Joe Cloyes and Greg Gonzalez together run Youth To The People, a vegan skin care and beauty brand. While their firm is just a few years old, they are no strangers to this competitive business; their grandmother is Eva Friederichs, creator of professional line Eva’s Esthetics, and both worked for her business before starting YTTP in 2015. Happi checked in with Cloyes and Gonzalez soon after Strand Equity made a minority investment in their Los Angeles-based superfood skin care start-up. 


How you got started: Our grandmother started her first skin care line in 1979. That company is still in operation today selling to salons and spas across the country. We grew up in the industry and felt that there was a more modern, vegan product line just waiting to be created.

We knew we were on to something with this brand when: People instantly related to the brand. Healthy lifestyles and juicing were extremely popular in Los Angeles, everyone just started to understand ingredients like kale and spinach and seek them out in other aspects of their lives outside of their diet. Consumers were more enlightened, they coveted clean beauty and skin care products.

Our newest product is: Superberry Hydrate and Glow Oil! A flash-absorbing, antioxidant-dense face oil.

Gwen Whiting and Lindsey Boyd, founders of The Laundress, ask, “What is one of the most surprisingly difficult tasks/achievement/obstacles you faced?” As with any rapidly growing company, you’re faced with tons of challenges daily, and it’s really up to you to move through them in the most positive and effective way possible. We think one of the biggest challenges has been making sure we maintain our tight-knit, family-like work environment. It’s really important to bring people into the team who love the brand we’ve created. We started as a family company and know a like-minded team is important.

Who is a person you admire in the business world and why? Our grandmother, who started her company with no money and a dream, is our biggest inspiration. Currently we are very inspired by Virgil Abloh and Emily Weiss. They are disruptors in their industries.

Youth To The People’s strength is: We really can grow and evolve in any direction with this company. We see Youth To The People as a lifestyle brand at the end of the day. We want to explore many different paths and bring exciting products to our people.

Our recent deal with Strand Equity means: An opportunity to partner with people who can help us bring YTTP to its next stage. Driving brand awareness and building our team.

If we weren’t doing what we are now, we would be: We would be building brands and exploring new businesses in the wellness and lifestyle space. 


Do you know an indie company we should profile in an upcoming issue? Send your suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet us at @HappiMagazine.