A Business “Glow Up”: How One Entrepreneur Leveled Up His Beauty Brand with The 12-Week MBA
By Katelyn Powell
When London-based skincare gurus Alex Nicolaou and Nicole Stanton entered the Dragon’s Den (the UK predecessor to America’s Shark Tank), they were challenged with pitching their growing beauty brand, NINI Organics, to a group of discerning entrepreneurs and investors.
Between filming the show and when the episode aired to viewers, Alex and Nicole were confident in the energy and passion they brought to the table as leaders. But they also wanted a crash course on business ahead of the buzz they knew the show would create. And because of their busy schedules as entrepreneurs, they chose The 12-Week MBA.
Growing up, Alex often peered into his mother’s toiletry cabinets, testing the lotions and serums on his own skin. He continued exploring the magic of skincare, researching and sourcing natural, organic materials to heal his dry and sensitive face.
When Alex dropped out of school at 18 to pursue an acting career, he found his true passion in the beauty aisles while working part-time at Harrods. Then, his sister Nicole suffered an allergic reaction to the chemicals she worked with daily as a special effects makeup designer, and the siblings knew the time was right to combine their skills and launch a plant-based brand to solve the gap they saw in the market—NINI Organics.
Alex and Nicole applied for and appeared on Dragon’s Den in 2023, leaning into their shared passion for the brand to secure an investment from two of the dragons—and wowing the entire panel with the energy they brought to the room. In fact, the BBC called it “the most exciting pitch ever.”
Alex believes The 12-Week MBA helped him prepare his business for the influx of sales after the show. The program’s business simulations enabled him to hone his decision-making skills and develop a comprehensive understanding of the business outcomes he was looking to drive.
“The Enterprise Simulation was really interesting to me as a business owner because decisions are not always right or wrong. The simulations showed me what happens when I make a decision and how it affects the business. Bringing that perspective into real life has helped me see the bigger picture when I’m making decisions,” he said.
Alex’s biggest takeaway from the program was actually newfound confidence, especially in how he talks about NINI Organics in a business context—something he frequently practiced with the other entrepreneurs in his cohort.
“The 12-Week MBA helped me realize that I did have business acumen, I just needed to speak about it differently in the corporate space,” Alex said. “Corporate business is like speaking a different language. When I’m in the beauty industry, I know how to speak the language. I needed more confidence to overcome some of the imposter syndrome I was feeling after Dragon’s Den.”
Alex’s goal post-graduation is for skincare giants in the beauty industry to take him seriously, and he says The 12-Week MBA has helped him feel more confident working closely with other business professionals. He also believes his dream—that one day, when other curious kids are looking through their mothers’ “magic skin potions,” they’ll find NINI Organics on the shelf—is now one step closer to coming true. Check out NINI Organics and their limited Dragon’s Den bundle here, and learn more about The 12-Week MBA here.