Sophia El-Hayek ’13, G’15 earned both her bachelor’s degree in international business and her MBA from Assumption with a goal of running her own business. Now an entrepreneur, El-Hayek co-founded and runs Phenic Natural Skincare, a natural skincare brand based in Worcester with a mission of bringing insight and appreciation of nature as skincare to those seeking an enlightened and pure lifestyle. While starting a skincare brand was never in her career plans during her time at Assumption, her education – especially her time in the Honors Program – afforded her all the tools for success, particularly confidence.
“This confidence was one of the most important things that I took with me from Assumption,” she said. “If I didn’t find it, I probab y wou dn’t have become an entrepreneur.”
Founded in 2017 and now one of the fastest- growing companies in Worcester, Phenic was the recipient of a StartUp Worcester Grant – a program that provided the company with access to office and lab space, mentoring, and networking events throughout the city that supported its launch. After attending small local market events to gain exposure and sell its products, Phenic grew a presence at national trade shows, aiming to make
connections with retail buyers with the goal of exposure in the retail markets of influential beauty retailers. However, because of the pandemic canceling in-person events for the rest of 2020 and early 2021, El-Hayek was forced to pivot.
“We had to make changes to our marketing plan this coming year due to the pandemic,” said El-Hayek, adding that they focused on a new and expanded social media marketing campaign, incidentally at the same time the company received its trademark, allowing them to use the campaign to rebrand. It also spurred Phenic to expand its online presence and distribution, completely remodeling its online store, as well as being sold on Amazon and the online retailer Beauty Bridge. As the company adapted to the rapidly changing business environment, Phenic also continued to launch new products, including its Honey Oat Cleansing Soap Bars.
As Phenic continues to grow, El-Hayek hopes the brand will not only become a staple for beauty customers looking for healthy skincare, but will open doors for other local businesses with similar missions. “We hope that our success can encourage the growth of complementary businesses in the area,” she said.
