Gregg Renfrew built a billion-dollar brand, only to end up on the outside looking in after investors brought in a replacement CEO. Renfrew, 55, founded clean beauty brand Beautycounter in 2011 with the mission of disrupting the cosmetics industry by only selling products made without "questionable or harmful chemicals." Along the way, Renfrew and Beautycounter raised more than $93 million from investors, according to Crunchbase. Renfrew: It was really, really difficult. I sold the business right before the world opened up with Covid and so much was changing and swirling around.

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Persons: Gregg Renfrew, Beautycounter, Carlyle, Renfrew, Marc Rey, Martha Stewart, Rey, burnishing, Renfrew's, Carlyle Roberto Marques, it's, It's, you've Organizations: CNBC, Ulta, Carlyle Group Locations: Renfrew, New York, Denver, U.S, Washington