31% of females feel motivated and ready to be their own boss according to recent polls. That stat alone, motivates us!
Each week we highlight three brands and the females behind them. This week we invite you to meet Gregg Renfrew of Beautycounter, Emma McIlroy of Wildfang, and Payal Kadakia of ClassPass.
Gregg Renfrew: Beautycounter
Gregg Renfrew is an entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of BeautyCounter, a beauty brand that is safe and toxic-free. The brand creates more transparency and safety within the personal care industry.
Before starting Beautycounter, Gregg kept herself busy. She created a cleaning company with two of her friends while in college, and after that, she co-founded a bridesmaid company that eventually became The Wedding List, until it was acquired by Martha Stewart. Later, she became the CEO of Best & Co, before she founded BeautyCounter in 2013.
After extensive research, Gregg put together a list of 1,800 chemicals used in beauty products that are not safe. This was the foundation that BeautyCounter was built on – delivering beauty products that only use clean and safe ingredients. You can buy their products through their website, retail boutiques in NYC and Denver, through strategic partners (they’ve partnered with J.Crew and Target), as well as through approximately 45,000 consultants across North America!
Beautycounter has been praised by media publications such as Los Angeles Times, Vogue, Town & Country and many more.
Emma McIlroy: Wildfang
Emma McIlroy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Wildfang, an edgy and “badass” clothing line made for women who want to better express themselves through their clothes.
Before Emma came up with the idea for Wildfang, she was working as an adviser at a company that made specialty teas, botanical infusions, and small-batch goods. She and a friend were out shopping one day when they realized they loved the men’s clothing they were looking at, but it didn’t quite fit right. The idea sparked to create a boutique that would sell clothes inspired by menswear, but for women.
Wildfang actually means tomboy in German – hence the name. Emma’s goal was simple – to support women and create a safe space for women to shop and express themselves. Wildfang is known for its t-shirts but also offers button-ups, coveralls, suits, blazers, outerwear, and accessories.
If you’re looking for clothes that are more than just something you wear but are still stylish and making a statement – Wildfang may just be your new favorite brand!
Payal Kadakia: ClassPass
Payal Kadakia is the Executive Chairman and Founder of ClassPass, a fitness app that streams thousands of live or on-demand workouts from top studios all over the world.
Payal Kadakia graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). And from there she began working as a Senior Associate Consultant at Bain & Company, a global management consulting company. Next, she worked at Warner Media Group as the Associate Director of Digital Strategy and Business Development. And after about two and a half years, in 2009, Payal founded the Sa Dance Company. Since the age of three, Payal always had a passion for dance. She wanted to make the world more active and the idea of ClassPass was sparked.
ClassPass is a subscription service where, once a member, you can take classes at participating studios. Instead of just simply signing up for a monthly yoga or spin class, ClassPass allows you to do yoga one day, spin class the next, and maybe kickboxing or dance the next. Through the app, you can also use your membership to spend time at a regular gym. It’s beneficial because you never get bored and you get to try out almost any type of workout class before you commit to a full-on membership to it.
Payal has been featured in several top magazines for her work. Some of these include Inc., Business Insider, TechCrunch, FastCompany, and CNN Money. If you’re scared to fully commit to just one exercise class, but want to get active, ClassPass is absolutely worth checking out!
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Do you have a female founder that you think we need to know about? We would love to hear about her! Let us know in the comments below or reach out to us here.
Alyson Pittman is a contributing writer for WBD and a JR marketing associate for Excite Creative Studios, an Atlanta-based creative agency.
Alyson graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelors of Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing. She was in multiple organizations at KSU where she held leadership positions. As a part of the Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority, Alyson held the Social Coordinator position and planned/promoted large events.