a landfill.

After the idea came to her in a dream, Jenn knew that she wanted to create a line of beauty products that enabled Indigenous people to see themselves represented in the beauty industry. She didn’t let a lack of formal training stop her, working with chemists and sustainability experts to create products that embody beauty and sustainability. 

Jenn Harper is an Anishinaabe woman and is a member of the Northwest Angle #33 First Nation in Kenora, ON. Throughout her life, Jenn has struggled with accepting her Indigenous roots. She was estranged from her Indigenous family for much of her child and adult life. After learning about her grandmother’s experience in residential school, she understood how her family was affected by generational trauma.

Harper has been making a name for herself in the beauty industry for a number of years but gained popularity quickly after appearing on CBC’s hit show, Dragon’s Den in 2019. Since her appearance on the show, Jenn has been featured as Chatelaine’s “Woman of the Year in 2019”, Canadian Business’s “2022 New Innovator’s List”, and Entrepreneur Magazine’s “100 Women of Influence in 2022” list. +

She continues to be deeply involved in all aspects of Cheekbone Beauty operations, including product innovation with the Cheekbone Beauty chemist and sustainability experts to reimagine beauty products, starting with raw ingredients all the way to how all products are packaged. As part of its sustainability mission, Cheekbone Beauty is associated with organizations such as Pact Collective, 1% for the Planet, and B.Corp. These partnerships show the brand’s commitment to both people and planet.

As of early 2023, Cheekbone Beauty will be available in 50 Sephora stores across Canada as a Sephora Clean and Planet Positive brand. It will also be available in 600 JCPenney stores across the United States.

Giving back to the Indigenous community is critical to Cheekbone Beauty’s mission. To date, Cheekbone Beauty has contributed upwards of $200,000 in product, monetary, and project-focused donations to the organizations across North America and will continue to do so. --

Jenn Harper Conference Speaker Presentations:

My Entrepreneurial Journey

Jenn Harper talks about her background, upbringing, challenges overcome, and the entrepreneurial road culminating in the success of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics Inc.

Helping the World See Indigenous Faces

Join Jenn Harper, the multi-award winning social entrepreneur as she takes you through the creation of Cheekbone Beauty and why representation matters. Cheekbone Beauty aims to help every Indigenous person see and feel their value in the world while developing sustainable colour cosmetics that won’t end up in a landfill.

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