KRISTINA VALIANI The Beauty of Hope
“ I had a blank box, the name The Beauty of Hope, and the commitment to donate 10 percent of revenue from day one.”
KRISTINA VALIANI The Beauty of Hope
FOR THE PAST DECADE, The Beauty of Hope has offered luxurious, hand-poured soy-wax candles with a purpose: ending human trafficking. Founded by Kristina Valiani, the company donates 10 percent of its revenue“ off the top” to organizations that work to prevent trafficking and support survivors.“ Our long-term vision is to see every man, woman and child set free from trafficking,” says Valiani.
That long-term vision grew out of Valiani’ s lifelong interest in helping others, whether through charitable giving or the healing power of spa. Valiani— who enrolled in esthetics school as a 17-year-old— always knew she wanted to work in the spa industry and spent her early career at skincare companies like HydroPeptide, where she worked as an educator. Her experiences there would prove invaluable when, in 2015, Valiani launched The Beauty of Hope.“ I saw firsthand at HydroPeptide what it really takes to get a brand off the ground and thrive,” she says.
Valiani wanted to build a business of her own, one that would have a positive impact on the world. Driven by this clarity of purpose, she began making candles on her kitchen stovetop and sold them at farmer’ s markets.“ I had a blank box, the name The Beauty of Hope, and the commitment to donate 10 percent of revenue from day one,” Valiani says.
Her prior experience working in spas gave her a unique perspective on how to craft luxury candles suited for spa retail.“ I understood what providers and spa directors needed in order to love a product,” Valiani says,“ and how to communicate value through education.”
As a self-funded company, scaling up took time and creativity, and the early years involved long hours and seven-day workweeks. But Valiani persevered, winning accounts with major spa partners and, in 2021, building a custom fragrance program.“ That decision completely shifted the trajectory of the business,” she notes. Now, The Beauty of Hope provides custom candles to spa partners like Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria and Sea Island, and the desire to end human trafficking remains at the business’ s core.“ We aren’ t just selling candles,” she says.“ Our commitment to this cause is unwavering.” n
“ I had a blank box, the name The Beauty of Hope, and the commitment to donate 10 percent of revenue from day one.”
FOUNDER’ S PLAYBOOK l ADVICE FOR YOUR YOUNGER SELF:“ Take bold risks with confidence— the leap is where growth happens.” l PERSONAL MOTTO:“ Lead with purpose, not just profit.” l BIGGEST MENTOR:“ April Peck, Allan Share, Kelleye Martin and Lisa Michaelis. In different seasons they each have played a significant role in my career.” l ALTERNATE CAREER:“ Since early childhood I’ ve only ever wanted to be in the spa industry!”
Know a company founder in the spa industry whose legacy should be celebrated? Contact ispa @ ispastaff. com to share their story.
PULSE n DECEMBER 2025 / JANUARY 2026 17