Raised the Bar
Avani Sarkar, cofounder of Modi Toys, maker of plush toys and books rooted in
Hindu faith: “We sold our first launch in three weeks; we expected to take six months. Clearly, we connected to parents who wanted a toy reflecting their culture.”
Flori Marquez, founder of BlockFi, a cryptocurrency exchange with the first bitcoin rewards credit
card: “We told our investors we don’t check credit scores. We wanted a truly inclusive platform. We haven’t had a default loss on the U.S.-dollar loan portfolio since its inception.”
Samia Gore, founder and CEO of Body Complete Rx, with $10 million in sales
in four years: “We created our supplements for everyone, but with women of color in mind. We put sweet potato and beet root in our protein to help heart health and, for diabetes, a fruit and green blend in our women’s multivitamin.”
Katie Beal Brown, founder and CEO of Lone River Beverage, maker of Ranch Water
spiked seltzer: “We launched in April 2020. Every part of our supply chain was disrupted. We talked to every aluminum can supplier in the country to get whatever we could.”
Parisa Fowles-Pazdro, founder and CEO of Maxbone, maker of pet clothing, accessories,
and food: “As female founders, sometimes we doubt ourselves. You think, I didn’t go to Harvard. But when you have an excellent idea, it doesn’t matter where you come from.”
Elyce Arons, cofounder and CEO of Frances Valentine, a clothing brand launched with Kate Spade that donated 6,000 tote bags to frontline nurses and
doctors: “We doubled our business last year because of new ways of marketing our product while being far apart. It was challenging to keep everybody safe in our photo shoots and keep everyone working.” Lora DiCarlo, founder and CEO of Lora DiCarlo, maker of sex tech, toys, and tools: “We launched in January 2020 and in our first year had 11 products and revenue of $7.5 million in 37 countries, which was mind-breaking.”
Sofia Elizondo, cofounder and COO of Brightseed, whose A.I. tool maps chemical diversity of plants to see how they affect health: “We’ve hit our revenue goals. We closed a $27 million funding round. In the middle of that, I had a second daughter. I’ll look back and probably say, ‘What on earth was I thinking?’ ”
Jennifer Cramer, co-founder and CEO of the Spice Lab, an online marketplace for
spices and salts: “We filled orders that larger companies were unable to. We got extra supplies here and there and pieced things together. Last year, we grossed over $17 million. We plan on doubling it this year.”
Aishwarya Iyer, founder and CEO of Brightland, seller of organic olive oil and other products from
small U.S. farms: “Our North Star is working directly with organic farmers and producers who prioritize sustainability. We’re uncompromising with our traceability.”
Sarah Chung, founder and CEO of Landing International, a promoter of indie beauty
brands: “With the Black Lives Matter movement, we thought how we could make a difference. We offered our services for free to Black-owned brands, and with the rise in Asian hate crimes, we highlighted more Asian brands. Consumers want to buy from brands that understand their needs. We’re giving them more choices.”
Jasmine Lawrence, founder and CEO of Eden BodyWorks, a natural hair and body
care company: “The core value for me is education and empowerment of women. I want you to be an informed consumer.”
Marygrace Sexton, founder and CEO of Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice, a clean juice
company: “Some people say no one drinks orange juice. That’s not the truth. If they can get a quality one, they will buy it. Our business is increasing 35 percent per year.” Heather Hasson, co-founder and co-CEO of scrubsmaker Figs, which went public in May: “A good business focuses on the customer. You have to see what they need and cater to them. We give health care professionals something they didn’t know they wanted.”
Trina Spear, cofounder and co-CEO of
Figs: “We are maniacally focused on doing things our way. Why do you go to the New York Stock Exchange and not have it be about something bigger than yourself?”
Devaki Raj, co-founder and CEO of CrowdAI, maker of a platform to help businesses understand visual
data: “This is just the beginning. We’ve expanded our reach beyond geospatial to work with the largest beer and tile manufacturers in the world.”