How Malaysian Entrepreneur Kimberley Ho Amassed Wealth with Skincare Products for Children and Adolescents

Born in Malaysia Kimberley Ho, a Stanford graduate, transitioned from her investment banking profession to establish Evereden, a family skincare business that currently achieves annual sales of US$100 million.

Ho, now 35, was raised in Kuala Lumpur by two entrepreneurial parents and often refers to herself as a "startup baby," reminiscing about her mother who managed a business throughout pregnancy, transporting boxes due to financial constraints preventing her from hiring assistance.

She was fixated on gaining admission to Ivy League institutions during her adolescence but finally redirected her focus to Stanford University. At 18, she departed Malaysia to pursue economics, ultimately securing an internship followed by a full-time position at Goldman Sachs, one of the major global financial services businesses, where she saw the intense environment of investment banking firsthand. "At 22 years old, newly graduated, I was engaged in relentless 100-hour work weeks," she recounted to Tatler Asia, reflecting on how even trivial matters, such as a two-centimeter margin discrepancy in a PowerPoint slide, would prompt a midnight call from her supervisor, after which she was required to rectify and resend it without delay.

Despite the job's challenges, Ho contends it improved her work ethic and resilience.

Subsequently, Ho transitioned to Oaktree Capital Management, where she engaged in investments in consumer and skincare brands. The experience honed her economic acumen while also igniting a desire for greater creativity, as reported by the New Straits Times.

"I craved something novel," she stated. During that period, Ho observed the billion-dollar litigations confronting several prominent cosmetics companies with whom she collaborated. These encompassed concerns from concealed health hazards to quality problems overlooked internally.

The pivotal moment occurred when her friends in Malaysia became new parents and requested that she return with "clean and safe" American skincare products. "However, as an investor involved with numerous brands, I was aware that their claims of honesty were not entirely accurate," she stated to Forbes. Recognizing a significant market deficiency, Ho departed from Oaktree in 2017 and, in collaboration with her husband, Huang Lee, co-established a luxury skincare brand for families, Evereden. “Billions have been invested in women’s beauty and cosmetics, yet family skincare has largely been neglected,” stated Ho, who personally faced challenges with sensitive skin during her youth, experiencing outbreaks and eczema exacerbated by certain mainstream products. "To me, that discrepancy simply did not make sense."

Although they possessed extensive knowledge in economics, neither Ho nor her spouse had any medical background. "At the age of 27, I possessed no knowledge." "When one has no prior experience, every situation induces anxiety," Ho stated.

Undaunted, Ho contacted 50 leading dermatologists with her proposal. Inspired by the concept and her daughter's challenges with eczema, Dr. Joyce Teng of Stanford Medical School became the Chief Science Officer for Evereden. Shortly thereafter, two physicians connected with Harvard, who are also moms, joined the team.

Following the formulation, testing, and acquisition of FDA permission for certain items, Evereden formally launched after a two-year period, as reported by The Star. Ho launched the brand in the United States and China, two of the largest skincare markets globally, capitalizing on the desire for clean, high-quality personal care products in both nations.

She swiftly identified the opportunity to engage with Generation Alpha, individuals born post-2010, whom she characterized as distinctive, autonomous, and assertive. "They no longer desire to utilize the two-in-one shampoo and conditioner on the bathroom shelf; instead, they seek niche products that they can claim as their own," she remarked.

Although parents may initiate the initial purchase, Ho indicated that subsequent orders frequently originate from the children themselves. Evereden subsequently broadened its product range to encompass items for moms, including stretch mark oils, and after surpassing $1 million in revenue during its initial years, incorporated skincare and haircare goods for children into its assortment.

Ho was included in the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Retail & E-commerce category.

The brand's haircare products dominated Amazon's children's hair category after few months of its release. The preteen products emerged as the company's most rapidly expanding sector. Evereden achieved a positive profit last year, attaining US$100 million in yearly revenues, primarily due to its appeal in several specialized niches.

Ho aspires for Evereden to become the contemporary equivalent of Johnson & Johnson and a worldwide leader in family skincare. Reflecting on her path, she attributes a significant portion of her success to the entrepreneurial spirit inherited from her parents and the rigorous work ethic cultivated during her tenure on Wall Street.

"Such a work ethic was indispensable for me as a young individual embarking on my career," Ho stated. "It instilled in us the desire for excellence and imparted the lesson of perseverance in the face of rejection". For her, establishing her own enterprise has consistently beyond just profit generation. "It is genuinely a labor of love," she stated to Tatler Asia in May. "I take immense pride in my friends and family in Malaysia being able to engage with and appreciate the culmination of my six years of dedicated effort."