Press Play: Create & Cultivate Chicago 2015
Create & Cultivate is an online platform and conference series for female entrepreneurs in the digital space. On August 15th, 2015 we brought the show on the road to Chicago, IL! We hosted our keynote speaker, Garance Dore, alongside amazing female entrepreneurs like Whitney Port, Hannah Bronfman, PS I made this, Cara Santana, The Barefoot Blonde, Geri Hirsch, Margo & Me, Nadia Abhoulson and so much more. Learn more below!
Quotation Marks: Create & Cultivate CHI
Our team is still buzzing from all the energy, creativity, and general great advice we collected at #createcultivateCHI. The photos are in, so are some fun videos, and we've rounded up a few of our (and your!) favorite takeaways from the conference below. Feel free to repost, share, create, and cultivate!
Our team is still buzzing from all the energy, creativity, and general great advice we collected at #createcultivateCHI. The photos are in, so are some fun videos, and we've rounded up a few of our (and your!) favorite takeaways from the conference below. Feel free to repost, share, create, and cultivate!
Make sure you're signed up for our newsletter to be the first to know about our next date + location (we're announcing it verrry soon)! Can't wait to do it again.
How was your day at #createcultivateCHI? We love hearing from you and rounded up some of your posts below. Keep 'em coming!
Meet the Speaker: Whitney Port
It's hard not to love Whitney Port. She's humble and hardworking, and gets it all done with a (particularly beautiful) smile. Everyone swooned over her palm print skirt set — ok, we're still swooning — on the #createcultivate stage in Los Angeles, a look from her own Whitney Eve line, of course, and we're even more excited to see what she busts out at #createcultivateCHI!
Whitney has won over heart all over with her grace and style, and we can't wait to some advice on everything from Instagram to transitioning her personal style into a successful brand on and offline. We had fun asking Whit to list off a few of her favorite things, so keep reading for more! Pinot and platforms, anyone?
Whitney wearing her Awapuhi crop top, $79, the talk of our #createcultivateLA conference!
It's hard not to love Whitney Port. She's humble and hardworking, and gets it all done with a (particularly beautiful) smile. Everyone swooned over her palm print skirt set — ok, we're still swooning — on the #createcultivate stage in Los Angeles, a look from her own Whitney Eve line, of course, and we're even more excited to see what she busts out at #createcultivateCHI!
From The Hills to The City and beyond, Whitney has won hearts all over with her grace and style, and we can't wait to some advice on everything from Instagram to transitioning her personal style into a successful brand on and offline. We had fun asking Whit to list off a few of her favorite things, so keep reading for more! Pinot and platforms, anyone? — JM
Name Whitney Port @whitneyeveport
Trade Blogger & Designer at Whitney Eve
Panel From Blog To Brand: The art of creating compelling content that translates offline and online
This or That?
Rosé or Pinot Noir? Pinot Noir
Stiletto or Platforms? Platforms
Road Trip or Round-trip Flight? Road trip!
Girls Night In or Girls Night Out? Girls night out!
Shopping: IRL or on the Web? IRL
Early Bird or Night Owl? Neither! I keep pretty normal hours!
In flight: Work, Nap, or Movie? WORK
Quickfire
Favorite Mascara? Max Factor
Current nail color? French Tip/Half Moon gel desig
Favorite App? Instagram!
Favorite iPhone Game? I don't play any!
Last thing you Googled? Researching a photographer for our Whitney Eve Spring '16 lookbook shoot!
Most-used emoji? Kiss! 💋
Best business advice? Do not take no for an answer!
Beauty advice? Never go to sleep with makeup on.
Next thing on your to-do list? Deal with car insurance!
Which Whitney Eve look do we need right now? This off the shoulder Jeffrey's Bay top in our tropicana print with the matching Venice skirt!
A few of our Whitney Eve faves: The Blood Lily Sweater, The Crab Claw Skirt, The Laguna Top + Skirt
Shop the Whitney Eve pop-up at #createcultivateCHI or on the web at whitneyeve.com!
From the Founder: How to Make the Most of Your C+C Experience
OMG, #createcultivateCHI is just a few weeks away...
And while our team puts the final pieces together for conference, I want to take a minute to get you all in a C+C state of mind! Each time, I learn more about what to expect and what to bring to the table, which I want to share with you (whether you're coming for the first time or the fifth)!
Create + Cultivate founder Jaclyn Johnson by Grant Legan
OMG, #createcultivateCHI is just a few weeks away...
And while our team puts the final pieces together for conference, I want to take a minute to get you all in a C+C state of mind! Each time, I learn more about what to expect and what to bring to the table, which I want to share with you (whether you're coming for the first time or the fifth)! — Jaclyn
1. Be Open
Conferences can feel intimidating. You don't know who is going to be there, what to expect, or what you want out of it. My advice is: be open to everything! The Create + Cultivate community is one of kindness, support, and enthusiasm. You'll quickly find out that everyone is very open about where they are and what they're looking for (in life and work), and will be totally down to buddy up for the day! We have seen so many friendships blossom from the conference, so be open to whatever it may bring.
3. Take Advantage
There is a lot to do on-site! We have a beauty lounge with OPI nail treatments, NuFACE mini facials, a Glam App beauty bar, and pop-up shops from Topshop, Havenly, Whitney Eve, Mira Fitness, Simple Skincare, and Lulu & Georgia—so get ready! While you’ll be busy with panels and workshops, there’s still plenty of free time to mix, mingle, and shop! Maximize the experience and take advantage of it all.
2. Get Prepped
Bring your business cards, charge your Mophie, pack a pair of flats, and wear your game face! Most importantly, bring your questions! We have Q+As after each panel so you’ll have your chance to get your questions answered by the experts! The better questions, the better the panel. Don’t be afraid to get specific. We’ll supply the rest: from notebooks and pens so you can jot it all down, to Gevalia coffee and Daily Greens juice to give you an extra boost throughout the day.
4. Get Social
We have a happy hour for attendees the night before that we highly recommend attending! It's a great way to meet fellow attendees in a calmer setting before the festivities begin! Also, gear up your social media from Snapchat to Instagram—there will be tons of content to capture so get ready to hashtag #createcultivateCHI so we can all follow along.
5. Go For It
Be bold and get outside your comfort zone—approach that person you have been dying to meet and ask them your burning questions! We want you to get the most from your C+C experience but that starts with you! Myself and my team will be all over to answer any questions and if you see me, PLEASE introduce yourself! I love meeting our attendees and hearing all of your amazing stories! It's one of the things I look forward to most, so I'll be bummed if you don't say hi!
Follow @jaclynrjohnson for more dispatch from C+C and beyond!
Meet the Mentors: Chicago
Wondering which #createcultivateCHI mentor is the best fit for your blog, business, or brand? Check out all of our Chicago mentors and their areas of expertise here!
From tech to textiles, they're all amazing, multi-talented women and we adore them all.
Wondering which #createcultivateCHI mentor is the best fit for your blog, business, or brand?
Check out all of our Chicago mentors and their areas of expertise below! They're amazing, multi-talented women and we adore them all.
Liz Adams of Sequins & Stripes
Best for: Fashion Blogging, Brand Partnerships, Lifestyle
Liz is a Chicago-based fashion & lifestyle blogger turned entrepreneur, who has worked with brands like Nordstrom, Kate Spade, & Madewell.
Annie Lin of General Assembly
Best for: Tech, Career Development
Annie is regional director at General Assembly’s Chicago campus. Their global community empowers individuals to pursue the work they really love, through course offerings from web development to digital marketing (on campus + online).
Jenn Tardif, Product & Marketing at Adobe
Best for: Marketing, Career Development
Jenn manages the creative team at Adobe. Whether she’s working with a new product or prevailing team, she takes a collaborative, data-driven, and human approach.
Suzanne El-Moursi, CCO of MiraFit
Best for: E-commerce, Entrepreneurs, Fitness
Suzanne is the CCO of the much-buzzed wearable tech line, MiraFit—a fashionable fitness tracker for real people. She’s an expert at team building and business strategy.
Lauren Sherman, Head of Marketing at Shyp
Best for: Startups, Marketing, Business
Lauren oversees the Shyp’s customer acquisition, growth, brand, and PR. Before Shyp, she worked with numerous super-star tech companies like TaskRabbit and Zipcar.
Monique Hypes of Mott 50
Best for: Entrepreneurs,
E-commerce
Monique is the founder of Mott 50, a sun-protective clothing line based out of Chicago, which offers a variety of clothing items with an ultraviolet protection factor of 50.
Latham Thomas aka Glow Maven
Best for: Life Coaching, Balance, Spirituality
Latham is a wellness & lifestyle expert, and also serves as a doula and specializing in “glow meditation” helping to ground women and channel energy to produce a more productive, balanced life.
Kathleen Wright of Piece & Co.
Best for: Entrepreneurs, Philanthropy, Retail, Fashion
Kathleen is the founder and CEO of Piece & Co., a social startup committed to ending global poverty by providing sustainable employment opportunities to female artisans in the developing world.
Anna Leisemeyer of Brand Market
Best for: Branding, Entrepreneurs, Marketing
Anna is the voice behind In Honor of Design and the founder of The Brand Market, a creative workshop that helps entrepreneurs build successful businesses through branding, marketing, social media, and styling.
Jay Goldmark of EmiJay
Best for: Entrepreneurs, Philanthropy, E-commerce
Jay is the co-founder of EmiJay, a hair accessory and apparel brand, who dipped her feet into entrepreneurship at the age of 18, as a college freshman. Still in college, she is mastering the work, life, and school balance.
Maxie McCoy of Maxie
Best for: Life Coaching, Soul Searching, Career Development
Maxie is a life coach & director of Local Levo who shares wisdom in her digital video series and weekly writings. If you want your spiritual and emotional IQ shooting to the stars, Maxie is your go-to.
Melisse Gelula of Well + Good
Best for: Editorial, Lifestyle, Media, Wellness
Melisse is an expert in the health and wellness scene. After writing and editing for numerous magazines (from Lucky to Martha Stewart), she co-founded premier lifestyle & wellness publication Well + Good.