I witnessed my grandmother go through Alzheimer’s while she was ill with terminal Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Watching her memory and bodily functions decline so rapidly (over just a short few months) was a very emotional experience for me and my family. She went from a vibrant, mentally present woman to reverting to her childhood; singing in her first language (Yiddish). It was both touching and painful to witness.

I am a scientist and an entrepreneur. I formulated a skincare and makeup brand that is now a globally recognized green beauty brand that’s called Gressa.  I use my business as a platform to voice my personal philosophy of minimalistic, imperfect beauty to women in the world saturated with conventional, over-exposed, self-serving social media-heavy defined beauty standards. I hope to compile my memoirs and story snippets and publish a book on beauty beyond an edited portrait someday.