SU Libraries' Innovation Scholar launches Utopia Beauty
by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, Strategic Initiatives Advisor
Syracuse Student Entrepreneur Merges Science and Self-Care
Syracuse University student Trey Augliano ’27 is set to launch Utopia Beauty, on May 31, 2025 as a science-driven beauty brand that promises to bring transparency and trust to the personal care industry.
A sophomore at the Whitman School of Management and a student leader engaged in SU Libraries’ innovation initiatives, Augliano is no stranger to the startup world. As an Orange Innovation Scholar and Intelligence++ Scholar, he has worked behind the scenes at SU Libraries mentoring student founders and helping commercialize emerging technologies through SU Libraries' Blackstone LaunchPad.
Now, he’s stepping into the spotlight with Utopia Beauty, a direct-to-consumer retailer offering high-performance products backed by independent, third-party clinical research. From skincare and makeup to candles and luxury body sprays, the brand will debut with a curated collection of 50–60 rigorously vetted products, all validated by clinical labs in the U.S. and Europe.
“I wanted to create something that cut through the noise,” Augliano says. “There are too many beauty products making bold claims without data to back them up. Utopia Beauty stands for a future where science meets self-care.”
Utopia’s business model reflects Augliano’s broader vision for e-commerce which includes drop shipping to keep overhead low, free U.S. shipping and a loyalty program that rewards customers for supporting evidence-based wellness. The target audience? Discerning consumers, especially women, who demand transparency, sustainable sourcing and premium quality.
Augliano’s path to launching Utopia Beauty has been anything but conventional. A Watertown, NY native, he began experimenting with business ideas in middle school and filed his first provisional patent by age 12. During high school, he taught himself e-commerce, launched several online stores and began sourcing products directly from international manufacturers. Those early experiences gave him a global mindset and framework for operational detail.
His decision to attend Syracuse University was sealed the day he visited the Blackstone LaunchPad at Bird Library. Finding the center empty that day because staff and students were engaged in a big business plan competition, he left a sticky note on the founding director’s computer expressing his interest. That single gesture led to a lasting mentorship and his early integration into SU’s entrepreneurship ecosystem — even before officially enrolling.
“Trey embodies the spirit of Syracuse University Libraries and the community we built here with the help of students scholars and innovators like Trey. It is entrepreneurial, collaborative and deeply driven,” said Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, founder and retired director of SU Libraries’ LaunchPad. “Now he’s launching a company that could set a new standard in the beauty industry.”
For Augliano, the intersection of wellness, entrepreneurship and science is more than just a brand. It’s personal. “I’ve always loved building things that have a purpose,” he says. “Syracuse gave me the platform, the mentors and the community to do that at a higher level.”
Utopia Beauty officially launches May 31, 2025. For more information, visit utopiabeauty.co.