Global entrepreneur Nonie Creme, a Scripps College alumna who has made a splash in the beauty business, will serve as the keynote speaker for the school’s upcoming commencement, set for Saturday, May 17 at 5 p.m.

She will speak to the 232 students graduating from the liberal arts women’s college on “Flying by the Seat of Your Pants, but Flying Just the Same.”

Ms. Creme, who graduated from Scripps in 1994, is the founding creative director of the hugely successful cosmetic company Butter London. She is now in the midst of launching a new mass-market beauty line called Nonie Creme-Colour Prevails, which will include beauty products of every ilk.

Ms. Creme has had a lifelong love affair with the worlds of beauty and fashion. In an interview on the Kodowari blog, she described how she gets ideas.

“Fashion and color are present everywhere, so even a trip to the corner store can be inspiring. I am prolific iPhone snapper, and archive the things I see for future reference,” she said. “It could be a hairstyle, cool shoes or just an amazing color I spot in some old graffiti. I try to imagine what I would want to look like ‘in a perfect world,’ and then conceive products or branding that speaks to that woman.”

In a recent release, Scripps College President Lori Bettison-Varga said she is excited that Ms. Creme, whom she described as “a brilliant and successful entrepreneur and business leader,” is returning to her alma mater to inspire a new crop of graduates.  

“She is passionate in her message to all women, a message that comes from her own story: ‘Find yourself, and then be yourself. Success and opportunity are hidden in every facet of our lives,’” Ms. Bettison-Varga said.

Tickets are not required for the commencement ceremony, which will take place on Elm Tree Lawn of the Scripps College campus, 1030 Columbia Ave. in Claremont. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 3:30 p.m., and may not be reserved. Special seating and parking accommodations are available for family members with special needs.

More information is available on the Scripps College website, http://inside.scrippscollege.edu/, under Commencement Information.

—Sarah Torribio

storribio@claremont-courier.com