After graduating from Yale, Anne Wojcicki started her career as a health care investment analyst with Passport Capital. After deciding this job was not for her she quit. Initially she thought about appearing at MCAT to do her medicine. However, her love for biotechnology prevailed and she started doing research. This led her to team up with Linda Avey, who was a biologist, and together they created 23andMe. The startup was a hit, and was featured as the “Invention of the Year” by Times Magazine in 2008. Today 23andMe has built one of the world’s most exhaustive databases of personal genetic information. Empowering people to take charge of their healthcare. Anne believed that scientist do not get their deserved fame as other celebrities do. So she decided to take measures into her own hands and thus co-founded the Breakthrough Awards in the USA to felicitate eminent scientist.
Archive for Women Entrepreneurs – Page 11
Daniela Perdomo realized that without a cellular connection, your phone is basically useless after Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012, leaving her without power or internet connection.
Seeing how real this problem was, Daniela began a tech startup called goTenna. Her devices are candy-bar sized transmitters that can send text messages even if there is no cellular connection.
goTenna’s techn
ology has a much broader application than people living in the aftermath of a hurricane. Recently these devices have been used by first responders, the military, and even the Department of Homeland Security.
The company uses what is called “mesh networking” which expands by connecting users on a peer-to-peer basis. These small devices are built to be portable and can be attached to a backpack using a small clip. The price of one of these transmitters is $179, and is becoming more accessible than ever to consumers with a constantly expanding network.
“What does this girl actually do that requires any talent?” Well, apparently a LOT of people think she’s talented, because she has over 33 million followers on Tiktok, 17.7 million followers on Instagram, and 3.5 million followers on Youtube.
Loren Gray entered the social media world in 2015, when she began to create lip syncing videos to popular songs on Musical.ly, an app that later re-branded as Tiktok. Her estimated net worth is $300,000, which is only the beginning for the social media influencer. Recently she signed a record deal and has been releasing songs on her own that are not lip synced (hopefully).
Loren is an example of a new career field that has become a possibility in the rise of the digital age. Now people can make money from creating content online and being paid from ad revenue on their pages. Loren gets paid by Youtube for her videos, which at this time are averaging at $450 a day in revenue. She has also used her social media platform to do sponsored partnerships with companies, such as Nickelodeon. She’s one of the first stars to make a living from Tiktok, and with the growth of the app it looks like she won’t be the last.
Shelby Wildgust is a Philly native who is full of infectious energy. She loves all things from Philly Sports (GO EAGLES!) to rock climbing, but Shelby is most interested in supporting, mentoring, and coaching young female business leaders into becoming the best and most authentic versions of themselves. While working very closely with Shelby this summer, my favorite thing about her was her go-getter attitude that inspired me not to give up on my dreams for my summer job as a Branch Manager for Vector Marketing and Cutco Cutlery.
Shelby has always loved taking ideas and bringing them to life. In high school, she even started her own jewelry business called Treasures for Tuition to raise money for college. When Shelby was 18 years old, she found Cutco/Vector Marketing. She says she “has no idea what [she] was getting [herself] into”. After being quite successful and experiencing a lot of growth, she ran two branch offices, which is a summer only office that a college student runs while he or she is on summer break. Shelby claims that working for Cutco and having two very successful summer offices, equipped her with many skills which includes how to be resourceful, how to handle rejection, how to build relationships, how to communicate effectively, how to ask for what she wants, how to be a professional, how to public speak, and the list goes on. After graduating college in 2016, Shelby went into Corporate America but realized that she wanted to go back to Vector in a different role. She coaches and leads young individuals running a branch office.
In 2016, Shelby gave a TED Talk called “The Masks We Hide Behind”, where she opened up about her struggles growing up and wanting to fit in which sparked an interest in the idea that women wear masks. She attended a few events that encouraged women to becoming the best versions of themselves and thought she wanted to create something like this, but she wanted to stand out from any average networking event. So, she took the idea of women hiding behind masks and tied it into the idea of networking. In January of 2019, Shelby made the decision to become more involved in the Philly community of young women and she started Naked Networking.
The idea: “Women only. No Make Up. No Judgement.”
And it is exactly that. Upon arrival, women go through a “makeup removal station” where they remove the “masks” they were wearing all day.
Since it’s debut, Naked Networking has hosted two events. In June, Shelby hosted her first Naked Networking event. Thirty were in attendance (SOLD OUT!), there were two panelists, and she had multiple sponsors. At the second event, she saw familiar faces, which proved that women were getting a lot out of the experience. There were also 70 (SOLD OUT AGAIN!) in attendance, two panelists, and, again, multiple sponsors. Shelby and Naked Networking has been featured in Philly Mag and CBS 3.
The future of Naked Networking is bright. The next event will be held on October 29th, 2019 with 75 women in attendance. Shelby is also planning a large scale event with 200 women as an all day event. She also is expanding to a new city, but she wouldn’t tell me where yet, as it will be announced at her October 29th event.
Shelby is just getting started as she aspired to help more and more women “remove the mask” and feel more confident in themselves and being “exactly who they are meant to be.” Naked Networking has empowered so many young women already and is making strides to create a lasting impact on so many lives in the near future.
Rosie’s Workshop was founded in 2016 by Blair and Jen Koss. At Rosie’s, you can find unique “lighting and home decor made with vintage finds,” as founder Blair puts it. Examples of the vintage pieces include instruments and old cameras.
Rosie’s Workshop is the perfect example of a business dedicated to design and storytelling. Each camera used for the light has a story attached to it. For example, one of the cameras is the same type that was used in one of the Harry Potter movies. When buying the light, one can read the backstory located near the camera. These backstories let the customer c
onnect more directly with the product.
The workshops offered at the store are another example of how Rosie’s excels in the experience they offer to their customers. There are workshop opportunities for customers to make their own lights using their own cameras, which adds to the special connection they have with the products.
The name behind Rosie’s comes from Jen’s grandmothers who worked during World War II. The style of the 20s is very prevalent in the designs, in the metal and fabric chosen for the pieces.
Rosie’s takes the left-brained skills of engineering and combines it effortlessly with right-brained storytelling and design. Rosie’s is located in Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh, PA. You can find them at www.rosiesworkshop.com to learn more about their workshops and products.
One of the most recognizable faces on the internet these days, Lilly Singh first got her start on YouTube under the name, IISuperwomanII. Her story really begins after she graduated from York University with a degree in Psychology. She has since stated in YouTube videos that after her graduation, she struggled with depression. When she started making videos later in 2010, she found it to be a therapeutic outlet. According to Lilly, she chose the name “Superwoman” because that’s what she called herself when she was younger when she “wanted to deal with life’s obstacles like a hero.”
Her channel soon took off and her tomboy, down-to-earth personality became her staple. As her fanbase grew, so did recognition of her “catchphrase” and signature red lipstick, so in 2016, she launched her own lipstick line called “Bawse.” The next year, she released her first book, How to be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life, for which she went on tour for a few months later on in 2017.
Lilly has always made sure to stay connected to her audience, going on tour in 2015 (for her documentary, A Trip to Unicorn Island) and in 2017 (book tour), filming daily vlogs on her second channel, and regularly having live-streams where fans can ask her questions.
Her success is likely due to her unique style, but also her constantly trying something new besides just YouTube videos. Just this past March, it was announced that Lilly will host her own late-night talk show, A Little Late with Lilly Singh, which premiered this September.
In just nine years, Lilly went from a depressed college grad to touring the world, having her own lipstick brand, writing a book, achieving 14.9 million subscribers, and hosting her own show on NBC. With the help of the internet, Lilly Singh branded and marketed her signature personality to the world.
Zandra Cunningham is an 18 year old young entrepreneur who is obsessed with lip balm. At 9 years old, her dad decided to stop funding her guilty pleasure. Since then, she has developed her liking for lip balm into a $500,000 chemical-free skin care company approximately nine years later. Her 50 plant-based products consist of a nourishing hand and body lotion, exfoliating sugar scrub, and an acclaimed lip and body balm.
It all started with help from her mom with a mail-order kit and researching for perfect skin care recipes using ingredients that had at their home. They made plant-based lip balms and lotions for themselves, and then decided to sell them at their church. After experiencing much success through purchases her church, she went to farmers markets and craft shows, and that led to a big operation that outgrew their kitchen. Her family moved her business into incubator space built specifically for budding entrepreneurs in Buffalo, New York.
Zandra Beauty’s first big break came after selling products at Etsy’s Open Call Contest. She was put in front of major company buyers from Whole Foods, Macy’s, and HGTV. She ended up winning a contract with a craft and stationary chain, Paper Source, and put out 8,000 units in 110 stores during the holiday season of 2016. Her products caught the eye of Good Morning America, and after appearing on their show segment “Deals and Steals”, her online sales took off and big companies like Costco, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Zulily, Rite Aid, and Walgreens placed their orders. In 2017, Zandra won $15,000 for her business plan from The Pitch, a spinoff from New York State’s 43 North startup business competition.
She was approached by Target to put together a limited time release gift box for Black History Month. Target requested the inventory stock to reach to 707 stores across the country, and it was way more than double what Zandra Beauty has ever produced.
Zandra wants to branch out her cosmetics business into the cosmetics and hair care industry, which will be made with all natural ingredients sourced in the United States. She is the youngest person ever to graduate from the University at Buffalo’s School of Management’s Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs program at age 13. She is now working toward a business degree.
Zandra faced a problem with her dad not supplying her money to buy lip balm, and for her to be able to wear lip balm, she had to make her own. From this situation, she was able to create a thriving business that specializes in chemical-free products to help people with their skin.
Zandra Beauty’s products can be found today at Target and Costco. 10% of her sales are donated to support girls’ education.
Check out her products: https://zandrabeauty.com/
“I’m GossBoss.”
That’s how Cristin Goss introduces herself. Those three words completely encompass everything she’s built her brand up to be: power, confidence, and identity. Cristin is a brand photographer and visual storyteller working exclusively with female entrepreneurs.
Cristin co-founded a production company, Loose Canon Creative, in 2011. She worked as a marketing coordinator in a corporate office for almost three years. In 2016, she decided it was time to move on from the corporate world and start her own business.
Cristin not only produces beautiful images and videos for her clients, but she also provides them with the GossBoss experience. She greets the client at each shoot with a special gift, usually tailored to their brand. During the shoot, they feel like a model with their hair blown back by a fan and pop music playing in the background, along with a team made up of a makeup artist, hair stylist, assistant, and brand coach.
Cristin’s work in the corporate world led her to a passion of female empowerment. While men would be put in “power poses,” women would be posed with less strength. To empower the women she works with, Cristin asks them to strike the power pose.
I have been a photo assistant for Cristin for almost a year now and I’ve really seen how her business has impacted the lives of the women who hire her. It is inspiring to me to see the effort she puts into giving the client the product and experience they deserve. She puts the highest emphasis on building up women and encouraging them to feel confident in their own skin.
During one of the shoots I worked on, Cristin flipped the camera around to show the client a preview of her portrait. Tears welled in her eyes and she put a hand to her mouth. “I didn’t know I could look like that,” she said. “I really needed to feel this beautiful.”
These kinds of moments will always stick with me. Cristin has taught me that being in business is all about the customer. The true value is in how you make them feel through the experience you create and the attention to detail.
Lauren Bush, granddaughter of former President George W. Bush, was born in Denver, Colorado but was raised in Houston, Texas. She grew up in the spotlight, earning an internship with the NBC sitcom, Friends, and modeling. After graduating from Princeton University with a B.A. in anthropology and a certificate in photography, she signed with Elite Model Management. Although she loves modeling and fashion, her heart was pulling her in a different direction.
At the age of 26, Lauren Bush launched FEED Projects, which is a social enterprise. Emerging after Lauren traveled the world with World Food Programme, FEED believes what people choose to buy has the power to change the world. FEED offers everything from accessories to home goods, while working directly with artisans to provide sustainable lives for the partnership and families.
As of October of 2017, FEED Projects has donated over 100 million meals through their sales and fundraisers. Through her work with FEED, Lauren Bush was the first National Lady Godiva Honoree and in 2013, she accepted the Advocacy Award from the World of Children Awards. She was also named Fortune‘s 2009 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs, the 2010 Accessories Council Humanitarian Award, 2011 Stevie Award for Best Non-Profit Executive, and named Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs.
Lauren Bush has impacted lives worldwide; she understood not only how to directly help feed hungry children worldwide, but how to create jobs for artisan individuals to provide an income for them and their families. She took two causes that she felt passionate about and figured out how to provide for both of them within one business.
Many young women looking to make a difference in this world can look to Lauren Bush. While incorporating her passion for fashion and feeding the hungry, she has helped to change the lives of many while being an inspiration for young, loving entrepreneurs everywhere.
Like most entrepreneurs, Katrina Lake never saw herself as an entrepreneur or starting her own company. Katrina Lake is the founder and CEO of Stitch Fix, and is now one of the wealthiest female entrepreneurs in the country.
After graduating from Stanford University studying economics and pre-med, Katrina worked at a consulting firm, focusing on retail and hospitality, which had yet to reach the digital revolution era. She realized that consumers found buying clothes online difficult because they had to go through millions of options available and pinpoint exactly which item they liked and would work for them. Katrina took this to heart and really thought how she could ease online shopping for consumers. Consumers are mainly concerned about style and fit of their clothes. After consulting and working as a venture capitalist, Katrina wanted to work for a company that would be the future for retail, but she realized that it did not exist anywhere as no one successfully merged fashion with data usage. So in 2009, she attended Harvard Business School to pursue a master’s degree in entrepreneurship.
For a class project at Harvard Business School, she used her findings from her consulting job with the troubles consumers had buying clothes online. Katrina desired to bring a better shopping experience into homes of women who did not have time to shop around or have access to a wide range of fashion options. She felt that shopping was broken, and at the time, e-commerce was not an ideal way to shop. So she asked herself what consumers really wanted out of retail, and came up with a personalized shopping service that uses algorithms and recommendations from stylists to curate boxes of clothing and accessories that matches a customer’s style and fit preferences.
For a small fee, customers would receive semi regular shipments based on their size, tastes, and information pulled from social media accounts like Instagram and Pinterest. What they want to keep, they are charged for, and what they do not like, they could return. This would combine the personal shopping tips she got from her sister and a Netflix style e-commerce model. This is when Stitch Fix was created.
Stitch Fix officially launched in 2011, and has experienced significant growth with 2.7 million customers and more than $1 billion in revenue. Katrina Lake was named number 55 on Forbes list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. Today, Stitch Fix employs around 85 data scientists and more than 3,700 stylists. They have expanded their collection lines to not only women’s clothing, but men’s, kids, maternity, petite, plus size, and basics.
Through hard-work and innovation, Katrina Lake revolutionized the fashion industry through Stitch Fix. She was able to find a gap in online shopping and provide consumers with an easier and more convenient way to shop. Katrina introduced the market to personalized styling to the average customer, not just to the rich. Stitch Fix is reinventing the apparel industry and the way customers buy their clothes.
Find out how Stitch Fix started