Sejal Patel,
PharmD
— Founder & CEO
As an Indian woman, Sejal saw firsthand the lack of representation in the beauty industry for people who looked like her.
As a mother, she watched how colorism affected her children’s relationship with their own skin. As a pharmacist, she felt called to use her experience and education to meet an unmet need in the beauty industry. She founded Plantkos in 2021 to bring more clinical inclusivity and scientific rigor to the beauty industry.
Blending her pharmaceutical training with Ayurvedic wisdom, Sejal developed proprietary Phyto Clinical Complexes that specifically address the most common skin concerns — dehydration, irritation, and hyperpigmentation — at once, and for all skin types and tones. Sejal is committed to clean clinical innovation, skin education, and supporting the upliftment of all girls and women.
Ketul Patel,
PharmD
— Founder & CFO
As a licensed pharmacist with over 21 years of experience in pharma and biotech, Ketul brings his vast industry knowledge to his role as CFO.
He has served as the regional medical director for AxeVis, Inc. and as the regional VP of neurological services for HYR Services. In both roles, he has had front row seats to some of the most groundbreaking industry milestones of our time.
Those experiences deepened his desire to be part of progressive innovations that use the power of science to better people’s lives, especially those that are often unseen and underrepresented.
He is foremost a husband and father, the role that ultimately brought him to Planktos. Inspired to shine light on skin’s greatest concerns after his daughter’s own skin struggles, Ketul aligns with our primary focus of understanding skin at its deepest layers and developing proprietary formulas designed to care for it.
Kelly St. John
— Advisor, Brand and Product Development
A 25-year veteran of the beauty industry and founder of KSJ Collective, Kelly St. John brings extensive experience in developing brands and sustainable growth strategies to her advisory role at Planktos.
Her distinguished career, which began at industry giants Estée Lauder and Neiman Marcus, has established her as a leading consultant for emerging brands of all sizes to create transformative growth strategies that build brand equity and grab market share.
Her deep understanding of the ever-changing beauty industry gives Kelly a leading edge as a strategist, advisor, collaborator, and connector.
As our advisor of brand and product development, Kelly provides strategic counsel to steer Plantkos’ growth, expertly guiding our products onto the shelves and sites of the industry’s most renowned retailers and continuously establishing Plantkos as the leading skincare brand designed for melanated skin.
