Amanda

Amanda Van Annan is a  producer, author and former model who has spent two decades turning reinvention into a career. She trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute before launching a modeling career that landed her in campaigns for Vidal Sassoon, Revlon and Ebel — then she pivoted again, moving into film and television and founding her own production company, Great Light Entertainment.

 

That instinct to build rather than wait for the next opportunity has defined everything since. Amanda has co-founded a string of beauty ventures — Evolution Extensions, Elicina Europe and DNA Hair USA — and in 2025 launched AYE Life Sciences, a beauty, wellness  and consumer goods brand incubator. She also founded Beautonica, a multi-brand e-commerce platform bringing together beauty and wellness products under one roof. Her book Win the Runway, recognized by LA Weekly as essential reading for aspiring models, and her weekly podcast round out a body of work built on sharing what she's learned the hard way.

 

A University of Cambridge alumna, Amanda is as invested in impact as she is in enterprise. She partners with organizations including CAMFED and One Laptop per Child, championing girls' education, combating sex trafficking, and using the arts to build unity across communities. 

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