My journey in skincare started in 2017, when while working at an international e-commerce retailer as the head of Brand partnerships and business development I was approached by Asia based companies to consult them with their branding and marketing so they could successfully enter the US market. As someone who was bilingual, well versed in branding from my work with top fashion brands from around the world, and thrived in a growth environment, this was a perfect opportunity to grow and take responsibilities outside of my job description. All the companies happened to be in skincare. These projects opened up a whole new world for me, and soon after I’ve found myself having cultivated a strong network and friendships with Korean marketers, formulators, developers, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers. I soon began to ask a lot of questions, some of which ultimately led to the creation of ATEM’s skincare line. Some of these questions, drawn from my experience were these: Why are new technologies in Korean and Asian cosmetics entering the Western market years, years late? Why is there such a high ratio of Western companies capitalizing off the K-beauty wave compared to Korea-bred companies? What factors prevent high-quality, and often affordable and innovative products of the world from reaching the everyday consumer in real-time, while comparable luxury products with the contrasting trait of sky-rocket prices of other companies thrive? Why are there so few brands that embody and offer values and narratives that are contextually progressive and global?