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Spelpreneur Helps Student Annave Noel Take Beauty Brand From Idea to Market
Noel Launched Luminous SKN Care After Developing Her Business Through Spelman’s Entrepreneurship Program
Annave Noel, C’2027, began developing Luminous SKN Care through Spelpreneur, Spelman College’s entrepreneurship program. This summer, the biology major took the body care brand from concept to market, building on skills she developed through the program’s 2024 cohort.
For Noel, Spelpreneur provided a framework for turning an early business idea into a launch-ready brand. Through the program, she gained experience in the areas she would later use to bring Luminous SKN Care to market.
“My experience participating in Spelpreneur gave me greater insight into what it takes to move from having an idea to intentionally preparing a brand for launch,” Noel said. “The program strengthened my understanding of entrepreneurship, brand development, pitching and the importance of building a business with a clear purpose and strategy.”
Noel’s experience also reflects the impact Spelpreneur hopes to have on student entrepreneurs, according to the director of Spelpreneur, Monica Delores Hooks, MBA, EDP.
“Annave is the epitome of a Spelpreneur success story. She’s an incredible example of how entrepreneurship can emerge from disciplines far beyond the traditional business major and Spelpreneur is proud to play a part in helping lay these entrepreneurial foundations. I love seeing this journey unfold and I can’t wait to see what's next for Luminous SKN Care. and the professional leader Annave is becoming,” Hooks said.
Following that experience, Noel officially launched Luminous SKN Care on Aug. 15, 2026, with a pop-up show in Miami. According to Noel, the brand nearly sold out and generated four-figure sales within its first 48 hours, with purchases reaching customers in the United States and throughout the Caribbean. The launch followed an earlier opportunity for Noel to introduce the brand to the fashion and beauty industry. In May 2026, Luminous SKN Care was featured during Miami Swim Week, where its products were used on print and runway models in the Miyana Afgy show.
The brand has continued to expand its reach through new partnerships. Luminous SKN Care welcomed its first global brand ambassador, Yanelle Hernandez, a Monaco-based TikTok influencer with more than 400,000 followers.
According to Noel, the products have also gained visibility in the pageant and beauty community. The Island Glow Mango Body Butter and Caribbean Crush Body Oil are being featured with Miss Universe Haiti delegates. Luminous SKN Care has also been represented by Miss Grand Kendall, fourth runner-up Ashlee Valentina and Miss Grand Florida, third runner-up Moriliz Acosta.
For Noel, the business represents an opportunity to connect her Haitian and Caribbean heritage with a broader audience. Luminous SKN Care is a body care brand focused on creating products and a community for women across cultures.
“Luminous SKN Care draws inspiration from my Haitian and Caribbean heritage, but its vision extends far beyond one culture,” Noel said. “I am building a body care brand where women of all backgrounds can see themselves, experience a sense of belonging and celebrate the beauty of glowing in their own skin.”
The community she found through Spelpreneur also helped advance the business.
“Being surrounded by other Spelman women pursuing entrepreneurship also gave me the confidence to take what I had been developing and bring Luminous SKN Care fully to market,” she said. “As a young Black woman building a beauty company while completing my biology degree at an HBCU, Spelman has continued to shape the way I approach leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship.”
As Noel continues her biology studies, Luminous SKN Care is expanding beyond its initial launch through fashion, pageantry and international audiences. The brand’s growth this summer marks the next stage of a business that began with an idea developed by a Spelman student and was shaped, in part, through the College’s entrepreneurial community.