Thanks to the groundwork laid by trailblazers, female business leaders are becoming more common, and with their ascendance, more women are building brands of their own.
Think about some of the high profile names of women in business you admire: Sara Blakely, Sophia Amoruso, Folorunsho Alakija (one of the richest female entrepreneurs in Nigeria), Ariana Huffington, Huda Kattan (beauty blogger and founder of an international beauty empire). Each of these groundbreaking women deliver on a unique brand and offering that has made an undoubtable impact in their respective industries.
Thanks to the groundwork laid by trailblazers, female business leaders are becoming more common, and with their ascendance, women are building brands of their own.
Keep reading to learn about five female founders to watch who are building bankable brands.
1. Rebecca Cafiero and Molly McCauley, co-founders of Brand Camp
Rebecca Cafiero and Molly McCauley are two small town girls with a shared dream to make a big impact. The two women met in 2015 at a conference for entrepreneurs. With a collective passion for design, personal development and empowering female entrepreneurs they developed a friendship which later turned into a business partnership. As a result of their collaboration Brand Camp was born. Brand Camp is a retreat for freelancers, solopreneurs, coaches, small business owners, lifestyle brands and others on a mission to up-level their brand and business. Held in a secluded setting outside of Santa Rosa, California an intimate gathering of attendees (limited to 12 attendees) get the chance to mastermind with experts and access the support of a creative community of collaborators.
2. Kelechi Anyadiegwu, founder and CEO of Zuvaa
Kelechi Anyadiegwu is the creator of Zuvva, a global marketplace for African fashion. In 2013, Kelechi launched Zuvaa (which means “sunshine” in the Shona language from Zimbabwe) when she recognized an unmet market demand for African textile prints and fashion. She launched the brand with $500 and according to reports Zuvva was on track for $2 million in sales in 2016. Since establishing the online marketplace, the tech savvy 27-year-old has been named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for retail and e-commerce. “I didn’t really know what I was getting into, I just had a vision and I was excited about where that would take me,” she explained in a CNN interview.
3. Sazan Hendrix, founder of Bless Box
Fashion and beauty influencer Sazan Hendrix, creator of her eponymous lifestyle blog, Sazan, started her blogging journey in 2011 while studying at The University of North Texas. In the span of a few years, she amassed a large social media following and subsequently launched Bless Box. With a knack for reviewing products she wanted to create a platform where she could get her favorite products into the hands of her audience. Each month, Sazan’s hand-picked fashion, health, home and beauty items are curated and delivered to subscribers. Sazan created Bless Box as the perfect way for women to look and feel beautiful, both inside and out.
4. Kristen Noel Crawley, founder of KNC Beauty; co-founder of RSVP Gallery
LA-based mompreneur Kristen Noel Crawley is the ultimate multihyphenate. The beauty columnist, jewelry designer, and serial entrepreneur behind the Insta-famous brand KNC Beauty and co-owner of Chicago’s RSVP Gallery is a formidable tour de force. Kristen started a fine jewelry brand KDIA in January 2015, and later entered the beauty game with the launch of KNC Beauty, a brand synonymous with lip masks (Cue hashtag #lipmaskandchill!). When asked about the best advice she’s ever received: “Just do it! Because if you don’t, someone else will.”
5. Sarah Zhuang, founder and designer at Sarah Zhuang Jewellery
Founded in 2016, Sarah Zhuang launched her namesake jewelry brand, Sarah Zhuang Jewellery, to celebrate unique traits of strong, contemporary women. The Hong Kong-based award-winning jewelry designer attributes her entrepreneurial zeal to having grown up in a family that has been in the business for over two decades. Sarah received her first design certificate from Gemological Institute of America and a professional diploma from the Hong Kong Design Institute. She later studied at Accademia Riaci in Florence to hone her skills. Her designs are coveted by Chinese celebrities, and have received design competition awards at the Hong Kong Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association and Hong Kong Trade Development Council, among others.
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