Lexie Hull shares major off-court news amid career year with Fever originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Lexie Hull is building something significant away from the basketball court while continuing to play an important role for the Indiana Fever. Hull and former Stanford roommate Sarah Guller launched FORTA Cosmetics earlier this year, introducing a beauty brand designed with athletes and active consumers in mind. Now, the company has received its biggest endorsement yet.
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FORTA has been accepted into the Sephora Accelerate program, an incubator that helps emerging beauty brands grow their businesses and prepare to reach retail shelves.
Hull celebrated the news on her Instagram Stories, while FORTA shared a longer announcement with its social media followers.
“We’re beyond honored to share that FORTA has been accepted into the Sephora Accelerate Program,” the company wrote. “Thank you so much to @beautyindependent for this feature and to Sephora Accelerate for giving us a once in a lifetime opportunity. So grateful, excited, and just getting started. We cannot wait to share what’s to come!”
For a company still in its early stages, earning a place in the program represents a potentially transformative opportunity.
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Lexie Hull and Sarah Guller made a major investment in FORTA
Hull and Guller reportedly used $17,000 of their own savings to fund the first 10,000-unit order for FORTA’s initial product, the Lock & Go Setting Spray.
The product was created to help makeup remain in place through sweat, competition and long days. It is a natural fit for Hull, who understands the difficulty of maintaining a beauty routine through practices, games, travel and other demands placed on professional athletes. FORTA is not expected to stop with one product. The company reportedly plans to expand into lip and eye products, giving Hull and Guller an opportunity to build a much broader cosmetics line.
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The Sephora Accelerate program could provide the mentorship, business development resources and industry access needed to take that next step. Hull and Guller met while attending Stanford, where Hull helped the Cardinal win the 2021 national championship. Their relationship has since evolved from college roommates to business partners attempting to establish a place in the highly competitive beauty industry.
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Hull continues to deliver for the Indiana Fever
Hull’s major business news arrives during another important season in her basketball career. The 26-year-old entered Wednesday averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds through 26 games. She was shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc for an Indiana team that began the day with a 16-10 record.
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Hull’s greatest value does not always show up in the traditional box score. Her perimeter defense, outside shooting and willingness to take on difficult assignments have helped her remain an important part of coach Stephanie White’s rotation. Indiana also demonstrated its confidence in Hull by signing her to a two-year deal that keeps her with the Fever through the 2027 season.
Her popularity has grown alongside the Fever’s rapid rise in national attention. That platform could become an important asset for FORTA as the company introduces additional products and attempts to reach a wider audience.
Hull still has plenty to accomplish with the Fever this season, but her latest announcement shows that basketball is only one part of what she is building. The investment began with $17,000, an idea between former Stanford roommates and a setting spray created for active lifestyles. Acceptance into Sephora Accelerate suggests that the beauty industry is beginning to see the same potential in FORTA that Hull and Guller saw from the beginning.
