In an inspiring, female-founder entrepreneurial story, Anisa International’s CEO, Anisa Telwar Kaicker tells Beauty Packaging’s Jamie Matusow how she got her start, how she persevered beyond all odds and, how now, 30 years later, she still wants to make a difference to the everyday beauty and skincare user.
Jamie Matusow: How did you start your company—and what was the toughest part?
Anisa Telwar Kaicker: At age 17, I began working in my mother’s import-export business. Seven years later, the business was abruptly dissolved. The experience was traumatizing, but I forged on. At 24, I had no formal education, no idea what kind of job I could get, but I knew how to import product.
I approached a family contact based in Korea who manufactured cosmetic brushes, and convinced him to enter into business together. I marketed and distributed the products stateside, while he was responsible for the manufacturing in Asia. By 1992, ever entrepreneurial, I founded Anisa International. Eventually, my partnership with the family contact dissolved, and I set out on my own.
In 2003, I realized I could sell better quality brushes if I made them myself, so I did just that, officially becoming the only female-owned brush manufacturer in the world. This enabled me to control and own every aspect of the product, from the design to the company’s intellectual property, and with the highest levels of quality control that have come to define Anisa International. Building my own manufacturing facility in China was one of the toughest things I have ever done. I’m not, and never have been, an operations person. I had to invest all my own money. I had to beg my customers to trust me. It took two years until we could ship brushes that were at the quality that I required. Today, the company’s facilities in Tianjin and Jinghai are a source of great pride as they reflect my core values: to create ethically-made products, and engage in cleaner, safer and responsible manufacturing.
I attribute our global success to our unique awareness of product formulation pairing with brush shapes and fibers, which enables brands to pave the way for trendsetting brushes. We have grown to have over 90 patented and patent-pending designs, 2 manufacturing facilities, and over 400 employees globally. We’ve worked with over 700 of the world’s most influential brands and are proud to say that 65% of the brushes currently rated 4.9 stars or higher on Sephora.com were made by our company.
JM: What makes Anisa International stand out from other suppliers as far as your categories/services?
ATK: Having full ownership of two facilities is what makes us stand out. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Jinghai and Tianjin, China, enable us to maintain our commitment to the environment and lead every aspect of our customers’ projects with the highest level of quality control. We know where every component of our products originates and know everyone who's involved in creating our product. And the fact that we’re the only female-owned brush manufacturing company on the male-dominated supply side really makes us stand out.
JM: How has your company evolved over the past few years regarding your services/offerings?
ATK: In 2019, we launched ANISA Beauty, our first direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand. On both sides of the business, every product we produce is PETA-certified, cruelty-free, and sustainably made. ANISA Beauty is an incubator that helps us on the B2B side—we’re able to launch products to consumers directly, gather intel, and share our findings to support our customers on both sides of the business. Our D2C strategy is another point of difference—we put ourselves in our brand partner’s shoes, something no other brush supplier on the market can truly say.
JM: What’s next for your company?
ATK: As we look ahead, we are working diligently to deepen our quality control and commitment to the environment. When I first began selling brushes 30 years ago, I never imagined the changes that would affect an industry that first refused to stray from animal hair. Having developed patented cruelty-free fibers that work with today’s advanced beauty products, we’re putting our planet first. Product integrity remains our top priority. We will continue to pinpoint areas of our business where we can be even more environmentally friendly, to benefit both ourselves and our partners for years to come.
Jamie Matusow: How did you start your company—and what was the toughest part?
Anisa Telwar Kaicker: At age 17, I began working in my mother’s import-export business. Seven years later, the business was abruptly dissolved. The experience was traumatizing, but I forged on. At 24, I had no formal education, no idea what kind of job I could get, but I knew how to import product.
I approached a family contact based in Korea who manufactured cosmetic brushes, and convinced him to enter into business together. I marketed and distributed the products stateside, while he was responsible for the manufacturing in Asia. By 1992, ever entrepreneurial, I founded Anisa International. Eventually, my partnership with the family contact dissolved, and I set out on my own.
In 2003, I realized I could sell better quality brushes if I made them myself, so I did just that, officially becoming the only female-owned brush manufacturer in the world. This enabled me to control and own every aspect of the product, from the design to the company’s intellectual property, and with the highest levels of quality control that have come to define Anisa International. Building my own manufacturing facility in China was one of the toughest things I have ever done. I’m not, and never have been, an operations person. I had to invest all my own money. I had to beg my customers to trust me. It took two years until we could ship brushes that were at the quality that I required. Today, the company’s facilities in Tianjin and Jinghai are a source of great pride as they reflect my core values: to create ethically-made products, and engage in cleaner, safer and responsible manufacturing.
I attribute our global success to our unique awareness of product formulation pairing with brush shapes and fibers, which enables brands to pave the way for trendsetting brushes. We have grown to have over 90 patented and patent-pending designs, 2 manufacturing facilities, and over 400 employees globally. We’ve worked with over 700 of the world’s most influential brands and are proud to say that 65% of the brushes currently rated 4.9 stars or higher on Sephora.com were made by our company.
JM: What makes Anisa International stand out from other suppliers as far as your categories/services?
ATK: Having full ownership of two facilities is what makes us stand out. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Jinghai and Tianjin, China, enable us to maintain our commitment to the environment and lead every aspect of our customers’ projects with the highest level of quality control. We know where every component of our products originates and know everyone who's involved in creating our product. And the fact that we’re the only female-owned brush manufacturing company on the male-dominated supply side really makes us stand out.
JM: How has your company evolved over the past few years regarding your services/offerings?
ATK: In 2019, we launched ANISA Beauty, our first direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand. On both sides of the business, every product we produce is PETA-certified, cruelty-free, and sustainably made. ANISA Beauty is an incubator that helps us on the B2B side—we’re able to launch products to consumers directly, gather intel, and share our findings to support our customers on both sides of the business. Our D2C strategy is another point of difference—we put ourselves in our brand partner’s shoes, something no other brush supplier on the market can truly say.
JM: What’s next for your company?
ATK: As we look ahead, we are working diligently to deepen our quality control and commitment to the environment. When I first began selling brushes 30 years ago, I never imagined the changes that would affect an industry that first refused to stray from animal hair. Having developed patented cruelty-free fibers that work with today’s advanced beauty products, we’re putting our planet first. Product integrity remains our top priority. We will continue to pinpoint areas of our business where we can be even more environmentally friendly, to benefit both ourselves and our partners for years to come.
