Content Creators: Piera Gelardi & Christene Barberich, Refinery29

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Content Creator List Here.   

The digital visionaires. 

It's hard to imagine a digital world without Refinery29.

When the site first launched in 2005 the focus was city guides only. Now, the globally recognized media company, which serves as a go-to for information, community, and inspiration for millennial women scoping out news on everything from fashion and health, to technology and politics, boasts an audience of over 493 million across platforms. It's a bonafide global success. In many ways the site gave women the tools needed to become their own Anna Wintour. It was one of the first steps in democratizing fashion, moving the conversation out of the realm of luxury and into the realm of real life.

But without the guidance of Executive Creative Director and co-founder Piera Gelardi and Christene Barberich, co-founder and Global Editor in Chief, there would be no Refinery29 as you know and love it today. These two woman are powerhouses in the media, they shaped Refinery29 to be a true competitor, and they embrace change and collaboration in a way that continually moves the content needle forward. 

Oh, and give their new podcast a listen. It just hit the airwaves last week and there is so much more to glean. 

Read more from the visionaries below.

What has been the most challenging and rewarding aspect of your careers thus far?

Piera: The most challenging aspect of my career so far has been going from being a maker to a manager… going from being a sassy solo saxophonist to the conductor of a huge orchestra. It was an education for me to learn both how to lead in my own style, but also how to really enjoy leading and to find the creativity in it. Now, leading a team is one of my favorite parts of my job because I’ve found my own style that leverages my imagination, creativity, and empathy and I’ve developed fun, unique management systems that connect me to my own creativity while bringing out the ideas and creativity in others.

Christene: I've learned that launching a company is a ceaseless series of start-up moments...starting at the beginning, rewriting some rule that no longer applies. Almost 12 years after we launched Refinery29, we're still having to move quickly, adapt, be creative and often unorthodox in our problem solving...I know now that that never goes away. And sustaining the energy and motivation to constantly be thinking in new ways, challenging your own convictions and beliefs about how to do things, can be extremely challenging...but it's also what fuels growth—professionally AND personally. The startup spirit, if you're really conscious of how the company and its people are doing, never goes away.

Are their creative/content comprises that had to be made that you wish you would have stuck to your guns on?

Piera: I truly believe the greatest creative work is accomplished when you let your guard down, open your mind to new ideas, and focus on being inclusive of fresh ideas and thoughts. There’s a beauty in tension between ideas and often that creates the best results. At R29, we seek to challenge convention, and in order to do so, you must believe that great ideas can come in all forms. If/when I’ve had to make creative compromises, its been for the better. You have to make mistakes to learn. It’s about moving forever forward.

Christene: If other people have a stake in something, as millions of people do in Refinery29, compromise is essential in everything, so I don't spend too much time dwelling on moments where I might have given too much. I'm focused on the long game. 

Refinery29 started with city guides. It is now a go-to site for females for everything from fashion to politics to tech. How do you see Refinery29 continuing to be a pivotal voice in the online space?

Piera: When we launched R29, so much in fashion felt like it was engineered to exclude and make people feel bad with rules and “don’ts.” We were all about thumbing our nose at the canons of fashion, instead celebrating personal style, and reveling in people who were going their own way and expressing themselves unabashedly.

Eventually, our perception of style evolved beyond beauty and fashion — we believe style is how a person chooses to live their life and the ideals they align with, and that includes everything from politics to technology, food to entertainment. We are continuing on our mission to make inclusive content that represents a diverse range of women’s experiences, voices and perspective. I see R29 continuing in the same path we have always been on, but with even greater ferocity, passion and a continued push to ensure our global audience feels seen, heard, and represented in 360 degrees of their lives.

Christene: To see principles and beliefs that Refinery29 has embodied from the beginning—body positivity and diversity, pay equity, a non-judgemental space to appreciate and explore a woman's passions and interests AND express herself without scrutiny...to see those values embraced and expressed globally, in the mainstream, that's progress. 

How has your relationship to your career changed in the last five years?

Piera: Once I identified who I wanted to be as a leader, I focused on being courageous enough to hold onto that vision for myself, even when faced with doubt. Sometimes I ask myself, “Is what I am about to do a reflection of who I am and who I want to be?” I have told myself “I can’t do this” SO many times over the years but, despite that, I have done it. I have learned and pushed and grown and it’s been hard and it’s been amazing. My relationship to my career has evolved to where I have the ability to constantly grow, learn, and discover new things about myself and the world. I believe that life is a work in progress, and therefore nothing is ever finished or perfect.

Christene: I accept more fully the great responsibility I have to provide a critical platform for others, and, like most things, I see my ambitions and goals as a work in progress. To know that success is not a destination or an arrival somewhere, but a constant pursuit of knowledge, understanding, growth, transformation, and activism...thanks to all the remarkable women I'm surrounded by, the sky's the limit.  

What does female empowerment mean to you?

Piera: At Refinery29, women’s empowerment is our mission; We want to be the catalyst for women to feel, see, and claim their power and, as a result, create a world where women can reach their infinite potential.

Christene: It's knowing that gender doesn't prevent, inhibit, or limit our ability to achieve ANYTHING. Empowerment comes from within, but it also comes from seeking out, identifying, and acting on the places where discrimination, in all its forms, exists. 

Food: Chloe Dahl & Nikki Booth, Knuckle & Claw

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Food List Here.

Made restaurant dreams a reality. 

Chloe and Nikki are wearing Keds' Champion Originals.

Growing up on Martha’s Vineyard, Chloe Dahl, entrepreneur and co-owner of Knuckle & Claw in Los Angeles, says lobster was her favorite food. “I'd have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I could,” she shares. 

Nikki Booth, Chloe’s partner in business and life, had always wanted to be in the restaurant industry. They had only been dating a year when they put their heads together and created Knuckle & Claw. “It didn't hurt that we're foodies through and through,” the granddaughter of writer Ronald Dahl says. “I’ve always been a foodie,” echoes Nikki, who moved from her hometown of Las Vegas to Honolulu for college. It was there a whole new world of food opened up for her. “Blew my mind,” she says.

When it comes to what’s next, Chloe says she “has a few dreams up my sleeve,” but no one knows what the future will hold. Though we're guessing lobster will be on the menu. Both have big aspirations. For Chloe writing a “great book” is on her bucket list and says if she had more time for something it would be writing. Nikki has hopes of starting “a charity focusing on humanitarian efforts around the globe.” 

Three years and two restaurants later, the world is their oyster. 

Grab more inspiration from the restauranteurs below. 

What is the most important step you’ve taken in your career?

Nikki: Pushing myself forward even if I was scared. A wise woman once told me that its okay to be afraid as long as you don't let it stop you and I think that's the most critical step for a lot of people. 

What are some of the challenges you've encountered along the way?

Chloe: Everyday is a challenge in the restaurant industry. You are on call 12 hours a day, 365 days of the year. You have people to pay and mouths to feed and chances are you're the recipient of neither. 

Nikki: Before we started our business I didn't realize how difficult managing staff would be. You develop a relationship with them and you really depend on each other. 

What keeps you going?

Chloe: Believing in my self-worth and remembering my potential. 

Nikki: Chloe, she’s the tits. 

Who are the people you consider your mentors or influences and why?

Chloe: My grandmother, Patricia Neal. She never gave up.

Nikki: My mom and dad. They worked their asses off for everything they have and it's been inspirational watching that kind of work ethic.

Chloe and Nikki are wearing Keds' Champion Originals.

What’s the best piece of “real talk” advice you’ve received?

Chloe: Forgive yourself. Sounds cheesy, I know. 

Nikki: There is always a solution. Seriously. Think outside the box, look at it from a different angle, whatever you gotta do, the answer is there.

What is a time in your life when you thought, 'I can't do this anymore?'

Nikki: Ah fuck man, I hate those moments, but they happen a few times a year and I think hitting a low like that helps you push yourself past the darkness and into action. 

What’s your favorite life advice:

Chloe: It’s OK to be scared as long as you don’t let it stop you. 

Nikki: There is always a solution. Seriously. Think outside the box, look at it from a different angle, whatever you gotta do, the answer is there.

How has your relationship to your career changed in the last five years?

Chloe: It hasn’t really. My goals are more refined, but I’m as driven as ever. 

How has your relationship to yourself changed in the last five years?

Chloe: I am able to separate my leadership from my emotions. It has lead to clarity and more realistic expectations of myself and other.

Nikki: I am prone to anxiety and I wasn't managing it well when we first started. In the past few years I've focused on taking better care of my mind and body and its made a huge difference. I think if you want to get ahead in your career focus on your mental and physical health and you'll get there. 

International Women’s Day is coming up. It's a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. If you could steer the conversation around International Women’s Day, what would that dialogue be about?

Nikki: I’d love to focus the conversation on pursuing more access to education for women. So many young women still don't have access to education and educating girls around the world will change the world.

What do you do to support other women either personally or professionally?

Chloe: We prioritize collaborations with female owned/run business. We gotta support each other. 

Nikki: Chloe and I support local and international woman through different organizations that are geared toward education and micro-finance loans.

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Philanthropy: Shiza Shahid

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Philanthropy List Here. 

The world's umpire for impact. 

Shiza Shahid, co-founder of the Malala Fund and more recently founder of NOW Ventures, is driven to create a positive change on the world. While a student at Stanford University, Shiza watched a YouTube video of a young Malala Yousafzai, a female Pakistani education advocate. She reached out to Malala’s father to spearhead a week-long camp in Pakistan for Malala and her classmates, organizing 27 girls in Islamabad, her hometown. 

As a umpire for impact, after graduation in 2011, Shiza started her career as an analyst at McKinsey & Company in Dubai, where she combined her mission-driven approach with business acumen.

Upon hearing about the Taliban’s attempted assassination of Malala in 2012 for speaking out about girls’ rights to education, Shiza hopped on a plane and met the education activist in Birmingham, England, where the 15-year-old was hospitalized at the time. The two went on to found the Malala Fund where Shiza also served as CEO of the organization, which supports education innovators and activists around the world.

All of her efforts start, she says by "showing up and believing you can change things." 

She credits her husband and best friend as a major influence in her life and jokes that the best advice she’s ever heard comes from her trainer who, “tells me to work harder.” 

She’s done just that.

Shiza currently runs NOW Ventures, a seed stage mission-driven venture fund, dedicated to investing in startups whose founding teams propose transformative solutions for the world. Shiza explained her new role to TechCrunch as follows: “The hypothesis we aim to prove is that mission-driven companies are a better investment than purely profit-driven companies. We believe that they are creating more loyal customers and generally aim to solve large problems, rather than to create cute apps.” Last June the company raised its first fund as a 506c offering. 

Fear doesn’t play into her vocabulary. “You can only connect the dots looking back,” she says, explaining that she is propelled forward by both “a sense of gratitude and responsibility.” 

“You can only connect the dots looking back.”

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But the global activist's aim is “to become more impactful” in her work, and she has the confidence to do so, especially now that she’s “found my place in the world as a mission-driven entrepreneur and investor.” 

Through exercise, which she swears by, reading and mediation, Shiza has also “found a deeper level of self-awareness and connection” to herself. 

Believing that “connecting people is one of the most generous acts,” Shiza finds the time to bring women together in “intimate off-the-record dinner salons,” and won’t stop searching for ways to make a bigger impact until women everywhere are free from fear and persecution. 

She has her work cut out for her. But her time is now. Paraphrasing Steve Jobs, she says, “We’re all going to die, in the face of which we are already naked, so don’t let fear hold you back.” 

Wellness: Sakara Life

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Wellness List Here.

Turning greens into green. 

In the image-driven patriarchal world we live in, most women have battled with body issues at some point in their lives. With intense societal pressure to look like the gamine girls in the glossy fashion magazines, for many women, eating can become more of a pain than a pleasure. It was no different for Danielle DuBoise, co-founder and co-CEO of the wildly popular organic meal delivery company Sakara. “I used to battle with food. I was a constant yo-yo dieter, always looking and searching for the one diet I thought I had to try to get the body I thought I didn't have,” DuBoise says. Looking at her today, you might never guess that the vibrant blonde had battled with body image issues so intensely in her youth that she was once hospitalized as a result.

“I used to battle with food. I was a constant yo-yo dieter, always looking and searching."

Tweet this. 

“That was my 'aha' moment, when I realized that I had to heal my relationship to food and get back to food as nourishment rather than food being about calories, and teach myself that less food wasn’t always better.” Around the same time, DuBoise’ childhood friend Whitney Tingle was going through her own health struggles, with the long hours of a stressful Wall Street job causing her to gain weight and develop cystic acne. DuBoise, who had been a pre-med student, switched her focus to nutrition, and the two friends dedicated a year of their lives studying both Eastern and Western approaches to health. They launched Sakara in 2011.

“Eating this way is what completely changed my mindset around food and finally gave me the body I wanted, and I wanted to share this way of life with as many people as possible,” DuBoise says of her decision to get into the organic food delivery game. Though the hugely successful company now employs 80 people and has been covered in the press by the likes of Forbes, Business Insider, Vogue, and more, in the beginning it was just the two best friends from Sedona, Arizona working tirelessly out of their own NYC kitchen. “We started by bootstrapping the company with $700, so Whitney and I did everything. We cooked, we handled finances, tech, customer service, PR, all of it.” Their hard work clearly paid off, but before they became the secret weapon of Victoria’s Secret Angels and were minted in the "Forbes 30-Under-30" canon, they had their fair share of panic-inducing challenges. “We got a huge piece of press from Gwyneth Paltrow and the next week none of our delivery drivers showed up so Whitney and I had to take hundreds of dollars worth of taxis to deliver everything ourselves at 4am after being in the kitchen all night,” DuBoise recalls.  These days, Sakara delivers its healthy meals to thousands who swear by the nourishing, delicious, plant-based fare, including Paltrow, Lena Dunham, and Kate Hudson, and the company recently launched S-Life Mag, an editorial extension of their wellness brand which features recipes, beauty tips, and interviews with women like Mary Helen Bowers of Ballet Beautiful and supermodel and Sakara devotee Lily Aldridge, amongst others.

DuBoise says she and Tingle plan to expand Sakara even more in the next few years, bringing their unique approach to creating safe and effective wellness-based products to beauty, supplements, and homecare. On a personal level, DuBoise says she wants to start a non-profit venture in the near future, and she recently started a band with her husband. “We never have enough time to really work on it, but it's still so fun when we do,” she says. Though she’s incredibly busy and the pressure of running a business can be intense, since deciding to shift from medical school to entrepreneurship six years ago, Danielle DuBoise has never looked back. What keeps her going? “Knowing we're helping thousands of people transform their lives through the power of food as medicine,” she says. “When I took the time to prioritize my health, that's when I found my purpose.”

Food: Hannah Hart

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Food List Here.

Clear Eyes. Full Hart. Can't Lose.

“Do you guys remember when I used to film this on my laptop,” Hannah Hart of My Drunk Kitchen fame asks her YouTube audience of over 4 million subscribers in one of her more recent YouTube videos, “Eggnog? Egg not!”

For those who don’t remember, it’s been over five years since the first episode of My Drunk Kitchen aired in March, 2011. Where a brunette, baby-faced Hannah advised strangers on the internet how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. The video was made as a joke at the request of a friend. It went viral. The hook: she downed a bottle of wine in the process, during which she realized she didn’t have any cheese. 

What Hannah did have were jokes and a whole lot of heart. A silliness and a face that twinkled with a kind of friendly familiarity that the internet needed. People have always bonded over laughter. Hannah became a reason to smile, even though her own life had given her plenty of reasons not to. She never could have imagined that YouTube would be the platform that launched her career and there were dark times in her life. “I called a suicide hotline and the response was so scripted it made me laugh and I kind of just snapped out of it… I was grateful the hotline was there for me, even though the way it saved me may have not been the most conventional.” 

In 2014, Hannah released her parody cookbook, My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Going with Your Gut. It was a New York Times best-seller for five weeks. 

“I wanted to share the lessons I’ve learned in case they were able to help another."

Tweet this. 

In her new memoir, Buffering, released fall 2016, Hannah candidly shares the reality of her upbringing. Heartbreaking and empowering she touches on dealing her sexuality, faith, self-esteem, as well as the struggles of having a schizophrenic mother. In many ways it is a departure from intoxicated, charismatic YouTuber, but it was a journey she needed to take.  

“I wanted to share the lessons I’ve learned in case they were able to help another,” Hannah shares. “Also, I want to start a dialogue about the gaping holes in our mental health system that leave non-violent people who are mentally ill with no options outside of homelessness.” 

In other ways, it’s a natural evolution. She's still sharing, still gathering people, this time in front of pages, instead of a screen. In the book she writes, “I fought against my truth in every move, shadowboxing myself and my subconscious, ducking and swinging.” 

Today, she’s coming out swinging. “She [Hannah's mom] sang us a song about 'never giving up' when we were little. I think that's great advice for people who stop themselves from moving forward in their lives.” And Hannah is moving. She doesn’t know where her career will go, but is trying to stay present and pay attention to the changing media landscape. 

As an advocate for LGBTQ rights and those of mentally disabled community, when asked why now was the right time to share this truth with the world, Hannah says, “I was more afraid of becoming something I'm not. I'm very glad to see that people were willing to accept me as I am.”

Looking to the future, Hannah says she wants to start a foundation to educate people about mental illness as well as teaches family members strategies for communication around mental health. “I am rooting for everyone to find contentment in life,” says Hannah. “This involves making room for others to do so as well, not just ourselves.”

"I am rooting for everyone to find contentment in life."

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What Hannah will have room for in this upcoming year is unclear. With the book and a new six-episode culinary-travelogue series on the Food Network that will incorporate digital and social content, 2017 is gonna have a whole lotta Hart. 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.  

Food: Kai Kani

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Food List Here.

Chopping it up at 16.

What were you doing at 16? Dreaming, maybe. Likely not about creating “a museum based on arts, food, and fashion,” in your spare time. But you also probably didn’t start a baking business at 10 that gave you the opportunity to make pastries for The Oprah Winfrey Network. 

However, there’s nothing traditional about the ingredients that makeup 16 year-old chef and creative entrepreneur Kai Kani. “I began helping in the kitchen when I was three years-old,” she says. By the time she was six, her mom, recognizing an early talent in her daughter, let her cook and use a knife on her own.  “At 14,” she shares, “I began my pop up restaurant, KAI, which features a 12 to 16 course Progressive American Tasting Menu.” Coming from a “multi-cultural background” Kai says that she grew up cooking and eating foods from different cultures, an upbringing has influenced the way she cooks. She also has used her talent to support organizations like St. Vincent Meals on Wheels and The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. 

And while she has plenty of normal teenage extracurriculars— tennis, drawing, hanging out with her friends and exploring Los Angeles, she’s got a pretty rad list of things she also wants to accomplish and equally impressive insight for how she wants to get there. 

Read more with Kai and her inspiring work ethic below. 

What is a habit or routine you swear by?

I swear by PREPARATION. It’s the most important thing to me, it helps me stay organized and not have to worry about little things when the main event comes. 

What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered? 

People not understanding how much work that I put in to what I do. 

Who are the people you consider you mentors or influences and why?

My mother and father. My dad is an business owner who began his business at 18.

What is the best piece of “real talk” advice you’ve received?

Believing in the Law of Attraction through Manifestation.

What’s your favorite life advice?

If you don't take the time to design and plan your life, you will have to settle for what life gives you. 

"Take the time to plan your life or settle for what life gives you.”

Tweet this. 

What’s next? Do you have any five year goals?

Now, I’m focusing on some product development of my own, working on getting my cookbook published, as well as starting a high end streetwear clothing line. My five year goals, are to have a few successful restaurants, my clothing line, and to have a magazine focusing on art, culture, food, and fashion. 

What does female empowerment mean to you? 

Women have the authority to make our own decisions, make changes, and have a positive self image. 

What keeps you going? 

Determination and focus. 

Music: DJ Nikki Pennie

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Music List Here.

Turned the tables on her career. 

Imagine being offered a job for a gig where you don’t know the ropes. Would you say yes? Or be too scared? That’s what happened for DJ Nikki Pennie. She wasn't always adept at getting rooms to dance. The British-born stylist started her career in the fashion world, but folks in the industry kept getting offering her DJ jobs.  

“It was the last thing I ever thought I would end up doing,” she shares. “I got offered a few DJing gigs for fashion brands before I even knew how to DJ three years ago and the rest is history.”

History and a lot of hard work. “I saw an opportunity and I ran with it,” she says. “I took a risk, put in over 100% and thankfully, it worked out.” 

In an industry that remains dominated by men, Nikki says it’s important for her to identify as a female DJ, but that women have the power to “conquer everything.” 

Read through her interview below. 

What are some challenges you’ve encountered along the way?

There have been so many. To start, I couldn’t DJ. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Dave Garnish. He’s an incredible British music producer who was in LA at the time working on projects. He was kind enough to train me. He was literally a Godsend! I was also lucky to have the intuition to read a room, which is one of the most important DJ skills and that’s something you can’t get from training. 

How do you feel as a woman in the music industry?

It’s an exciting time as the barriers are less significant. 

“I took a risk, put in over 100% and thankfully, it worked out.” 

Tweet this. 

What keeps you going?

My ambition, drive, and a lot of coffee! 

Who are the people you consider mentors or influences and why?

Dave Garnish is my mentor. I have so much respect for him and what he has achieved. He has now opened his Garnish Music Production and DJ schools in London, LA, and Brooklyn. His talent, wisdom and kindness are precious!

What’s next? Do you have any five year goals?

I am starting to produce music this year, who knows where that will take me?! I don’t really make long-term plans. I think sometimes it’s better to enjoy the journey and see where life takes you! 

Is there a habit or routine you swear by?

My Dior beauty routine, as I am one of their ambassadors and their products are the best (I am not biased). The Dior Star Canceler is a life-saver especially with the late nights, jet lag, and traveling involved with my job. 

What is a time in your life when you thought, ‘I can’t do this anymore?’

There have been so many points, but thanks to the support from my amazing friends and family that have supported me… I have never given up. 

What is your favorite life advice?

When you fall, always get up straight away.

How has your relationship to your career changed in the last five years?

I am much more confident than I was five years ago and I really feel that anything is possible for anybody. 

What’s on your career bucket list?

To DJ in Japan. I love Japan, Japanese people and the culture. 

What does female empowerment mean to you?

To support an encourage our peers. 

What do you do to support other women either personally or professionally?

Be kind. Kindness is one of the most important things in life. 

STEM: Whitney Wolfe, Bumble

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Making the dating world buzz. 

Changing the way we date and shifting the power dynamics between men and women, those are just two of the issues that Whitney Wolfe, founder and CEO of Bumble wanted to address when she launched her dating app that requires women to make the first move. 

“One of the biggest challenges has been rewiring people's opinions on women making the first move,” shares Whitney, an experience that challenged her more times than she can count. But she’s made the female-led approach work, exclaiming that “well over a billion messages,” have been shared on the app that boasts over 10 million users.   

Whitney has made about every list and for good reason. She’s a game-changer, a rule-breaker, and an industry dominator in a male-dominated field. Dating startups are notoriously hard to grow and the new-kid-on-the-dating-block is always around the corner. But Whitney and her team have maintained their foothold, launching BumbleBFF where women can find friends and colleagues. In short, she’s an inspiration for young entrepreneurs everywhere, not just women. And at 27, she’s only getting started. Up next on her list: disrupting health tech. 

How has your experience being a woman in tech changed since you first launched Bumble? 

I had to grow a thick skin early on, and I had to realize that if you're lucky, people will underestimate you. No better way to debunk stereotypes than proving the archaic thinkers wrong. Supporting one another, and truly helping one another as women, with NO expectation of anything in return is going to propel the next generation of girls and women forward.

What are some of the challenges you've encountered along the way? 

The list is too long. Sometimes the hardest things to break are bad habits, and women assuming men need to be in control is most certainly something that needed disrupting! 

So, what keeps you going? 

Changing the way relationships work and putting women in control to finally feel equal to the man. My team, their passion. The amazing stories that come from the millions and millions of connections we're making! 

Who are the people you consider your mentors or influences and why? 

My business partner, Andrey, is most certainly my mentor, he's beyond brilliant and talented. My fiancé is my rock and sees things in a visionary way and gives me a lot of perspective. 

“If you're lucky, people will underestimate you.”

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What is the best piece of "real talk" advice you've received? 

Snap out of it! It always looks better in the morning 

What is your favorite life advice? 

Be kind to everyone, because every single human on this planet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. There is nothing more important than motiveless kindness. 

What is a time in your life when you thought, 'I can't do this anymore?' 

I can count them on one hand, and I always in that moment, knew change needed to happen. And I went out and found and created that change. You have to listen to your gut, always. 

What's next? What are your five year goals for Bumble? How do you continue to build community that's empowering? 

I want to build Bumble into the Facebook for people you don't yet know, and I want Bumble to become a leading lifestyle brand both online and offline for all your introductions, with women always making the first move. Woman making the first move into the good, and out of the bad has the power to change the world. 

What's on your career bucket list? 

To be involved in disruptive health tech.

What does female empowerment mean to you? 

It means confidence, being happy for women in a genuine way, and being equal to the man. It means never feeling inferior. 

What do you do to support other women either personally or professionally? 

I try to help with both personal and professional advice, investments, and for the good or the bad, snapping women out of it when they're stuck in bad relationships or ruts. One of my goals in 2017 is to do more, and to be a better mentor to more women. I've been so busy trying to build a company to empower women, that my personal capacity has been limited and I hope to have some spare time to devote to this. 

 Women have the power to:

Do anything. They are the power.

Content Creator: Elsie Larson & Emma Chapman, A Beautiful Mess

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Content Creator List Here.   

Made messy beautiful. 

Messy is beautiful, at least when sisters Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman are involved. 

The team behind the site A Beautiful Mess started working together when Elsie expanded her retail store to a larger space. Emma jumped on board to tackle the business side of things. During that time they also started blogging, initially to further promote the store and make supplemental income. It was their collision course with online entrepreneurship. That was almost a decade ago before they realized blogging could be a full time career. “It evolved from there,” says Elsie, “one baby step at a time,” crediting partnering with her sister as the smartest move she’s ever made. 

The retail space eventually closed and A Beautiful Mess became their full time job in late 2011. They now oversee five full time employees as well as a roster of talented freelancers. 

Neither went to business school, but that hasn’t proved detrimental to their model. Though they’ve made plenty of “rookie mistakes,” from understanding what to ask in an interview to the complex intricacies of employees' personalities, life imitates blog titles in their case. “It's amazing how much attitudes and culture can affect productivity in even a very small office like ours,” says Emma. But she loves what she does, noting the 80/20 rule: “You should aim to love 80% of your job and the other 20% is just a job.” Elsie has a similar, healthy approach to work. “I love my job,” she says, “but it doesn't take away from family time or my big goals. And I love it more every year, so I think that's a good sign!” It follows suit with her favorite advice: “You can be anything, but not everything.”

“You can be anything, but not everything.” 

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The creative sisters have tips on how to recession proof your own biz. “Business isn’t always straightforward,” shares Emma. “Early on we focused on creating multiple revenue streams.”  Elsie agrees. “Grow your business to at least four solid revenue streams, so if one dies you won't be screwed.” Every year they try to add one or two to keep pushing the company forward. “Not everything works,” Emma remarks, but if this year is any indication the messy team has a firm grip on what does. 

This spring (2017) they are releasing their third book, a cookbook, and are excited to see how it’s received. Last year they launched their third app, A Color Story, which had over 2.5 million installs in under a year. They took it as a sign and simultaneously created a second company (which they named A Color Story) to work on their apps. They’re adding on additional staff and projects, though A Beautiful Mess will remain their “main gig.” 

Emma, who is in the process of sewing her first quilt, insists on “saying no to the guilt trip game,” focusing instead on making to-do lists and attempting to finish said list.  She’s also addicted to podcasts. A few of her favorites include: Smart Passive Income Podcast, Start Up, and Elsie Gets Crafty.

“I think women make themselves feel guilty for not working enough, not mom-ing enough, not having a perfectly clean house 24/7, not looking ‘put-together’ enough; it's too much!” Emma says. “Let’s celebrate all that we do because from my view—women are AMAZING!” 

“Discovering your own boundaries is really important,” adds Elsie. “Now that I have mine, I think I actually get more work done, in less time.”

Wellness: Katerina Schneider and Lauren Hayes, Ritual

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Wellness List Here.

An holistic approach to vitamins. 

"Female empowerment means gender doesn't hold you back in anyway."

When Katerina Schneider, CEO and founder of Ritual, was four months pregnant she couldn’t find a vitamin brand that she trusted. “So,” the former Lehman Brothers investment banker shares,” I decided to build my own.” 

It was on a double date that she met founding team member and her VP of Marketing and Growth, Lauren Hayes. During that dinner the conversation turned to health. “Kat started telling me how she had recently become pregnant and how she’d started cleaning out everything in her household with questionable ingredients.” It was during the pregnancy sweep that Kat found some of the same ingredients on the back label of her cleaning detergent were some of the same ingredients in her prenatal vitamin. It was shocking. 

“During one of my first conversations with Kat,” explains Lauren, “I was taking over 7 vitamins, but when she asked me to name one of them I turned red and struggled to recall one brand.”

“Like [Kat] had already, I realized the massive opportunity to turn the dinosaur vitamin industry on its head,” says Lauren. “And really build a brand that resonated with every woman.”

Both women had spent some time in the startup world. Lauren, post-USC, had joined Los Angeles’ largest startup accelerator, StartEngine, as its second employee. She then worked with Walter Driver, CEO and Co-founder of Scopely, growing the company from 15 to 200 employees. And Kat, post Lehman Brothers, had spent time as a Venture Partner at an investment fund of over 70 startups for Troy Carter. They had the experience. They had the information. And the mission of “making the highest quality ingredients accessible to all women,” was golden. It was time to take the risk. 

"I realized the massive opportunity to turn the dinosaur vitamin industry on its head.”

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Lauren credits her fiancé with helping her make it through challenging decisions. “I've been a tech and innovation fanatic since I was little,” she says. “I've always been surrounded by older peers and worked in jobs surrounded by men, which can be intimidating.” But when her fiancé told her to “act as if,” that tidbit helped her get over what she calls “the confidence hump.”  

“He also told me age doesn't always mean wisdom,” she shares. 

Kat says her mom has been her biggest a mentor and role model. “She spoke no english when we moved to America, she got her MBA and became an Investment Banker all while raising two small kids.”

“The hardest decisions you make as a founder are the ones that shape you the most,” the mom and CEO says. And though the journey from the finance to startup world has not been without its challenges, Kat says that risk is the only way to move forward. 

“The hardest decisions you make as a founder are the ones that shape you the most."

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Today Kat says, “I am comfortable with my identity as a female business woman. I don't try to be more masculine or more feminine, I'm comfortable with who I am. I used to think I had to be more aggressive as a female in business to get what I want to make up for being a woman. I now embrace who I am and realize that authenticity will get me where I need to go.”

With Ritual, Kat is committed to building “the most meaningful health company that has ever existed.” Lauren sees “Ritual as the perfect opportunity to fold all of my passions from creativity and tech to education and health all into one business.”

Together, they're giving that vitamin dino a reason to run. 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Fashion: Clare Vivier

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Fashion List Here.

Created a brand of her own.

On the corner of Sunset and Micheltorena in Silverlake is a gray-blue front, the flagship store of LA-based designer Clare Vivier and her namesake brand, Clare V. Inside against white walls, CA-made colorful leather handbags and apparel pops. Shelves feature glasses, wallets, and gifts for the women who appreciate a faultless look. 

Simple, decidedly French, Clare’s is a story of fashion and fate. After finding 400 dollars on a sidewalk, she purchased the sewing machine that would launch a thousand bags.  But it all started with one, known famously as La Tropizienne. 

After graduating from University of San Francisco, Clare moved to France. She interned at a documentary film production company and waitressed on the side. The effortlessly chic style of France and French women spoke to her longtime interest in fashion. Feeling inspired, she started a blog for fun. She also happened to meet her husband, Thierry Vivier, and they moved back to California.  

In Los Angeles, her fashion blog began to pick up some traction as she formed her own style, an effortless blend of French and Californian influences. "Ever since I can remember," Clare says about her unique style and dressing for herself, "it has always been an important part of my identity and happiness."

During this time Clare had a day job, working as a prop stylist and commercial production coordinator in LA. But she needed a bag to hold her laptop and notes. The designer couldn’t bring herself to carry a meek, corporate-looking, nylon tote, especially being fresh off the sensibility of Paris.  So she made her own custom bag. Inspired by the L.L. Bean boat tote and the essence of St. Tropez, her bag demonstrated flare, functionality, and outright “coolness.”  And everyone noticed.  After receiving numerous compliments, Clare felt like she was on to something, and stepped in the role of Clare Vivier, handbag designer.  It was a buyer at Fred Segal luggage shop "back in the day," she says that gave her a first very useful bit of advice. "Why would anyone buy this at this price? No one knows who you are," Clare recounts upon sharing her first laptop bag which was admittedly overpriced. "I had to reassess," she says. 

Her breakthrough was in fact her self-made tote, La Tropizienne, and her blog exposure claiming “I’ve got your summer tote.”  It cultivated the market for chic working bags.  She worked alone for many years doing both the business and the creative side of things. And in 2012, she trusted her gut and took on two business partners, Steven Alan and Randy Kercho, who became her mentors and key contributors to the growth of the company.  

It was trusting her gut that led Clare to her success.  She admits to the difficultly of allocating responsibility and “hiring the right people to do the things that are not my strength.  It is challenging, but when you find the right people, it’s so rewarding.”  Rewarding to say the least. Clare V. has expanded to six stores nationwide, including two in New York, and has designed collaborations with big names such as Steven Alan, & Other Stores, GOOP, Jean Stories, and Apple, to name a few. Her dream though, not surprisingly, is to "open a store in Paris." 

Indeed it was a story of fashion and fate, but most importantly a woman that let her passion live free alongside her work.  She gave it the room and possibility for her creativity to flourish and it awarded her with her very own fashion line, possibly every girl’s dream. 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Philanthropy: Alexis Jones, ProtectHER

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Philanthropy List Here. 

Stopping locker room talk. 

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, the younger sister to four football playing older brothers, Alexis Jones learned from a young age how to hold her own against the bros. After moving to Los Angeles to complete her undergraduate and masters degrees at USC, she scored a job working as a red carpet correspondent, which later opened doors to hosting gigs for CBS, MTV, TLC and ESPN.

“I realized the power of the entrainment industry and storytelling. I was obsessed with traveling, loved to talk and nothing lit me up more than inspiring people to chase down their dreams. So I made up a job where I got to do all of that for a living.” That job was creating I AM THAT GIRL — a nonprofit organization helping girls transform self-doubt into self-love — when she was just 19. Jones is all about digging up the guts; taking a leap of faith and going for it. “And by that I literally mean making business cards that said, ‘Founder/ CEO of I AM THAT GIRL’ and it didn't even exist yet. I'm a big fan of ‘go for it and figure it out later!’

Today, Jones is shifting her focus from empowering women to educating young men. Her newest initiative, ProtectHer, campaigns to redefine manhood and stop the epidemic of campus sexual assault, starting in the hotbed: the men’s locker room. “By rebranding what it means to be a man, I hope to empower male athletes to raise the bar for all men on campus to begin respecting and protecting their fellow female students,” says the future-minded travel junkie with her sights set on a better world for men and women. Jones does not take lightly her mission on this planet to “empower people, show them a glimpse of what they are capable of, and invite them to follow suit.” To this end, she wouldn’t rule out a career in politics — “I think Texas could use more women in leadership.” Don’t tease us!

"I hope to empower male athletes to raise the bar for all men."

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But to inspire legions of young and men and women, Jones says, requires an enormous amount of self-care. Ever the selfless ally and advocate, she swears by a mantra of ‘Put you first’ and preaches the many merits of ‘me time.’ “We look at self care as some kind of selfish ‘me time’ that's a luxury and it's absolutely mandatory for me, especially because I travel so much. So when I'm meditating, writing in my prayer journal, working out, eating well, and spending quality time with my tribe, I'm absolutely the best version of me and I feel unstoppable.”

Aside from ample alone time, Jones credits family, faith, and tribe as the backbone to success and perseverance. That, and good ol’ sweat therapy in the form of hiking, biking, kickboxing, and cycling. “My faith is my inexhaustible fuel, and my tribe are the tune ups along the way that keep me from breaking down.”

Her parents, too, have been an invaluable influence, providing endless cheerleading along the way. “I'm a billionaire in love. I always say that. The greatest Ace I have up my sleeve is that I have known unconditional love my entire life; so everything else ‘accomplish’ is just icing on the cake.”

With ProtectHer, Jones calls upon her extensive sports broadcasting background (and four older brothers) to speak to and relate to men. Her primary concern is ending domestic violence in sports and sexual assault on college campuses, and to encourage men — particularly male athletes —  to better respect the girls and women in their lives, and to set this precedent.

The future of women’s rights, Jones says, is addressing this “pandemic levels of sexual assault happening on college campuses,” and even more importantly, the kinds of “education and prevention programs we are mandatorily integrating to address these issues,” which are currently pathetically insufficient. Through book clubs, movie and documentary viewing parties or even just wine night, Jones supports the idea that “women need women and often times need permission to prioritize themselves.”

“Women need women and often times need permission to prioritize themselves.”

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Whether this permission comes in the form of I AM THAT GIRL’s more than 175 local chapters, or giving an ESPN talk to the top 18 high-school quarterbacks in the US in hopes of reprogramming the cycle of misogyny and violence, Jones will continue to create opportunities for women to “fill their tanks and give them safe place to be seen, to be heard, and to feel that they truly belong.” SHE IS THAT GIRL.

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Music: Lorely Rodriguez, Empress Of

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Music List Here.

The Empress has arrived. 

Empress Of, fill in the blank. Because it could be anything. 

The producer and musician (also, Libra) known to her parents as Lorely Rodriguez has been tinkering on the family piano from an early age. Coming from a musical family and a childhood spent listening to her dad's Beatles albums, the 27-year-old, studied classical and jazz for about 13 years. At 17 she got a laptop and has been making electronic music ever since. 

When she released her first album, Lorely revealed that it was written mainly in solitude in Mexico. A state of being, the musician shares, that “is so extreme and forces you to deal with a lot of your own personal shit." She claims, "I needed something really drastic like that for my first album because I didn’t really know what kind of album I wanted to make. To some extent, I always make music in solitude because…I work alone!"

Empress Of is her solo project, but the LA-native isn't sure she'd take the same approach again, at least not at the moment. "I don’t think I need to go to the extreme of being in a lake town by myself for a month right now,” she says. 

What she does need is more time to cook for herself, as well as “coffee and museums and weird ‘70s horror movies.” As well as playing live shows. “I love that part so much,” she says. She also maintains that though singles are the “immediate songs that grab a listener,” she “loves albums and will probably always make music thinking about that bigger picture.” She's currently working on her second album, an experience she's called an "emotional roller coaster-- not so much making the music, but playing it for other people." 

After moving home to LA from New York last year (the musician won’t tell us what coast she prefers, only admitting that she enjoys "not freezing"), she harps that she think it’s important to follow your intuition, “like Jewel song.” In all seriousness Empress Of knows the importance of “believing in the choices you make as it is your art and company you are representing.” 

More from Empress Of below. 

Who are the people you consider your mentors or influences and why? 

I look at the careers of people I really respect. Bjork has always been a big mentor for me. Frida Kahlo as well. 

What does female empowerment mean to you? 

That phrase means equality to me. Having the same opportunities regardless of your race, sex or sexual orientation.

How does it feel to be a woman in the music industry?

It feels great. It feels like all the other things you would imagine being a woman in most industries would feel like, challenging and under represented. I am very excited to work towards a day where I don't have to talk about being a woman making music and I can just talk about making music. But as far as the industry, I put my opinions out into my music so usually, most the people I work with know I won't put up with archaic mentalities. 

"I won't put up with archaic mentalities."

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What are some of the biggest challenges you've encountered along the way? 

Doing something else when the one thing you relied on isn't going to work. There is no formula for being a successful artist today. I try not to let that stop me or my career. Being really creative and thinking up the next and the next and the next thing to do is part of everyday of this job. 

What is the best piece of "real talk" advice you've received? 

I think the one thing that has always stuck with me is trust yourself. 

International Women’s Day is coming up. It's a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. If you could steer the conversation around International Women’s Day, what would that dialogue be about? 

I would love to talk about the future of women in the world. How can we educate future generations of men and woman on social equality so we can achieve even more progress?

Entrepreneur: Toni Ko, Perverse Sunglasses

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entrepreneur List Here.

Knew she'd be a boss.

The thing about Toni Ko is that everything she touches turns to gold (or pink, or purple, or silver, or any combination of color one could possibly dream up, really). Whether that’s makeup — she founded NYX Cosmetics with $250,000 in seed funding (from her parents) and sold it for $500 million to L’oreal in 2010. Or eyewear — her newborn baby Perverse Sunglasses launched in March of 2016, and is already slated to hit 125 stores in just five years — Toni Ko can’t miss.

Now 43, the entrepreneur has known she’d be a tycoon since the third grade. “I’m not sure why, but I was always sure I was going to be an independent, self-reliant woman in business,” says the aspiring hattrick founder, whose career bucket list includes building three global brands before retirement. Two down, one to go, time to spare…should we just give up already? “My best advice for women or any gender starting a business is to focus only on the goal. Everything else is just noise. And that giving 100% is not enough. You have to give your 100% and then some more, and be scrappy.”

"You have to give 100% and more and be scrappy.”

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It could be argued that this scrappiness is Ko’s secret weapon. That, and an astute understanding that women don’t want to drop a fortune to feel like a million, nor should they have to. Both NYX and Perverse have thrived by selling the high-end at a low-price, subverting the status quo and disrupting business as usual. It’s a tried-and-true business model that, when teamed with Ko’s unique vision, savvy, and sensibility, can’t be touched. “It’s the oldest and best marketing strategy that’s been proven for thousands of years. Value proposition. Sell better products at lower prices than your competition. It’s that simple and works in every industry.”

Like other rebels in the eyewear space, PERVERSE recognizes the prohibitive price tag of traditional sunglasses (many of which are owned and controlled by one omnipresent entity responsible for markups and price gouging). Unlike its competitors, PERVERSE encourages a post-gender, sex-positive mindframe fittingly dubbed “sunglass polygamy.” And with prices seductively perched between $30-$60, there’s no reason we can’t indulge in a full-blown eyewear orgy.

“I look for an industry that lacks what I am looking for,” explains Ko, who studied the ins-and-outs of wholesale and supply chain working in the family perfume and cosmetics business in Los Angeles, where they moved from South Korea when she was a teen. “With NYX, I was looking for make-up that had the quality but was affordable. With sunglasses, I wanted fashion sunglasses that didn’t break the bank,” she states, matter of factly. “I wanted to wear different sunglasses matching my outfit everyday, but did not want to spend 2, 3 or even 4 hundred dollars per pair. So I created a brand that sells the good quality fashion sunglasses that you can style with your daily outfit, with prices all under a hundred dollars.”

Still in its infancy, PERVERSE has become an overnight A-list favorite, with Anna Kendrick, Lady Gaga, Vanessa Hudgens, and Beyoncé stepping out as fans of the frame. Recently ranked #57 on Forbes’ “Richest Self-Made Women” list with a staggering net worth of $260 million, Ko continues to keep her head down, stay grateful, and trust her instincts. She also cites mom as her greatest influence, for teaching her the value of hardwork and honesty. “Everyday, I am grateful for the opportunities I was given. And with that, I tell myself to never change as a person, to stay humble and hungry, and to keep my head screwed on my shoulders. I think this is what keeps me going everyday.”

It’s not just her budding eyewear empire that makes us say this, but Toni Ko is a true visionary.

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Food: Gaby Dalkin, What's Gaby Cooking

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Food List Here.

What isn't Gaby cooking?

Gaby Dalkin, AKA the “Chief Lady Boss at What’s Gaby Cooking” has a lot on her plate. 

But her journey to the world of culinary delights doesn’t follow a typical recipe. In college, Gaby was pre-med. Decided the world of doctoring was not for her, switched her focus to business and marketing, and “LOVED it.” But after graduating and working in LA at a job that she decidedly did not love, where she was “completely uninspired and bored,” Gaby made the decision to “pack it up and go to culinary school.” 

While at school she got a job as a private chef and simultaneously started “What’s Gaby Cooking.” Since inception, the side blog passion project has grown into website with over 1300 recipes, a line of cookbooks (2nd one is due out in spring 2018), a product line and more! 

Since starting “What’s Gaby Cooking,” the blogger and chef hasn’t taken a day off. That’s seven years and counting. “Balance, what’s that?” she jokes. But says, “when your work is something that you love, it never really feels like working.” And she does manage to work while on the beach in Mexico... so there's that. 

Five years ago, Gaby says she waited for opportunities to come to her. Now she goes out and grabs them, which in turn has grabbed the attention of her 234k Instagram followers. And she says that, “What’s Gaby Cooking is going full steam ahead to a digitally focused empire that revolves around food.”

More from everyone's favorite foodie Gaby below. 

What keeps you going?

The big picture. There is so much I want to accomplish and every day I'm working towards the larger goal. 

Who are the people you consider your mentors or influences and why?

I try to surround myself with as many incredible badass business ladies as possible. My team at DBA is a constant influence to me as they've helped me get to where I am today. My friends I've met through the digital world, Heather, Catherine, Geri, Lily, Matt, Adam, the list goes on... we all support each other and help each other grow.  

What is the best piece of "real talk" advice you've received? 

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. 

What is your favorite life advice?

Don’t be afraid to fail.

What’s next? What’s happening the Gaby world?

We're launching the first What's Gaby Cooking product line in 2017, my next cookbook comes out in 2018 and then sky's the limit! I'd love to develop a digital food series somewhere in there too! 

Do you have any extracurricular activities?

Traveling. As much as humanly possible, and Netflix. 

How has your relationship with yourself changed in the last five years?

I've always been pretty confident but I think I've become even more comfortable in my own skin since running a business. And I've developed a much thicker skin thanks to the joys of social media and haters.

What do you do to support other women either personally or professionally?

Answer honestly, support authentically, share resources and share other women's work.

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Entertainment: Nicole Byer

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entertainment List Here.

Breaking all the rules. 

Loosely speaking, Nicole Byer, is a boss. The comedian, writer, and actress who stars on the semi-autobiographical comedy Loosely Exactly Nicole, her show on MTV, has broken every typecast mold. But it wasn’t something the comedic storyteller intentionally set out to do. Nicole didn’t want to be an actor, but rather, an illustrator. One hitch, she couldn’t draw. 

What she lacked in technical skill, she made up for with energy. It was the comedian's mom, the person whom Nicole credits as “being so supportive,” encouraged her to join her high school play, and work out some of that energy on stage. The performance was a comedy. 

It was the first time she received a lot of laughs and it had a life-changing effect. “Making someone laugh is magic.” Nicole shares. “It’s also powerful and therapeutic.” 

She’s been after that feeling ever since. After spending many years doing “doing a lot of free improv shows in a basement,” Nicole reticently credits her career to “being at the right place at the right time.” 

But being in said "place" has taken plenty of work. In 2013, Nicole launched her career on MTV with Hasan Minaj’s Failosophy. A few months in the network worked Nicole and her comedic chops into the reality-comedy-advice series Girl Code. There was a bit of learning curve for the actress, who didn’t fully understand the show’s concept. Basically, she went into the studio and talked. “We live in a world,” she says on the show, “where we’ve made it very easy to give opinions.” And opinions were given. The women on the show discussed feminism, slut-shaming, gay besties, and pussy power. They talked about it all. But Nicole, growing more disinterested in being a talking head, was looking to break into scripted-television. However, when the roles available weren't up to snuff (aka, fully-formed, not typical typecast bull) Nicole did what any intelligent badass woman would: wrote her own. 

For people breaking into the biz, Nicole says it’s important to, “stay in your lane,” and “keep your eyes on your own paper.” But she’s more than willing to lend an ear to an aspiring comedian. “I try and be as helpful as possible when someone has a question about comedy.” 

Nicole wants all women to know that they are “are beautiful, smart, strong as fuck and special. We also have to listen to each other and remember to be inclusive. There's feminism and intersectional feminism.”

Recently telling the Hollywood Reporter, “It went from me going out for a part of a hooker named Bertha to making my web series that I loved and I'm so proud of.” She wants to change the roles available for women, especially women of color, to be three-dimensional, fully-formed characters. 

“All women are beautiful, smart, strong as fuck and special.” 

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She knows that her humor isn’t for everyone, but adds “nothing is off limits if I find it funny.” 

As for what’s been a roadblock on her journey, “Life,” she jokes. Which is also what she says keeps her going. That and the hope of one day making Whoopi Goldberg laugh. She’s already got both her grandma and Beyoncé to giggle. We’re thinking Whoopi isn’t too far a shot. 

Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Beauty: Streicher Sisters

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with Dove, you can view the full Beauty List Here. 

Triple threat. 

Kristie Streicher, the middle of the beauty industry trio known as The Streicher Sisters, has been trying to convince her clients to lean in to a fuller brow since 2001. It’s a more natural approach to beauty favored by all three, who co-own STRIIIKE Salon in Los Angeles, focusing on their individual strengths and talents, while managing the challenge of working alongside siblings. (Which includes therapy sessions.)  

Ashley is the hair guru. Kristie, the eyebrow genius. And Jenn, the mom and makeup maven. 

All three got their start young. Jenn manned the Estee Lauder counter straight out of high school in Northern California. Kristie began selling cosmetics at a Clinique Counter “pretty much straight out of high school,” where she enjoyed engaging with women, educating them on skincare and makeup. It was this experience that inspired her to become an esthetician, officially making it her career choice. Ashley, who says she “will forever be the ‘little sister,’ skipped the counter and hopped on a flight to NYC instead, where her older sisters were living and launching their careers. 

While working with Warren Tricomi, Kristie received a “Best Of” award for eyebrows by New York Magazine. She went from an average of five clients per day to 35. “I made it my duty,” she says, “to break the habit and trend of the over-contrived, over-waxed eyebrow style.” 

This non-industry approach is in part shaped by their youth. “I grew up in a very small town that is very opposite of LA or any big city for that matter,” shares Ashley. “I did not grow up thinking that people were beautiful or not; I’m so happy for this. I have always known that everyone has beauty… god that sounds so cheesy but it’s really true. I think that everyone has features and attributes that really work for them, sometimes it’s just finding them and accentuating them.”

“I think we are all the same on a basic, human level,” says Kristie. “We tend to compare ourselves to one another or think that someone else has it better than us, when really, we all are struggling with one thing or another.” There's no need to compete with other women, sisters included. 

Kristie is wearing Keds' Kickstart Mono.

Jenn has her own beauty routine nailed down to five minutes and rocks her grays. Which we see as both a polite middle finger to beauty standards and a big hug to women everywhere that says beauty can be anything and you don’t need to cover up what others perceive as flaws. “What angers me the most,” says the makeup artist, “is that grey hair on a man is ‘handsome and distinguishable’ but on women it makes them look ‘old.’ I think that is just shit! We just never see women with their natural color.  I also think sitting in a salon for hours at a time every six weeks is shit too!” She didn’t grow up with makeup, despite her chosen career, and believes it’s helped her approach of focusing on accentuating her clients' natural beauty.  “I think we have just grown accustom of feeling like we are not ‘put together’ without a full face of makeup,” she adds, but notes women like Alicia Keys and Gwyneth Paltrow who are going barefaced and deepening the convo. 

All three see industry standards changing, but Kristie says that “People have different ideas on what looks beautiful,” mentioning that she sees it “almost like religious or political beliefs,” with “one not more right than the other.” Whether it’s a natural look or a heavily-contoured faced, Kristie thinks “both focuses will become more extreme.” Her focus now is to “bring back the uni-brow!” 

Jenn is the only sister with a child, and because the STRIIIKE also serves as a creative space (where they host wine tastings with Helen Johannessen of helen's), she says “Fuck yes,” balancing it all is “always a challenge.” She swears by her ZIIP and done in a flash beauty routine. Kristie, who with sister Ashley witnesses the firsthand battle of being mom and business woman, says it’s surprising how everything always works out. “There’s never a ‘good’ time to start a family” and while she’s “acutely aware that it’s a major game changer,” she believes everything falls into place as it should be. This approach matches her favorite life advice: “This too shall pass.” 

What’s not passing is their success. With their individual focuses and STRIIIKE, it’s funny to know that dear old dad told his bunch to not go into business together. Kristie, Jenn, and Ashley are proof that sometimes sisters know best.

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Food: Ellen Bennett

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Food List Here.

Apron squad goals. 

Meet Ellen Bennett, the line cook turned CEO and Founder of Hedley & Bennett, fulfilling #ApronSquadGoals in kitchens across the globe. What started out in her living room as a one woman operation, has, over the course of three years, exploded into a 14,000 sq. ft factory and showroom outfitting more than 4,000 restaurants worldwide. And she’s just heating up.

As a precocious child of divorce, Bennett nurtured a love of cooking from a young age. While mom worked full-time to provide for her two daughters, Bennett would care for her little sister, clean, and develop new recipes. As soon as she was old enough, Bennett moved to Mexico City to attend culinary school, where she paid her way by taking odd jobs, including a stint as Mexican lottery announcer. Upon returning to the states, the apronista worked as a line cook at Baco Mercat and 2 Michelin star-rated Providence. It was there that she noticed the shoddy uniforms she and her peers wore daily and decided to come up with a more functional, stylish alternative — even if she wasn’t sure quite how she’d do it. “My chef at the time asked if I would buy an apron if he had some made, I just jumped in and told him I would make the aprons he wanted! I had no company and no clue how to even sew. But I was determined and was going to make it happen. I cooked breakfast for people to get them to make me a pattern, and found someone who would teach me how to sew.”

In the early days, Bennett was scrappy. She peddled her aprons at the local farmer’s market every weekend and barged her way into some of the best-known culinary establishments uninvited. “I didn't let anything get in my way. If I fell, I picked myself up again and kept going. I learned something new every day and worked through every challenge. It wasn't easy but if you persist, anything is possible.” After two years of side-hustling while cooking up a storm in kitchens, she finally quit both jobs to grow Hedley & Bennett, which she started without any outside funding, per the advice of Martha Stewart.

"I started as a line cook and now I'm a CEO."

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“I started as a line cook and now I'm a CEO, so that's a huge change...I have so many people around me that I work with that are part of my team and that I am responsible for, I have to keep evolving as that evolves,” says Bennett, who names Julia Child, Willa Wonka, and her Jewish uncle Ted among her greatest influences. Once a month, Bennett meets up with fellow female founders (including the ladies of Bando and Sugar Paper) to dish on wins, losses, and how to be better bosses. “The way that I communicate our message is from a place of inclusion....it’s a "you can and you will" type of attitude and that's a really important message for all women, but also just for anyone to have in life. Because I started my business out of my living room and built it to what it is today, I want other females to know that it can be done.”

So, what’s on the menu for Ellen Bennett? Hint: aprons are just the appetizer. In addition to writing a book, growing her company to 200+ employees, and creating a worldwide community of Apron Squad members, she wants to use her platform to inspire others to chase their dreams as she did. “Seeing someone like Evan Kleinman put on our women's chef coats and saying it ‘it’s perfect,’ or a little kid who says they are gonna be a chef when they grow up —  it gives me the same rush I get when I'm cooking in the kitchen.”

Entertainment: Sanaa Lathan

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entertainment List Here.

Paying it forward. 

Many of you know Sanaa Lathan, the famous Tony nominated actress, but what about Sanaa Lathan, the philanthropist who conditions young women out of foster care? In August 2015 Sanaa established the Sanaa Lathan Foundation, a charitable organization that helps women transition out of foster homes and into adulthood.   

Blessed with a supportive and ambitious family, Sanaa grew up with many advantages not afforded to many. Raised in New York she followed in her mother’s footsteps with a passion for acting. After studying the arts at Yale University's School of Drama, the actress moved to Los Angeles at the behest of her father, a television producer. It was on her very first day at school that an acting teach doled out a piece of invaluable advice. Telling the young thespians, "Success is measured more by the ability to preserve in the face of adversity than your talent." Without a doubt, the presence of family and the opportunity for education molded Sanaa and prepped her for success and unavoidable rejection. "This business is not for the faint of heart," she shares. Her father also help prepped her for the world of Hollywood, telling his daughter: "Every audition, give it everything you've got, because it will literally or figuratively be an investment in your future. It will pay off eventually. Even if you don't get the job." Sanaa says, "He was right."

Today the working activist hopes to do the same for these young women experiencing hardships.  "One positive moment with a young person provides the possibility of changing their path in the right direction forever," she shares.

"One positive moment with a young person can change their path forever." 

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Did you know… there are currently 28,000 children in foster care in Los Angeles county alone.  Half of those kids won’t graduate college and experience grave learning disabilities and developmental delays.  At age 17 these children become legally emancipated, unprepared for the reality of adulthood, and fifty percent become homeless or incarcerated.  The vast majority of these emancipated young adults turn to drugs and sex trafficking, with no structure or understanding of where to go.  “Without actual support they could wind up in the same cycle that got them in foster care in the first place,” explains Sanaa.  Hence, the Sanaa Lathan Foundation’s mission is: to empower young women aging out of foster care to transition into adult independence through improved self-esteem and access to higher education. 

“Making a real difference in people’s lives” has always been the most important part of Sanaa's livelihood. So she has a very hands-on approach. Working alongside Kenadie Cobbin, the founder and creative director of HerShe Las Vegas, the Sanaa Lathan Foundation provides housing and facilities to abused and neglected foster children transitioning into adulthood and empowers them towards healing and change.  She also provides an annual 7-day summer camp where these young girls blossom, build a new community and friends and learn life tools they’ll have forever.  

Sanaa believes in the power of “mentorship, time, and giving youth the possibility of hope for their future” and builds the philosophy of her foundation in it. She hopes to provide these young women with role models and a sense of family, citing her mother and the women in her family as her guiding light. "They are some of the strongest spiritually and emotionally people I know,” says the actress who also started transcendental meditation four years ago after a particularly stressful year. Twenty minutes a day, plus the her family's light and humor in the face of life's challenges is what uplifts her spirit. It is her hope to share that same positive mentorship with her girls. "Hope and perseverance," she says, are crucial steps to achievement and tools needed to break intergenerational cycles.

As for what she hopes for her future? Simple: "To still be joyfully doing it all when I'm a little old lady like Betty White." 

Letter from the CEO: C&C 100

When we first sat down and talked about honoring 100 women, our team let out a collective "eeh!" of excitement. Now, months later, we've produced over 100 interviews (hello, co-founders), taken over 50 photos in 2 days, had 50 photos hand-illustrated by honoree Tayst, and spent countless late nights in the office. I can officially say this is one of the proudest accomplishments for the Create & Cultivate team to date. 

Our team is lucky enough to interact with so many incredible women on a daily basis. But how do you choose? Culling through thousands of amazing women to pick only 10 per category proved challenging. We worked hard to make the list well-rounded, diverse, and a blend of household names you know and love as well as up-and-comers you need to read about. 

We teamed up with Dove & Keds, brands that have been at the forefront of putting women first for decades. We know how important this conversation is to have. We know how crucial it is to have women breaking boundaries not only in beauty but in STEM. We know how important it is to come together. 

The overarching message of the interviews and buzz on set was "collaboration not competition." An idea so deeply rooted within the Create & Cultivate brand, we knew we were on to something big. 

Further to that we collaborated with some of my favorite women owned businesses here in LA. We shot the campaign at LightLab in LA which is co-owned by Anne Sage & Caroline Lee who also flexed her skills behind the lens shooting the entire campaign. The team at female-owned Glamsquad provided all the hair & makeup, the ladies of reservoir who styled everyone and we have teamed up with female powerhouses Jihan from Geronimo, DJ Nikki Pennie and the ladies at Found Rentals to deck out our launch even this Thursday. 

100 is important because it isn't just a number. It's about inspiring 100 women, who inspire 100 more, who inspire the world. 

Keep creating. Keep collaborating,

Jaclyn Johnson, CEO