Five Questions With: Connie Lo & Laura Thompson, Co-founders, Three Ships

When Connie Lo and Laura Burget co-founded Three Ships, they weren’t interested in following the beauty industry’s playbook; they were rewriting it. With no industry connections, little capital, and a bold mission to make clean, science-backed skincare truly accessible, they launched their brand from a Toronto apartment at the age of 23. What they lacked in resources, they made up for in clarity of purpose and an unwavering commitment to transparency, from ingredient sourcing and pricing to team communication and leadership values.

Today, Three Ships is one of the fastest-growing clean skincare brands in North America, recognized not only for its industry-disrupting products but also for its integrity. In this candid Q&A, Connie and Laura reflect on the leadership lessons they’ve learned through building a purpose-driven company, sharing their experiences navigating bias, showing up with vulnerability, and building a brand that treats customers like co-creators. Whether you’re an aspiring founder or just someone craving more honesty in the beauty space, their story offers both inspiration and insight.

Connie and Laura, you launched Three Ships with a shared belief that clean beauty should be transparent and accessible. What has building this company taught you about leadership and yourselves? 

Laura: 

What building Three Ships has taught me about leadership and myself could probably fill a book. But if I had to distill it, I’d say this journey has taught me how to lead with equal parts conviction and humility.

When Connie and I launched Three Ships, we didn’t come from deep industry experience or have investor backing. What we did have was a shared belief that the skincare industry needed a shake-up – that clean beauty should be truly natural, science-backed, and most importantly, accessible. That clarity of mission has been our North Star from day one, and it’s helped us make hard decisions when things get messy or uncertain, which they often do when you’re building something from scratch.

But leadership, I’ve learned, isn’t just about having a clear vision. It’s about being comfortable with vulnerability. There’s this idea that leaders should be bulletproof, always confident and in control. But in reality, especially as a founder, you’re constantly navigating uncertainty. I’ve learned that it’s okay to say “I don’t know,” or “I’m struggling with this.” That kind of honesty has enabled us to build a team culture where people feel safe being themselves and bringing their whole selves to work. And that, in turn, leads to better collaboration, more creativity, and a stronger company overall.

One of the biggest personal lessons has been around resilience. There have been times, especially in those early years, when I wondered if we were crazy for trying to build a natural skincare brand in such a competitive space. I had to learn about what it meant to be resilient at an even more personal level when I was diagnosed with brain cancer at 26. But every challenge forced us to grow. I’ve had to learn how to bounce back quickly, trust myself more deeply, and stay focused on the impact we want to have, even when the path forward isn’t clear.

So if I had to sum it all up: building Three Ships has taught me that real leadership is rooted in purpose, shaped by curiosity, and strengthened by being unafraid to show up as yourself.

As women founders, how have you navigated bias or barriers in the beauty industry? What changes do you want to see for those coming up behind you? 

Connie:

When Laura and I started Three Ships, we were 23 years old, working on the brand as a side hustle with no industry connections and very little funding. Being two young women in the beauty space came with its fair share of biases. I recall being at a tradeshow where someone asked to speak to the owner, even though we were literally standing in our own booth. Or when Laura would reach out to co-manufacturers and they wouldn’t bother sending someone senior to the meetings, assuming we weren’t serious. Fundraising also brought its own challenges. Most of the investors we met were men, and many wouldn’t even try our products, saying things like “I’ll let my wife try it,” which, in a skincare business, is a huge miss. You can’t be convinced to invest if you haven’t experienced the products and seen why our customers are so loyal (our repeat purchase rate is nearly double the industry average).

But Laura and I used those moments to fuel us. We focused on building meaningful relationships with the people who saw us and believed in our vision, whether that was a buyer who stopped at our tiny booth, a manufacturer who took a chance on us early on, or an investor who actually tried our products and asked thoughtful questions. Those are the people who became some of our strongest partners.

I also think it’s about perspective – are these things barriers, or are they filters? Sometimes, the way people show up in those early conversations tells you everything you need to know about whether they’re the right fit to grow with you.

As for what I hope to see for the next generation of women founders: first, more capital in their hands! Less than 2% of VC funding goes to female founders, which is why we’re so vocal about our fundraising journey and the lessons we’ve learned in raising over $6 million. We believe a rising tide raises all ships, so we do our best to mentor other founders and be transparent about the fundraising lessons we’ve learned so that other female founders can learn from our mistakes and tips. 

One other change I’d love to see is more diversity in who’s sitting on the other side of the table. Investors, buyers, chemists, manufacturers – if those rooms reflect the people using the products, then the next wave of founders won’t have to justify their seat at the table. They’ll just get to build products they’re genuinely passionate about.

Community and collaboration are often undervalued in entrepreneurship. How has your partnership and your broader community shaped your approach to leadership? 

Laura: 

When people ask what’s kept us going through the rollercoaster of building Three Ships, the first thing we always come back to is our community – our team, customers, and retail partners. I think community and collaboration are the secret weapons in entrepreneurship. They just don’t get talked about enough.

Our customer community, in particular, has shaped almost every major decision we’ve made. One of the best decisions we made early on was being radically transparent with our ingredients, pricing, and even our challenges. And in return, our community has shown up for us in incredible ways. We include them from the beginning of developing a new product, gathering their feedback on lab samples, and iterating based on their input before bringing a product to market. 

More than 35% of our customers are repeat purchasers, which is almost double the industry average. This says so much about their trust in our products and how supportive/bought in they are to our mission. We’ve hosted over a dozen live shopping shows where customers can chat with us in real-time, ask questions, and learn about what makes each product unique, and thousands have tuned in. It’s not just marketing; it’s a direct relationship. 

On social media, we’ve seen tens of thousands of comments, direct messages, and shares from customers sharing their routines, asking thoughtful questions, and helping each other navigate their skin journeys. That kind of engagement is gold, not just from a numbers perspective, but from a brand integrity standpoint. Our community has helped us name products, refine formulations and packaging, and shape our sustainability commitments. 

In a world where hustle culture often glorifies going it alone, we’ve learned that the best leadership is rooted in listening and co-creating. Because of them, we’ve learned to lead with transparency, to share the “why” behind our decisions, and to invite feedback before something is finalized, not after. We truly treat our customers like stakeholders. That mindset has made us more thoughtful, accountable leaders, and it’s one of the biggest reasons we’ve built the kind of brand people want to come back to again and again.

Transparency is a core value at Three Ships. What does transparency look like in how you lead, both with your team and with your customers? 

Connie:

Transparency is at the heart of everything we do at Three Ships. When Laura and I started the brand, it came from a place of frustration – we were two consumers confused by what “natural” actually meant, why clean products were so expensive, and why so many brands made bold claims without backing them up. That experience shaped our mission: to provide effective natural skincare and help consumers navigate the world of natural with confidence.

On the customer side, that means radical transparency, from what’s in our products to how and why we make them. We don’t just share hero ingredients or “avoid” lists. Instead, we have a comprehensive ingredient glossary on our website that includes every single ingredient we use. Each product page also features a global ingredient sourcing map, allowing you to see exactly where your product’s components come from.

We also regularly pull back the curtain on business decisions and share them publicly on our social media channels. For example, Laura recorded an Instagram Reel (linked here) explaining why we haven’t launched an SPF yet, as we are frequently asked about it. That kind of honesty builds trust. It demonstrates to customers that we won’t compromise on quality or transparency just to meet demand. When we do launch something new, our customers know it’s been deeply considered and rigorously tested.

We also host live shows where we break down the science behind our formulations, including the clinical testing for active ingredients. We speak directly to our customers and answer any questions they have, whether they’re about our products or even about us as founders. Other companies can’t replicate this authentic connection and show a level of transparency that goes above and beyond.

Internally at Three Ships, we lead with the same level of radical transparency. This is especially important in building trust in our hybrid work environment, as we aren’t seeing each other every day at the office. Every month, we send out a summary of year-to-date (YTD) sales, broken down by channel, profitability, and how the company is tracking towards its primary goals. We also send out a more detailed version every quarter. We strongly believe in financial transparency, so our team understands a) how their actions positively impact the business and move it forward, and b) when things aren’t going well, they can see that and think of how to address it. 

We also conduct monthly KPI reviews, where every team member shares their wins, challenges, and has the opportunity to ask for support. It builds accountability, trust, and cross-functional collaboration. When everyone has access to the same information, they feel more empowered to make an impact. 

Connie, your leadership journey started at a young age. You have spoken about pairing ambition with wellness and empowerment. How has your view on leadership changed, and how do you manage your time as a leader while also focusing on your wellness?

In my early 20s, I thought leadership was about demonstrating to others how hard you worked, to inspire and motivate them. I hate to admit it, but I even used to bring my laptop into the bathtub with me to clear through my inbox! Unsurprisingly, that approach led to burnout and left no space for wellness.

Today, my view of leadership has shifted completely, and I strongly believe that self-care isn’t selfish. Showing up as a strong leader means being your authentic self. That includes being ambitious, but also being well. 

One thing that helps me is bookending my day with simple routines. No matter how chaotic the day gets, I know I have that structure to fall back on. In the mornings, I journal, go for a walk, and fit in a workout. In the evenings, I wind down with stretching, my skincare routine, and reading in bed. These small habits help me stay grounded and shut off my work brain.

I’ve also learned that leadership isn’t about rigid balance, but rather about flexibility. Just like there are seasons in life, there are seasons in business. Sometimes you’ll need to push hard; other times you’ll have space to rest. What matters is having clear boundaries and being intentional with your time, so you can stay aligned with your life values while still growing a successful company.

Laura, you bring both scientific expertise and entrepreneurial creativity to your leadership. How do you navigate being a woman in a STEM-based role within the beauty industry? What leadership lessons has that taught you?

I studied chemical engineering at the University of Toronto. For a long time, I thought I’d end up working in the oil and gas industry, which was the largest employer of graduates from my program. I never imagined I’d co-found a skincare company, let alone one where I’d be balancing formulation science and sustainability with brand building. But that combination of technical expertise and creative thinking has become one of the most rewarding parts of my role at Three Ships.

Being a woman in STEM, especially in a founder role, hasn’t always been easy. In the early days, I was often underestimated – whether by investors or manufacturers who assumed I was solely focused on marketing. But those experiences made me more determined. Having that technical background gave me confidence.

Being in this role has also taught me to claim space as a woman without apology. I used to shy away from calling myself an expert, but now I know how important it is to own your voice and help others do the same. That mindset shapes how I lead our team, encouraging questions, valuing evidence-based thinking, and creating a space where everyone feels like their perspective matters.