Watch & Sea Beauty CEO Courtney Adeleye Named Official Beauty Advisor for CURLFEST® 2026

Watch & Sea Beauty CEO Returns to the Cultural Stage That Helped Shape a Generation of Black Beauty Entrepreneurs

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Courtney Adeleye, entrepreneur and CEO of Watch & Sea Beauty, has been named the Official Beauty Advisor for CURLFEST® 2026, marking a full-circle moment for one of the beauty industry’s most influential founders.

Nearly a decade ago, Adeleye attended CURLFEST® as CEO of The Mane Choice, the haircare brand she scaled to more than $100 million in sales within six years. Standing on the festival lawn with her two young daughters beside her, she witnessed thousands of women proudly celebrating textured hair, beauty, and identity in a way that left a lasting impact on her personally and professionally.

Now, Adeleye returns to the festival in an official leadership role alongside her daughters, now teenagers, as she continues building the marine-inspired beauty brand that launched in Target in 2025 and has rapidly expanded into more than 3,500 retail locations nationwide, including CVS, Walmart, H-E-B, and Meijer.

“I remember standing on that lawn and realizing how powerful it was to see so many women embracing themselves unapologetically,” said Adeleye. “Now my daughters are old enough to truly understand what that representation means. I want them to see founders, executives, creators, and brands built by people who look like them. Those moments shape confidence, identity, and possibility.”

As Official Beauty Advisor, Adeleye will support brand partnerships, founder engagement, beauty programming, and community initiatives surrounding CURLFEST® 2026. Watch & Sea Beauty will also participate as part of the festival experience.

“Representation isn’t a moment. It’s seeing founders, executives, creators, and brands built by people who look like you.”
— Courtney Adeleye, CEO, Watch & Sea Beauty

The Curly Girl Collective founded CURLFEST® in 2014 as the world’s largest natural hair festival — a cultural celebration centered around textured hair, beauty, self-expression, and community.

Over the past decade, CURLFEST® has evolved into one of the most recognized beauty festivals in the world, generating more than 8.4 billion media impressions and attracting attendees from more than 40 countries annually.

“What the Curly Girl Collective team built goes far beyond a festival,” Adeleye added. “They created a cultural institution and a space where Black beauty is centered, celebrated, and normalized on a global level.”

CURLFEST® 2026 will take place Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Randall’s Island Park in New York City.

For tickets, brand partnerships, and event information, visit CURLFEST.com.

About Watch & Sea Beauty

Watch & Sea Beauty is a modern beauty brand founded by Courtney Adeleye and inspired by the power of marine-based ingredients. The brand formulates products designed to support confident, expressive beauty routines while delivering accessible luxury across mass retail. Watch & Sea Beauty products are available nationwide at Target, Walmart, CVS, H-E-B, and Meijer.

About CURLFEST®

CURLFEST® is the world’s largest natural hair festival, founded in 2014 by Simone Mair, Charisse Higgins, and Melody Henderson of Curly Girl Collective — a minority women-owned company dedicated to celebrating textured hair, beauty, culture, and community. Over the past decade, CURLFEST® has grown into a global cultural institution, generating more than 8.4 billion media impressions and welcoming attendees from more than 40 countries annually. Through experiences, storytelling, and connection, CURLFEST® remains the definitive space where Black beauty is centered, celebrated, and normalized on a world stage.