Inc. Names Cassandra Morales Thurswell of Kitsch to Its 2026 Female Founders 500 List

LOS ANGELES, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cassandra Morales Thurswell, founder and CEO of Kitsch, has been named to Inc.'s 2026 Female Founders 500, an annual list honoring the most dynamic women business leaders in the United States. The honor recognizes founders whose bold ideas, resilience, and execution are shaping the future of their industries.

Each year, Inc. editors evaluate applications through a rigorous, multi-round selection process. This is the third win for Thurswell, who appeared on the 2023 and 2025 lists. Founders are assessed on both quantitative performance metrics, including revenue growth, funding, sales, and audience size, as well as qualitative factors such as innovation, social impact, and brand momentum. The final list represents the nation's most innovative entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and measurable progress over the past year.

"I am so honored to be in such a distinctive group of visionary creators that are contributing in such dynamic ways to today's culture and consciousness," says Thurswell. "Any recognition I receive is really a reflection of the people around me—my team at Kitsch champions women every single day. I'm also grateful for Latinas in Beauty, an organization I'm honored to advise. It is doing the hard, necessary work of making sure Latina founders have a seat at the table, spotlighting how true inclusion comes from a global lens and that success is meant to be shared."

This past year was transformative for Kitsch, which creates elevated essentials from haircare to wellness with thoughtful design, best-in-class performance and attainable prices. As a top-10 performer across retail and social commerce, available at 32,000+ stores in 92 countries, it's organically grown into a category leader in an industry dominated by PE and conglomerates. Its commitment to sustainability prevails, including 15+ patents and packaging to reduce environmental impact. With a customer-first mindset and enviably diverse team, Kitsch is shaping a future-forward movement redefining the industry with heart, vision, and intention.

The brand translated this momentum into decisive wins. Kitsch cracked a new category with patented hair perfume, introducing first-ever game-changing technology and proving its ability to create—not chase—demand. It built a rare, balanced omnichannel engine across wholesale, DTC and Amazon and completed a pivotal brand transformation, shifting from accessories to a performance-led hair care authority.

Kitsch didn't just expand—it helped retail partners grow. Amid rising tariffs and industry-wide price hikes and layoffs, it chose a different path: hiring more team members, investing in talent, and expanding its operational footprint without passing costs to consumers. As a top-10 TikTok Shop brand across all divisions, it mastered modern marketing, launched 210+ SKUs, and self-fulfilled 10,000+ orders daily. This year solidified Kitsch's vision, its agility and its ability to lead and the power of independent scale.

"Each year, we are increasingly amazed by the extraordinary leaders on our Inc. Female Founders 500 list," says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. "The honorees on this year's list include innovators in AI, beauty and wellness trendsetters winning devoted fans, and nonprofit leaders making a real impact in their communities. Together, they're showing all of us what trailblazing female leadership looks like."

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SOURCE Kitsch