Jake Shane Takes Equity Stake in Dolce Glow, His First Brand Investment

Originally reported by Beauty Independent.

Jake Shane, the comedian, content creator and host of the podcast "Therapuss with Jake Shane," has invested in self-tanning brand Dolce Glow, Beauty Independent reported on Oct. 1. Dolce Glow marks his first investment in a brand, the outlet reported, citing the company. Shane had been getting spray tans from Dolce Glow founder Isabel Alysa Vita for years before taking the stake.

Shane adds to a roster of celebrity and creator investors. Dolce Glow announced an $11 million Series A in August led by CAVU Consumer Partners, with participation from Sofia Richie Grainge, Olivia Culpo, Jaclyn Hill, Brianna LaPaglia, Ash Holm and others, according to Beauty Independent; Miley Cyrus, another longtime tanning client of Vita's, became an investor in 2023. Shane, who has had commercial partnerships with Poppi and TheraBreath and is chief creative officer of Katjes' business in the United States, has 1.9 million followers on Instagram and 4.3 million on TikTok, the outlet reported. He will continue to support Dolce Glow organically across events, product launches and content.

Vita told Beauty Independent that the investment grew out of an existing relationship. "People connect with him because he is authentically himself, and you can't manufacture that kind of connection through a traditional campaign," she said. Investing does not come with an expectation that creators act as spokespeople, the outlet reported. "I never want it to feel like, 'I invested, so now I owe Dolce Glow five posts,'" Vita told Beauty Independent.

Why it matters

Beauty Independent placed the deal in a run of creator investments in beauty and wellness this year: ESW Beauty added Katie Fang and Aliya Rachinski as investors, Cymbiotika enlisted Alix Earle and Sensori assembled more than 40 creator investors. For a brand, a paid post is a one-time transaction, while an equity stake ties the creator's upside to the company's results, the distinction Vita drew when she told the outlet that creators "want to have a real stake in companies they genuinely believe in." For Dolce Glow, that attention has a shelf to land on. The brand became Sephora's No. 1 self-tanning brand within six months of entering the retailer and is sold in 392 Sephora doors as well as Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Revolve, Macy's and QVC, according to Beauty Independent, and retail accounts for about 60% of its sales.

What to watch

Vita is working toward $100 million-plus in sales, and the recent funding is earmarked for inventory, retail expansion, product innovation and team growth, according to Beauty Independent, which also reported the hire of former Goop VP of wholesale sales and marketing Gina Lucania as SVP of global sales and strategic growth. The open question is whether a cap table built on creator reach can drive retail sell-through at the scale that target requires.