Trey Augliano, a junior at the Whitman School of Management majoring in entrepreneurship and marketing management, has launched Utopia Beauty. This new beauty brand aims to bring transparency and trust to the personal care industry by offering products backed by independent clinical research.
Augliano is involved with Syracuse University Libraries’ innovation initiatives and has experience mentoring student founders through the Blackstone LaunchPad. With Utopia Beauty, he steps into a more prominent role as the founder of a direct-to-consumer retailer providing high-performance products. The brand’s initial collection includes 50-60 products, ranging from skincare and makeup to candles and luxury body sprays, all validated by clinical labs in the U.S. and Europe.
“I wanted to create something that cut through the noise,” Augliano says. “There are too many beauty products making bold claims without data to back them up. Utopia Beauty stands for a future where science meets self-care.”
The business model for Utopia reflects Augliano’s vision for e-commerce: low overhead via drop shipping, free U.S. shipping, and a loyalty program promoting evidence-based wellness. The target market consists of discerning consumers who value transparency, sustainable sourcing, and premium quality.
Augliano’s journey began in Watertown, New York, where he started experimenting with business ideas in middle school and filed his first provisional patent at age 12. In high school, he taught himself e-commerce skills and launched several online stores.
His decision to attend Syracuse University was influenced by an encounter at the Blackstone LaunchPad at Bird Library which led to mentorship opportunities even before enrolling officially.
“Trey embodies the spirit of Syracuse University Libraries and the community we built here with the help of students scholars and innovators like him,” says Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, founder and retired director of Blackstone LaunchPad. “Now he’s launching a company that could set a new standard in the beauty industry.”
For Augliano, merging wellness with entrepreneurship is personal. “I’ve always loved building things that have a purpose,” he says. “Syracuse gave me the platform, the mentors and the community to do that at a higher level.”
Story by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, strategic initiatives advisor at Syracuse University Libraries
