female-founder
(196)
Blake Geffen and the pleasure of changing your mind
She wanted wedding accessories without a lifetime commitment. Blake Geffen turned that small frustration into Vivrelle, a shared luxury closet built around the freedom to choose again.
Stacey Hronowski and the art of doing the homework
Before she won a startup pitch competition, Stacey Hronowski rehearsed with a pen in her mouth. Her route from finance to Canix has followed a similar logic: find the awkward part, then work on it.
Nell Meosky Luo put out an ad. A company followed.
An online listing brought Nell Meosky Luo and Dan Toffling together. Years later, the Folia Health founder is still interested in what happens when you ask people a question - and take the answer seriously.
Cristina Suarez Krumsick Started With Dessert
Before she founded Isetta, Cristina Suarez Krumsick sold bite-sized sweets from a Brooklyn apartment. Her career in publishing and consumer brands keeps returning to the same question: what makes someone want to share?
Amanda Szabo wanted a pool day. The hotel wanted a room night.
A nervous afternoon at a hotel pool gave Amanda Szabo a business idea: let the neighbors pay to come in. Building ResortPass meant learning what it takes to turn an outsider into a guest.
Emily Reynolds Bergh and the business of paying attention
A food writer became a publicist, then built R Public Relations around the people she wanted to work with. For Emily Reynolds Bergh, the useful story has always started with a conversation.
Ashlee Margolis and the business of a good introduction
A few Coach bags and a circle of actress friends became The A List. Twenty-five years later, Ashlee Margolis is still thinking about who belongs in the room - and how to make them feel welcome.
Mary Shank Rockman and the business of being called back
She started MSR Communications in her living room in 1999. Twenty-seven years later, Mary Shank Rockman is still making the case for a kind of public relations that depends on remembering the person at the other end.
Priscila Martinez and the business of belonging
A roommate’s glamorous job drew Priscila Martinez into public relations. Building The Brand Agency meant deciding who would get to feel at home there.
Jenn DeMartino Callister and the art of getting people into the room
From Bungalow 8 to her own PR collective, Jenn DeMartino Callister has built a career around people, places and the stories that bring them together. At Hustle&Co., the guest list now stretches from music platforms to film studios - with room for a few rescue dogs.
Vanessa Phillips and the Dumpling That Got a Yes
A plastic bag of homemade dumplings opened the door to Whole Foods. Vanessa Phillips then spent years learning how to turn a good recipe into a place in America’s freezers.
Katie Hill and the house that could wait
A conversation across the street gave Katie Hill the idea for UNLISTED. Her career in advertising, startups, and helping other founders explains what she did with it.
What Happens When the Famous Name on Your Business Card Is Yours?
Yvonne “Bonnie” Garcia helped Coca-Cola hear the Hispanic market and signed Selena to an early endorsement. Then she came home to San Antonio to discover what her own name could build.
Amy Binder and the Business of Seeing Differently
She grew up in a public relations family, trained her eye through photography, and built RF|Binder around a business question. Twenty-five years later, Amy Binder is still asking people to change their angle.
Shani Bocian Steinberg and the Art of Changing Your Mind
She trained to teach art history, built Allermi with her father, and later handed over the CEO role. Shani Bocian Steinberg’s career turns on learning when to trust her own judgment - and when to change the job.
Jordyn Palos and the business of being ready by Monday
She launched Persona PR over a weekend because her clients still needed a publicist on Monday. Sixteen years later, Jordyn Palos is still working out how to grow a company without losing the attention that built it.
Jessica Sturzenegger and the Case for One More Store
Before Amara reached national retailers, Jessica Sturzenegger drove from store to store asking managers to sign a card. Her education in building a food company began with the small, uncomfortable business of asking.
Cherie Kloss and the Unexpected Value of Starting Over
She built television shows, started SnapNurse at 49, and wrote a book about changing careers. Cherie Kloss has made a working life out of refusing to settle on one.
Mimi Banks and the Business of Keeping in Touch
After 15 years at L’Oréal, Mimi Banks built MB Social around a question she was already asking her friends: How can I help? Twelve years later, the harder question is how to build a company that can answer without her.
Amy Porter and the Art of Getting Paid
Before she built AffiniPay, Amy Porter sold cheerleading uniforms and carried credit card machines across South Texas. Her next act began with a question lawyers were asking their bar associations: could someone make getting paid less complicated?
Lindsay Anthony and the art of asking for someone else
Before she founded Lately, Lindsay Anthony sold payroll door to door. Her next career would put that same question - will someone say yes? - to work for brands and the people who tell their stories.
Lindsey Carnett and the fine art of keeping score
A teenage soccer trip taught Lindsey Carnett what publicity could do. The Marketing Maven founder has spent her career asking what happens after people pay attention.
Michelle Mikesell and the trouble with the last mile
After years inside studio production, Michelle Mikesell co-founded 360 Solutions to take on the handoffs, revisions and delivery headaches behind global releases. Her business begins where a beautiful piece of artwork meets a very particular deadline.
Courtney Bagby Lupilin and the business on the other side of the screen
She used to wait outside events to meet reality stars. Now Courtney Bagby Lupilin manages their brand partnerships, with a company that began with a question about five clients.
Sarajane Sparks Verghese and the Art of Getting Someone Else Interested
A former journalist with an MBA, Sarajane Sparks Verghese built SPARKS Consulting Group around the journey from a brand’s private ambition to somebody else’s attention.
Jennifer Stephens Acree and the art of a useful conversation
She learned communications on Capitol Hill and at Yahoo, then built JSA+Partners around candid advice. After the Los Angeles fires, Jennifer Stephens Acree put those relationships to work for businesses trying to begin again.
Maya Shaposhnik Cadena Wants a Better Argument
She has planned events, raised money and built Vetted through several changes of direction. Along the way, Maya Shaposhnik Cadena has learned to value the people who challenge her next move.
Kieran Snyder and the trouble with a single word
A linguist noticed what managers wrote about women. The question took Kieran Snyder from performance reviews to Textio, and eventually back to Microsoft with a different way of thinking about AI.
Lâle White and the Value of an Unfinished Transaction
Before she co-founded XiFin, Lâle White was the finance executive who had to make the numbers work. Her career follows a stubborn question: what happens between doing the work and getting paid?
Thyme Sullivan and the art of looking ridiculous
After 27 years at PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Nestlé, Thyme Sullivan started over with her cousin. A race-day costume got people looking. Rethinking where to sell got the business moving.