Legend Preview: Karissa Bodnar
Celebrating extraordinary female leaders in the Pacific Northwest
At each home match Seattle Reign and Starbucks will honor one woman as a Legend in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to our community and beyond. Legends are chosen from corporate, non-profit, academic, athletic, and civic organizations with a presence in Washington State. Each Legend has made a lasting impact in their respective field or discipline.
This Friday, we honor Karissa Bodnar, Founder & CEO of Thrive Causemetics and Bigger Than Beauty Skincare. Read more about Karissa below and stay tuned to read more about her full story:
We’re thrilled to honor Karissa Bodnar, Founder & CEO of Thrive Causemetics and Bigger Than Beauty Skincare, a high-performance makeup and skincare company with a “bigger than beauty” mission.
Karissa grew up locally as a Washington native and is proud to be from Stanwood! She grew up playing soccer and has been a long-time Seattle Reign fan. Karissa started Thrive Causemetics to honor her best friend Kristy LeMond who grew up in Lake Sammamish. Kristy was a 2007 graduate of Issaquah High School and a 2011 graduate of the University of Washington.
At just 24 years old, while Karissa was working in product development at L’Oreal, Kristy was diagnosed with a malignant tumor and tragically passed away within 9 months. During Kristy’s treatment, Kristy often told Karissa how much she wanted to look like herself again and feel that sense of normalcy, but she couldn’t find beauty products that were safe to use. In the early hours before work and into the night after Karissa got home from her day job, she would test ingredients in her kitchen. Karissa began a mission to create beauty products that were safe for everyone including the immunocompromised and empower everyone to feel their best self.
Karissa started Thrive Causemetics down the road in Lower Queen Anne in her one bedroom apartment. The brand’s first ever giving event was in Renton, Seattle at University of Washington Valley Medical. Over the next 10 years, in Kristy’s memory, Karissa built Thrive Causemetics and Bigger Than Beauty Skincare into the largest beauty brand that gives back. All of the company’s products are vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated without harmful ingredients. For every product purchased, Thrive Causemetics makes a donation to help communities thrive. Since 2015, Thrive Causemetics has donated over $150 million in funds and products to over 600 Giving Partners around the world.
The company supports communities enduring cancer, emerging from homelessness, surviving domestic abuse, fighting for racial and social justice, pursuing education, supporting LGBTQ+ causes, uplifting underserved marginalized youth, and assisting veterans. Thrive Causemetics has helped over 40 charities in Washington including Mary’s Place, Ruby Room and UTOPIA WA.
Karissa has been named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Forbes’ America's Self-Made Women, Marie Claire’s Most Powerful Women, and Inc.’s Badass Female Founders list.
