The Blog
There are currently 2 billion women in the world who masturbate, but many may feel limited in their options of getting turned on in a clean, safe way. Founder Caroline Spiegel launched Quinn, an audible porn platform that is changing the way we listen to porn, stay turned on, and get off. Quinn is on a mission to help women expand their sexual imaginations with a new modality.
When it comes to women’s health, careers and networks, there wasn’t an online space that encompassed everything. Passionate about helping women navigate their health and other life events, Emma Bates launched Diem, a social app and online community. With Diem, Emma hopes to improve the lives of women and add more to their shared experiences -- all around the world.
The US window A/C market is valued at $2 billion out of which New York City makes up 20% at a valuation of $400 Million. Yup, bet you never thought about those clunky boxes and their ripeness for innovation hanging above your heads? However, one founder did. Muhammad Saigol. Co-founder of July, a DTC window A/C brand that combines millennial design aesthetics with free installation to offer a premium service at an affordable price to city dwellers.
The Femtech market is expected to reach $3 Billion by 2030, and yet there is a huge historical gender bias in medicine. Issues such as postpartum, pelvic floor therapy, incontinence, and painful sex have traditionally been overlooked, deemed taboo, or tackled via invasive procedures. On a mission to provide affordable physical therapy to women across the US, co-founder Carine Carmy launched Origin, to use movement as medicine.
Mental healthcare may be synonymous with self-care in certain circles, but the truth is only a small percentage of the US population actually goes to therapy. Affordability is a huge issue - for over 40% of the population, high cost and poor insurance coverage is the top barrier for accessing mental health services. It’s also difficult to even get into the room, with waits of weeks or more for those seeking treatment for the first time. Ariela Safira, the founder of Real, is working to expand access to mental healthcare and provide an alternative to the traditional and sometimes flawed system.
Approximately 1 in 4 Americans will be afflicted with cancer in their lifetime. Cancer is an overwhelming disease with many logistics and unknowns, all of which can be pretty daunting. While working through her mother’s cancer diagnosis and treatment as well as her own, Liya Shuster-Bier is now helping others care for cancer patients with a solution to help aggregate all of a cancer patient’s needs in one place. Alula, which launched in January 2021, is the first anti-cancer lifestyle platform to provide patients with a seamless shopping and community experience.
Death is a part of life. It’s the one thing every single human being has in common: we will all experience the death of a loved one, and eventually our own. Planning for the future is uncomfortable to many, and dealing with a loved one’s legacy after their death is a heavy load to place on the plate of someone who is grieving. Lantern is a new company lighting the way with a set of solutions that guide people through every step of the pre-death planning or end of life process. CEO and Co-Founder Liz Eddy is extremely mission-driven by nature as a result of her own life experiences with grief, and she’s the perfect person to build the tools we all will need when dealing with death.
As the world moves through a pandemic, it definitely feels like pieces of our lives are falling apart. Socializing has come to a decline leaving boredom on the rise. Luckily, founder Kaylin Marcotte launched Jiggy, a D2C puzzle company, to help us put the pieces back together.
As individual food and beverage brands turn towards sustainability, and good for you ingredients, retailers have not kept up and customers are left shopping online. In an attempt to clean up your local bodega and provide a higher offering with organic foot traffic, founder Rachel Krupa launched The Goodsmart to foster community, clean ingredients, and conversations.
When it comes to babies, they grow up just so darn fast. Sometimes within a blink of an eye or a celebration of a fallen tooth. As a result, parents are spending a fortune trying to play catchup with their baby’s needs. In an attempt to save your wallet, store visits, and growing pains, Lalo develops premium, modern baby gear for millennial parents.
It's a commonly held belief - no home or office is complete without a little foliage. Indoor plants reduce the stress of those around them, purify the air, and provide a sense of purpose to their caretakers. Those benefits, as well as the opportunity to grow herbs or leafy greens, make healthy plants a highly desired item for apartment dwellers and people looking to bring the outdoors inside. Founder and CEO Ryan Woltz combined his engineering background and love of nature to create Edn, a complete indoor gardening system that enables anyone to grow a variety of plants on their countertop.
As design-forward, modern-day consumers, we want to purchase products that appeal to our emotions and personal space. However, when it comes to shopping for your pet, your options are pretty limited as far as design and aesthetics go. Like many of us, this is something dog owner Parisa Fowles-Pazdro struggled with, which led her to launch Max-Bone, a direct to consumer lifestyle pet brand.
Digitally activated systems and e-tailing may be the most talked about subjects today. But how can one forget the good old brick and mortar store? A place where people, products and purchases interact in real time. Lucky for us and our love for in-person connections, Spencer Hewett is making sure that retail is remembered and re-energized through RADAR.
For Decades, white males have dominated the casting and direction of the entertainment industry. As a result, American culture and its youth have been influenced by only one perspective. This is now changing. In hopes to eliminate the barriers to entry and spread inclusivity Denise Hewett built Scriptd to level the playing field for screenwriters and content producers.
The New York startup scene has exploded in the past decade, especially within the CPG category! If you have been in the subway recently you must have noticed the amazing ads and branding for Casper, All Birds, Brandless, Burrow, Snowe Home and more. This is all the work of creative brand company, Red Antler, whose visual aesthetic and creative direction turns startups into gold.
Welcome to Soho House, a members’ only club for people in the creative, arts, and media industries. What started out as one house based in Soho, London, has now expanded to over 23 clubs internationally. However, what differentiates this club from any other is its events, programming, and members. We sat down with the Global Director of Member Events and Programming, Michaella Solar-March to discuss how she got to where she is and why she loves her job.
When it comes to applying for jobs, candidates are always placed in a box. If you don’t meet the employer's criteria or end up knowing more than the job scope, they don’t know what to do with you. Sound familiar? According to Co-Founder and Creative Director of The Participation Agency, Jessica Resler, this is your “woke” moment to become an entrepreneur and start your own thing.
Ever come across an image of a beauty product you love, but are unable to find the right shade? Founder, Christopher Merkle launched Flawless app to shade match users uploaded images with beauty products. From luxury to budgeted brands, Flawless creates a customized, unique experience based on your needs and preferences.
The retail landscape is drastically changing. It’s not about products anymore, but about the experience brands can offer through a physical location. However, most startups don’t have the budget to create their own physical store. Meet Bulletin, a store like no other offering multiple brands the chance to showcase their products at a low cost in high traffic locations in New York City. Curated for women, by women.
New to the United States? Welcome! You will probably encounter your first roadblock towards trying to live ‘the American dream’ when it comes time to sign up with a cellular provider, rent an apartment or apply for a credit card. All of these procedures require a social security number, something international students typically don’t have in their early years. Founder of Credit Without Borders, Kobina Ansah caters to this underserved market by providing credit scores and cards without demanding an SSN. While some would call him a life saver, we like to say he’s part of the RADICHE family- spreading financial love one credit at a time.
Ever wondered if your high school tendencies have left you as you approach adulthood? Worry not, we're not judging because as it turns out, the traits you picked up in your pre-mature years can help you power through life. Or in co-founder of Troops, Dan Reich's case, help you build 10 companies like a strong-minded, entrepreneurial Hercules.
They say a diamond is a girl’s best friend. As for the man, well, it might just be his worst retail experience yet. Cut, color, clarity and carat are the four C’s that could drive any man crazy. Rihanna might have said shine bright like a diamond, but what if you had no idea how much shine constituted for a good diamond? Founder, Ajay Anand reflected on his frustrating ring hunt and ended up creating the Kayak of diamonds, formerly known as Rare Carat.
Ideas can come from anywhere—the problems you currently face, the gossip you recently heard or the trips you took half way across the world. But validation, yes, is essential if you wish to enter the startup galaxy. Hear from Brian Scordato, a man who started Tacklebox Accelerator to help early stage founders transition from idea to validation.
Albert Einstein once said, "If I had my life to live over again, I would elect to be a trader of goods rather than a student of science. I think barter is a noble thing!" and this is exactly what Layla Tabatabaie of BarterSugar tapped into.
Ever since the age of 15, Pranav Yadav was no ordinary child. His parents may have called him opinionated, but we know Pranav as the charming and funny CEO of Neuro- Insight in the United States, the winner of ARF Great Mind Award and part of Forbes Top 30 Under 30 class for Marketing.
Gone are the days when you need to rely on Ubers, cabs and car rental companies during your visit to Florida or Los Angeles. To make sure you never go ride-less, Bora Hamamcioglu founded CarHopper in 2016. You can now look fly by renting a Lamborghini or McLaren without breaking your bank!
As the world becomes highly globalized, Millennials want to be abreast on political talk but tend to not have time to scrimmage through multiple news channels to get the lowdown. Co-Founders Alexandra Schuster and Tewfik Cassis realized this problem and launched the Daily Pnut to make you sound smarter and seem cooler after a quick four-minute read.
At a time when America is anticipating the first female President to take office, there is no better time to celebrate women in leadership roles. She has been dubbed as the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg and she's changing the way trailblazing women help each other succeed. Meet Gesche Haas of Dreamers // Doers.
The skill of collecting art has always been in the hands of the older generations. Those who can selectively choose what they like and pay the high prices. Well, times have changed and so has this trend. Thanks to Tze Chun and her company, Uprise Art, anyone can now be an art collector.
Eat. Sleep. Shop. Repeat. This is the motto for most shoppers, especially when you can buy almost everything at the tip of your fingers. Yet, many of us lose money due to price drops that happen every second. To save the day and our bank account, Karim Atiyeh co-founded Paribus.
The global sparkling water industry is valued at $29 billion with the majority of its customers under the age of 35. Given the rise of social media, taste alone is not enough to make it in this category. Brands have to appeal to the customer’s aesthetic with their packaging and branding. Co-Founder Salim Najjar, launched Sound, an organic sparkling water brand that caters to Millennials and Zoomers to provide them with a healthier alternative - no sweeteners and no fillers.
When you think of where to find the best Mexican food, you may not think of New York City. However, Santiago Perez and his business partner sought to change that. Since launching Cosme in 2014, Santiago has created multiple modern havens of some of the finest Mexican food and culinary experiences to have ever arrived in New York City.
The US mezcal market is worth over $400 million as of 2021. You might have noticed that most tequila drinkers are making the switch over to mezcal this summer as palettes mature and novelty is celebrated. However, the high adoption of commercialized mezcal in cocktail drinks has led producers within the industry to cut corners and remove traditions when growing the agave crop. In hopes to preserve Mexican culture, specifically from Oaxaca, Rafael Shin launched Agua Magica, a premium mezcal to sip with intention.
Healthy dairy alternatives are on the rise and it is anticipated that the market will reach over $35 USD billion by 2026. Almond and oat milk have seen increased popularity and interest, but there are other nut milks to discover as well. After traveling to Europe and being unable to get the right milk for her latte, Roxana Saidi launched Tache and is now paving the way with the latest milk alternative using a fan favorite nut: the pistachio.
Candy is arguably the most nostalgic impulse buy for most adults. Sticky-sweet, super sour, or indulgent and chocolaty, your favorite confection instantly takes you back (if you ever grew out of your sweet tooth in the first place!) As a proud candy connoisseur with a business background to boot, Mayssa Chehata founded Behave. Launched this August with guilt-free gummy bears, Behave brings the fun back into candy for millennial consumers, keeping them low in sugar, but high on sweetness.
The world expects a lot out of us humans, competing with machines. We strive to be better in every way but constantly need some sort of energy boost to keep up. Enter Proper Wild, a new line of clean energy shots by founder, Vincent Bradley. The shots, a newcomer in the rapidly growing nootropics market, estimated to be worth $5 billion by 2025 offer a healthier, cleaner, more sophisticated alternative to existing energy drink brands that are associated with music festivals and adrenaline junkies rather than meeting rooms.
A new trend is taking the beverage industry by storm: the non-alcoholic liquids. As chronic conditions surge and consumers become more focused on bio-hacking and wellness, a large white space has opened up for branding and product development. Enter Ghia, a non-alcoholic aperitif, with a goal to appeal to the masses, and make a drink that can be remembered in the morning.
Did you know that tea drinking dates back to 2732 BC when a Chinese emperor discovered the concept after some tea leaves blew into his boiling pot of water? It’s true. With a market size of $13 billion, tea is a global good today. But, the majority of teas do not provide customers with a unique experience, that of a flower blooming in your cup as you sip. Welcome, The Qi, an organic whole flower tea brand that is elevating the at-home drink.
In a recent study, more than 54% of the US population was reported to react positively to one or more allergens. As our population increasingly becomes more sensitive to what they are putting on and in their bodies, brands need to adapt and cater to new segments. Welcome, Sunscoop, a vegan, allergen-friendly ice-cream brand fulfilling your craving one flavor at a time.
Have you ever felt marginalized as a cat person? The DTC pet space is booming, with fresh and nutritious dog food options that look better than some menu items at Sweetgreen. Cats, however, have been notoriously left out of the special place dogs have in the mainstream - and they like it that way. Sick of cats being the underdogs, Matt Michaelson created Smalls to bring healthy, real food to our smarter (and harder to please) furry friends.
Put away your papers and pipes, people! If you’re ready to kick back with some THC, but aren’t feeling like you want to smoke that tumbleweed, perhaps a drink would be more your style? Looking to disrupt the THC category with new consumable formats, Artet is bringing the aperitif experience to a higher plane. Founded by Xander Shepherd with his cousins Max and Zach Spohler, this drink is on the high rise!
The nightlife industry caters to only one type of audience: the alcoholic. For those who like to get jiggy with it under a sober conscious, your options are limited. From high sugary drinks to soda water with bitters in a boring glass, the bartender might as well give you a dunce hat to wear (hi everyone, it’s me, yup, not drinking tonight, don’t I seem fun?). It was this exact mindset that led Jen Batchelor to start Kin, a euphoric beverage company.
America runs on Dunkin, or caffeine as most folks would refer to it as. In a sleep deprived world, 75% of Americans are dehydrated on a daily basis and resort to caffeine instead of water when they experience a headache, tiredness or need a mood boost. However, this is not the best solution for your body. We met up with our homeboys, John Sherwin and Jai Kim to discuss their journey leading up to the launch of Hydrant, an electrolyte powder for everyday use when water alone is not enough.
We all have that one friend, whom, when asked what product they can’t live without, say hot sauce! In a post Spice Girls world, consumers are often left to the big retailers when searching for the perfect hot sauce, but rarely stumble upon Grandma’s infamous recipe! Alas, meet the Heatonist, a curated natural hot sauce store, located in Brooklyn, New York, where small farmers and consumer interests intersect.
As an avid popcorn lover, there is nothing worse than getting one stuck in your teeth. We have all been there when the search for the toothpick is on! Alas, a pioneer is discovered. He who believes that no kernel shall get caught in the traps of the dentine. He goes by the name of Jeff Martin, and sails the entrepreneurial sea “salt” by the name of Pipcorn.
In an age of technology, never-ending plans and hard hustle, we are constantly looking to get away from the everyday madness. While some of us find this escape in running or reading a book or picnicking in the park, others find it within balsamic braised brussel sprouts. Yes, that is a dish and a former financier turned into a culinary entrepreneur after finding her mind, body and soul alignment through it. Meet the founder of Harvest & Revel and co-founder of Blind Seed, Sara Elise!
We live in a world full of innovation. Yet, certain categories have remained undisrupted since the early 1900’s. You might be wondering where this innovation could lie? Sometimes, it’s within a beating heart inside your stomach, waiting to be born. Co-Founder of Little Spoon, Lisa Barnett is disrupting the baby food industry by reinventing its ingredients because, well, your baby’s food shouldn't be older than your baby.
Besides Thai iced tea, delicious pad Thai and lavish destination weddings, there is a whole lot of Thai-ism that us, Westerners, are deprived of. To expose our taste buds to South East Asia and transport us worlds away, Vincent Kitirattragarn created Dang Foods, based on his mother’s recipe and love for one key ingredient: coconut. Best known for their tasty chips backed by Thai recipes and concocted with globally-inspired goodness, Dang Foods can be found everywhere.
There is something magical in meeting individuals who find their calling at an early age. While most of us experiment with different paths, these folks are the ones sprinting down the finish line, checking off their bucket lists and inspiring everyone around them, or as we like to say #radiching. We were lucky to be introduced to a chocolate maven and Founder of Tache Artisan Chocolate, Aditi Malhotra, who was not only listed on Forbes 30 Under 30, but was also the winner of Zagat’s 30 Under 30 Award. If you like spices and chocolate, then this story is for you. #Foodies
As a pet owner, you will notice certain buzzwords when it comes to choosing a good source of protein for your furry friend. Healthy coat, strong bones, and real chicken are phrases us, pet parents, are familiar with but do we really know the fluff behind them? On a mission to save pets nationwide and bring back the pro in protein, Jonathan Regev, co-founded The Farmer’s Dog to provide a clean, healthy way of eating for your pet, hassle-free.
Let’s make America healthy again! With obesity and diabetes on the rise, consumers have become victims of unhealthy snack options. On the flip side, what if healthy snacking could help you by introducing you to the fifth flavor, umami? Or as Karsten Ch’ien spices it up by saying Yumami.
There are stereotypes...we've all experienced them before and tried very hard to bust them. But there are some that just need to be owned. Danya Shults, a Jew by birth and a lover of all-things-Jew-ish by choice is doing that and more via Pop Up Shabbat, The Ish and soon to be launched, ARQ.
Co-Founder Daniel Yaghoubi is one of the masterminds behind the ever-so-famous Pop Bar or as we like to call it, magical goodness on a stick, located in the West Village of NYC. The joint was opened in May of 2010 and has been in the spotlight of ice-cream lovers ever since.
Red or white? In a world with so many liquor options, customers often find themselves confused and overwhelmed. Lo and behold, brands such as Glassful are making it easier for us to pick our favorite flavors and open new corks, through e-commerce and technology.
What if we told you that there was a way for you to explore the best city in the world one bar at a time? The trio, Catie Cole, Dae Lim and Harry Lee founded a new app called FROTH, First Round On The House.
On the beach, at a game, in the woods? Never get caught without a drink in your hand again. Meet TIQO, a premium tequila beverage and your alternative to the usual.
Founder, Stephanie Nass, has successfully combined food, art, love, friendship, and strangers to create Victory Club, a new kind of supper club.
The pandemic accelerated the rise in e-commerce, with it bringing several direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands to the forefront. In this saturated marketplace, companies that stand out have developed brands that appeal to the heightened social awareness of consumers, choosing to champion values that transcend the confines of the products that they sell. Lively, launched in 2015 by Michelle Cordeiro Grant, as an intimate brand that brings a fresh perspective to an old industry by seeking to inspire and empower women of all shapes and sizes. Lively develops products that fuse the comfort of athleisure wear with the function of lingerie in a new space, Cordeiro Grant calls, “leisurée”.
At-home fitness is more important than ever, with most consumers working out from home and companies like Mirror, Peloton, Whoop, and more raising the volume on the tech-meets-athletics discussion. Founded in 2013, Wearable X was their first, introducing people to the idea that hardware can improve performance by directly interacting with their body as they work out. Haptic technology (sometimes called kinaesthetic communication), is any technology that can create an experience of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. Wearable X makes athletic clothes with haptics built-in, to physically cue and guide the wearer through an optimal yoga flow. Think of it as an Iron Man suit for your sun salutation. And yes, they are machine washable!
Boots, not the UK pharmacy, but the fashion accessory you wear on a daily basis. They come in all shapes and colors, but the relationship between quality and price tend to be disproportionate. In hopes to fill a gap in the market based on a personal problem, Connor Wilson reimagines the working boot at an affordable price with unbeatable quality. Welcome, Thursday Boots.
I do. Two simple words that bind a couple together for a lifetime. And to represent their love, humans have turned towards jewelry as a symbol of their connection. However, did you know that jewelry has one of the highest markups as a product category? Meet Holden, a customized wedding ring company that removes the middle man and offers personalized engravings without breaking your bank.
As women, we live in a lingerie world laced with frills, embellishments and sexy cuts. Most of these products are actually created by men and targeted to women at an extremely high price with high margins, and high sex appeal. But what if you’re just a regular gal looking for a simple solution at an affordable price? Say hello to Harper Wilde, a women-run company that is simplifying the bra shopping experience and finally giving support back to the girls by doing the heavy lifting!
The word “smart” has filtered into almost everything in our lives. Smartphone, smart home, smart boyfriend and even smart fabrics now. Identifying a gap in the fashion market, Voice of Insiders creates genderless streetwear combined with technologically enhanced fabrics and timeless design.
Whether it was Piet Mondrian who inspired Yves Saint Laurent in the 60's or Gucci's recent revolution with art murals up everywhere, fashion and art have mated for years. Some artists use empty walls as their canvas (hello, Banksy!) while others consider negative spaces on objects. But, there is one thread that stays in common: Art is what you want to see! Capturing this emotional sentiment and finding her own canvas in the threads of a denim jacket, Aparna Avarasala created DENIMRUSH.
In order to know where you are going, you need to know where you come from. History matters, because it is only once we know our roots that the correct seed can be planted. Co-Founder of a footwear brand, THEY, Jack Lin grew up in an industrial family. Despite his rejection to adopt a business education, he pursued the design “root” to learn the required fundamentals of footwear.
Ever wondered why the sky is blue or why blue LED light is bad for you? Infamously known for having shorter wavelengths, blue light collides with air molecules more frequently than any other color of the EM waves emitted from the sun. This collision causes the blue color to scatter everywhere making our sky appear blue. On the other hand, blue LED light also has longer and stronger wavelengths that bypass our cornea and deteriorate our retina (ouch!). On a mission to battle the side effects of using our screens, Co-Founder, David Roger launched Felix Gray, a fashionable eyewear brand. Looks like mom was right when she said not to watch too much T.V.!
Two becomes one, in the words of Spice Girls, when twin sisters Mandeep and Hardeep Kaur come together to create mindful magic. Hailing from the same intellectual, curious, fashionable breed, they are trying to redefine the notion from "less is more" to "less is better" through their ethos-driven brand, PER/se. What started with a design-inspired outerwear coat has now evolved into a thought-provoking journal with only more incredible products in the making.
Walk, dance, trot, skip. Whatever your feet want to do, there’s a new hosiery brand on the loose with details that will help your feet stand out in the crowd. After all that’s how the babe in the office or that guy at the bar is going to take notice. Made by a brother duo, Ace & Everett is differentiating itself via socks that are backed by thoughtful design and a New York city feel.
Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, and Madonna...let’s throw in some wine and pasta and we get some of our favorite Italian things (on top of Fergie’s timely lyrics). But there is a lot more to the Italian way of life than devouring gelato and chilling by the piazza. In fact, Italy’s roots in design and architecture are enough to give us Pinterest inspiration for days. Thanks to Alberto Nespoli, co-founder of Eligo and EligoStudio, we can now access Italy’s best kept secret—its craftsmen.
Did you know that most jewelry brands produce their products in Thailand, but little recognition is given to the country? In a world where consumers have all the choices, it is up to us to choose correctly and impactfully. In striving to make an impact, Proud Limpongpan launched a sustainable jewelry brand, Cerimani to take matters into her own hands. A dollar is a dollar, but when allocated correctly could help someone overseas become a baller.
By now, we all know that the textile industry is the second largest only to agriculture as the biggest polluter of clean water globally. Plus, the amount of wastage that is produced by the fashion industry alone is alarming. In a world where transparency has become a no-brainer and sustainability a necessity, Queen of Raw wants to rise as the number one ecommerce platform to re-introduce wasted raw materials back into the supply chain. In short, they want to save Planet Earth one yard at a time.
In a world where wellness is the new luxury and function is the new fashion, we are surrounded by brands that promise gym-to-glam looks. As a result, our LBDs (Little Black Dresses) have been replaced by LBPs (Little Black Pants). But there is one brand that may have just started this stylish transformation. Meet Aella, founded by Eunice Cho, that uses high performance fabrics so you can show up looking smart in the perfectly fitted pair of pants.
Australia, Canada, the UK and the US. These may be some of the most visited countries in the world but more importantly, they are the hubs for the Jib. Don't know what the Jib is? A Brazilian perforated slip-on shoe that allows you to test the waters, walk unknown avenues and fly high. Read on to see how Natalie Kathleen, CEO of Jibs Life, and a world traveler herself is bringing out the best walking, running, skipping selves in all of us.
As Millennials who have grown up in the Amazon age, we believe that everything can be ordered online. Heck, sometimes it even ends up being our significant other! Addressing the universal laziness, co-founder Kabeer Chopra launched Burrow to tap into the next wave generation that is expected to spearhead the future demand in the furniture market.
You're a boss babe, a single mom, and a rockstar. You don't have time to shop, yet want to look put together. Fear not! Founder, and CEO, Sarah LaFleur plans on breaking the glass ceiling one dress at a time by creating wardrobe essentials for the modern working woman. Behold, MM.LaFleur. With the introduction of the Bento Box, Sarah is revolutionizing merchandising and customer experience through MM.LaFleur's personal stylists and kick-ass lifestyle brand because you have #betterthingstodo.
Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol. These may be some of our all-time favorite artists and unfortunately their artworks are either stored in a museum or a collector's home. But, what if you could be inspired by them to curate your very own piece alongside a master artist from across the world? No need to wonder because Vani Krishnamurthy, Founder of CoCo Gallery, is here to make your artistic dreams come true.
Do you consider yourself a misfit? Too tall, too short, weird love for outlandish colors? Co-Founder Veronika Habrick started Thursday Finest to tackle fast fashion by providing on-the-spot creation and customization of clothing accessories via 3D knitting. Yes, the future is here and it does consist of robots taking over the world. Take that, Zara!
Eat. Sleep. Drink. Bathe. Repeat. This may sound like your next meme or Instagram post but in the home business, it pretty much sums up living essentials. Thanks to Andrés Modak and his minimalistic home brand, Snowe, you can now host your next house party in style at a price that doesn’t cost a fortune, all while spreading the love for thoughtful design.
If you have seen the movie Forrest Gump you would remember that “my mama always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they going, where they been.” Founders Johannes Quodt and Chris Wichert of sneaker brand, Koio Collective, want to captivate the essence of luxury quality shoes, but provide them at half the price by going directly to consumers online.
There are "first's" for everything...first love, first job, first car, and first home. While each #lifegoal is exciting, it also comes with high levels of stress and frustration. Focusing on new and young homeowners tirelessly searching for furniture to design their first home, Nidhi Kapur founded Maiden Home by mixing craftsmanship and convenience at a price that doesn't break their bank.
When it comes to buying baby products, most mothers are presented with a cookie-cutter solution: pink or blue, cartoons or super-heroes. But what if you don’t want to be just another cookie in that jar? Founder, Tracy Heller built Brooklyn Born to cater to Millennial mothers in the nursery bedding market by providing them with modern designs. Be bold. Be daring. Be Brooklyn Born.
Your cell phone has been through a lot: sloppy falls, intermittent sleep, never-ending activity and sometimes even not-so-fun slides down the toilet. Understanding our intimate relationship with our cell phones, Nina Cheng is set on dressing them up with accessories that will turn heads. Dear iPhone, meet Wild and Woolly!
Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Pokémon Go may have been few of the most searched terms on Google in 2016. But while the world was googl-ing their life away, we were occupied by another search engine on the block. Say goodbye to hours of manual collection of fashion images and hello to TAGWALK, founded by Alexandra Van Houtte.
When launching a fashion brand, most entrepreneurs struggle between having a kick-ass supply chain (like being sustainable) or great design. It’s tough for the two to co-exist. Yet, Co-Founder of AYNI, Adriana Cachay created a company both built on design and a story revolving around what goes on behind the scenes.
What if we told you that drinking canned soda isn’t actually bad for the environment? In fact, you could be fueling the fashion environment by your very own consumption habits. By transforming upcycled aluminum bottle tops into a braided crochet design, Cameron Saul put the s back in fashion with his sustainable luxury brand, Bottletop. Oh yes, Campbell Soup wasn't the only one to use cans for marketing.
You’ve met The Fockers, The Patels and The Kardashians (sorry, we had to). Well, it’s about time you meet The Khemlanis—three fashionable sisters who are building an empire on fur and fashion. As a new generation family business, they are the #bossbabes running Izaak Azanei.
Founder of Slick Chicks, Helya Mohammadian, created an innovative underwear that can be changed without having to lift your foot. A product for not only those in need, but for the lazy as well.
As of 2020, the US is the world’s most lucrative skincare market with a revenue of approximately $17.6 billion USD. However, when it comes to purchasing skin care products, 65% of female consumers find the number of options available to be overwhelming. While some customers enjoy entering a Sephora store to browse products, there is a large cohort of consumers who cringe at the idea, but still, need skincare products. That’s where Haldi comes in. Haldi is a personalized skincare recommendation service.
~65-75% of the global population suffer from malocclusion, or misaligned teeth, yet, each year only 15 million people seek orthodontic treatment12. For the vast majority of people, even in high-income countries like the US, most orthodontic treatment options are price prohibitive. Candid addresses this problem, reducing the price of orthodontic treatment with plastic aligners and a tech-forward platform.
Our brain impacts how we think, feel, and ultimately, how we show up every single day. Research shows that proper nutrition can significantly impact your memory, ability to concentrate, and can even reduce the chances of developing mood disorders or having a stroke! Yet, 99% of people do not get the proper nutrition they need to nourish their brains and perform at their full potential. Heights, launched with the vision of helping people to reach their full potential through “Brain care” - the actions and behaviors that contribute to a healthy brain.
Alternative medicine was valued at 82 billion USD last year and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22%. After suffering from a chronic inflammatory disease, Tegan Bukowski realized the remedy to her condition wasn’t based on the medical system, but on holistic health. Determined to change how the world accesses preventative healthcare, Tegan and her co-founder Sky Meltzer created WellSet, a platform that just got backed by BlueCross BlueShield dedicated to helping everyone find a practitioner for their health and wellness needs.
Personal care on the go usually hinges on one product – wipes. Cleansing, freshening up, a quick swipe can take you from sweaty to ready in a few seconds. Unfortunately, wipes aren’t the most eco-friendly part of our daily routine. About 90% of all wipes on the market are made entirely of non-recyclable plastic, and many contain harmful ingredients that are just as bad for you as they are for the planet. What to do? Turn to Busy Co., a personal care company focused on sustainable and healthy solutions for (unsurprisingly) busy people!
Did you know you could take a magic pill to enhance your cognition? If you’ve heard of nootropics, these supplements are well known to enhance your cognitive performance in attention, motivation, creativity -- and are predicted to be a $4.94 billion industry by 2025. Daniel Freed and Adam Greenfeld saw an opportunity to turn this into a business by creating a personalized nootropics brand, Formula. The duo wanted to introduce nootropics into the market with a focus on personalized formulas catered to unique individual needs.
The legal cannabis industry is expected to reach $76.3 billion by 2027. And yet, most consumers are left in the dark when it comes to navigating their green stash. Society has vilified THC and glorified the effects of CBD, when in actuality it is the entourage effect of cannabinoids that results in optimal healing. On a mission to de-stigmatize cannabis consumption, CEO and co-founder, Kate Miller launched Miss Grass as a contextual platform to provide weed education, and vetted products for a higher life.
Plant-based diets have moved out of the fringe and into the mainstream as conscious consumers adopt the lifestyle for health, environmental, and moral reasons. The past decade has seen the introduction of dozens of new food brands in the plant-based market. In fact, grocery sales of plant-based foods that directly replace animal products have grown 29% in the past two years to $5 billion. While it’s easier than ever to be vegan, what isn’t easy is filling the nutritional gaps specific to a plant-based diet. That’s why Wholier is here, with a vitamin and community to help plant-based people live their best lives. Founder Lisa Golzales-Turner talked to us about coming up through the food world and ultimately solving a problem close to her heart (and stomach).
So many companies in the DTC space fit the same mold - the founder goes into a store, sees something that’s missing, poorly executed, or broken, and launches a slick eCommerce brand targeting the millennial demographic with a better product. It’s like the “Subway for X” that brought us Chipotle, but with CPGs. We love it! But, there is a new company digging deeper into the “why” behind the products they bring to market. Unveiled in early 2020, Arfa is a platform and collective for the development of need-based personal care brands. We talked to Co-founder Ari Wengroff about her purposeful approach to brand and product development and the two unique brands that Arfa has brought to the market so far.
There are hundreds of thousands of wellness experts out there - be it nutritionists, dieticians or health coaches. On the flip side, over a hundred million Americans struggle with healthy eating and the effects of diet-related illnesses. Striving to bring them all together under one roof is Wellory, a mobile app launched in September with a new approach to healthy eating and a cure for usually pricy personalized nutrition counseling. We talked to founder Emily Hochman about the history behind her entrepreneurial spirit and her process for solving one of the greatest problems of her generation.
Menopause. It might be one of the scariest - and least understood - words in the women’s health dictionary. 80% of women report negative quality of life factors while going through menopause, but once on the other side women often find an unburdening, freeing, and incredibly creative sense of renewal. Aimed at educating women and removing taboos around menopause, Elektra Health is here to create a new digital health tool for women in this phase of life. With World Menopause Day approaching on October 18, we talked to Elektra founders Alessandra Henderson and Jannine Versi about why they’re tackling this important and overlooked issue.
Over 150 million Americans suffer from at least one chronic condition. And yet, most of the time these conditions are not properly diagnosed by our western medical system. They go unnoticed for months, leaving patients feeling helpless and alone. In comes WANA, a social networking app that provides community, education, support, and a marketplace for chronic conditions.
Whoever crowned NYC as the city that never sleeps knew what they were talking about. Between big meaningful jobs and maintaining a social life, balance isn’t always the easiest thing in the world for city people or their furry companions. In an effort to address your dog’s anxiety, Maev provides community and wellness products for city dogs and their people.
As Covid-19 makes its mark on history and the fabric of our society, consumers are looking for an alternative, healthier options to keep their daily immunity high and their medicinal side effects low. In an attempt to offer products that do just that, Hilma creates natural remedies, backed by science, to revamp your medicine cabinet one pill at a time.
Navigating the vitamin aisle at a chain pharmacy can feel like being lost in the wilderness - unfamiliar figures loom with no clear instructions on what direction to take. Supplements are a $40 billion industry in the United States, but until recently no progress had been made to improve the struggle of identifying and shopping for vitamins. Enter Care/of and Co-founder Craig Elbert, who has an eclectic history in everything from traditional banking to the music industry to high-growth startups.
As the usage of technology surges, the dirt trails of the outdoors decreases. Locked inside our homes, and in our screens, Millennials are looking towards nature to reconnect and refuel. To encourage this movement, Founder Nichole Powell launched Kinfield to provide clean, essential skincare products backed by science to empower humans to live their best lives outside.
When it comes to preventative healthcare, sometimes a hard pill to swallow can be avoided with a little prick. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are often left out of our wellness arsenal because of issues with accessibility, education, and trust for everyday consumers. With a desire to bring the healing power of these ancient practices to the forefront of modern healthcare, co-founders Michelle Larivee and Dr. Shari Auth created WTHN, an acupuncture and herbs destination in New York City. We poked around to discover the story behind two women whose vision for the future harnesses the modalities of the past.
According to the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (2010), women reported less satisfaction, less pleasure, less arousal and fewer orgasms within sexual activity than men. This shouldn't come as a surprise as the vagina needs to be stimulated externally in order to release that special feeling, but how many women actually make it to orgasm? Founder and CEO of Dame, Alexandra Fine is out on a mission to close the pleasure gap and provide the opportunity for humans with vulvas to come first!
Most of our personal care products are made using one dominant ingredient: water. Yet, the world is running out of clean water! On a mission to do things differently and create a sustainable brand, founder Kailey Bradt launched OWA Haircare to cater to individuals who travel and want to save the planet.
Long hair don’t care! When it comes to body hair, start-ups in the beauty space are tackling stigmas head-on by inventing their own category. Pubic hair has been shunned from our vocabulary for years. However, Fur launched to cater to those with the bush or bare look.
As consumers, we tend to trust the government to protect us and value our health. However, they don’t always do the best job. Did you know that just like the beauty industry, the vitamin industry is also extremely under-regulated? Yup, you can really get away with low-quality products these days. That is why it is so important to know the story behind brands and the authenticity behind the Maker. We got lucky to be introduced to Gem, a bite-size daily nutrient made with real food ingredients minus the fluff and synthetic fillers.
Decommodify the most boring categories in your life! With natural and clean taking a front seat at major beauty retailers, this personal care brand wants to make you rethink your everyday essentials. Wildist caters to those who care about natural hygiene, sustainability, and transparent ingredients.
Gone are the Panteen days when one product is “strong and beautiful”. Customization and personalization are two major trends driving the beauty industry forward. As a result, consumers demand products that are a direct extension of themselves, their needs and their preferences. Meet Prose, a hyper-tailored hair care company that allows customers to craft their own shampoo, conditioner and hair mask according to their hair goals and needs. So let’s hair (pun intended) how the founders got started!
Finding the right fragrance is hard, we get it! Therefore, co-founders Erika Shumate and Christine Luby developed Pinrose, a fun, user-friendly way of discovery new scents by matching customers personalities to scents via an algorithm-based online quiz. For the woman on the go, who has a curious nose, this one is for you!
Not all of us are meant to be in the spotlight: the glamorous world of lights, camera and action. But, a few of us, dreamy folks, have an itch to become that person who changes how others are perceived. Deepica Mutyala is no different. As a badass blogger and entrepreneur with some serious convictions about the beauty industry, she wants to create a platform for South Asian women, one lipstick at a time.
Ever heard of probiotics? The little fellas (microorganisms) that are introduced into the body for their beneficial qualities? Well, what if you could now use them on your skin for a healthier, glowing feel? Founded by Dr. Raj but run (like a boss) by CEO, Julia Straus, Tula is a probiotic skincare brand that fights wrinkles, dryness and basically all your personal skin wars.
Too hot, too cold, side sleeper, back sleeper, not a sleeper? Whoever said there was a one-size-fits-all solution was probably the same person who convinced you that flossing increases your life expectancy (has not been proved by science, yet). Mind blowing, we know! Luckily, Co-Founder, Adam Tishman launched Helix to remove all the bells and whistles from the sleep industry and provide customers with an online platform to build their own customized mattress.
What do you get when you mix pizza, menstrual periods and poop? We apologize for the nasty visual but there is a reason why these work for Miki Agrawal. A triple threat when it comes to business, creativity and philanthropy, she is changing the world through her companies, WILD, THINX and TUSHY.
They say behind every movie actor's success is an entire team of professionals. From makeup artists, stylists, photographers to social media strategists, the list for #squadgoals keeps growing. Well, here's a behind-the-scene access to Arti Nayar's career and how she became a makeup artist for the biggest names in Bollywood.
A New Yorker brought up in a family of restauranteurs, Kirsten Schimoler, is a Flavor Guru at Ben & Jerry's. She is the creative food scientist behind some of our favorite flavors and the newly launched non-dairy line.