Lifted Up Other Women
Noura Sakkijha, founder of Mejuri, a DTC jewelry brand: “We launched our empowerment fund last year with $100,000. This year, we’re pledging another $100,000, and are going to grow it exponentially for education for women and nonbinary people in Canada and the U.S.”
Courtney Spritzer, co-founder and CEO of Socialfly, a marketing agency with clients including the Girl
Scouts: “Most of those who left the workforce last year were women. We provide resources and tools to help women start businesses they can run while managing their home life.” Jaclyn Fu, co-founder and CEO of Pepper, a bra company for small-chested women: “Most mainstream bra companies design for a 36C. Then they take that design and increase it or make it smaller. We knew we had to fix the cup.”
Lia Winograd, cofounder and COO of
Pepper: “During the BLM protests, we realized there was a huge gap in representation. We’re distributing $5,000 to a new Black entrepreneur each year to help advance her business.”
Cynthia Plotch, cofounder and co-CEO of women’s health brand
Stix: “When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, I saw how the health care system provides neither health nor care, especially to women. At Stix, we’re empowering our customers to take control of their health.” Afton Vechery, co-founder and CEO of Modern Fertility, acquired in 2021 for a reported $225 million: “The majority of [pregnancy tests] are pink and talk about babies. But when you think about the reality of infertility and unplanned pregnancies, we don’t need to assume the intentions of women.”
Jamie Norwood, co-founder and
co-CEO of Stix: “Even if you don’t get UTIs or yeast infections or need a pregnancy test, we want to give you information about your health and your body.”
Dana Donofree, founder and CEO of AnaOno, a maker of bras for those who have had breast
surgery: “Cancer didn’t stop because of the pandemic. But surgeries were considered nonessential for a moment of time. We were there to catch people when they were ready to fall.” Madonna Badger, founder and CEO of ad agency Badger & Winters, known for campaigns to empower women: “We keep growing, and we keep getting more diverse. I think it’s our secret sauce.” Gina Bartasi, founder and CEO of Kindbody, which lets companies offer transparently priced fertility care as an employee benefit: “Historically, fertility has been reserved for the top 1 percent, and we think something is morally wrong with that. We are unapologetic about bringing down the cost of care.”
Addie Swartz, founder and CEO of reacHIRE, which helps employers diversify their work
forces: “Our platform in February 2020 initially focused on early-career women. Then the pandemic hit, and so many women were sidelined. We regrouped, reprioritized, and expanded to mid-career women, women of color, and women on the maternity journey.” Chari Cuthert, founder of ByChari Jewelry, creator of the Vote necklace worn by Michelle Obama: “When I started ByChari, there were the Yurmans and Cartiers, but nothing below that. We realized we could make our customers—moms are our sweet spot—feel special and connected by listening to their needs.” Viola Davis, co-founder of ShoulderUp, a startup that connects and supports women entrepreneurs: “It is vital that we take this opportunity and understand what we are going to do with the baton—that we have the power to change history.”