03/08/2022
Today we’re celebrating all the out there hustling daily and proving that the future is female, and that future is now. We’re proud that 61% of our companies are led by women and we’re highlighting 6 of our founders who are uplifting other women as part of their journey (clockwise from top left):
Kenya McKnight-Ahad (‘21) is the founder & CEO of Black Women's Wealth Alliance (BWWA), BWWA lends itself as a necessary asset and eco leader created by and for Historical Black Women. BWWA provides cultural wealth education, business support, and financial assistance strengthening Black Women's capacity to build generational wealth.
After having to make her own products for her skin, Dr. Anne Beal (‘21) discovered that the challenge wasn’t just personal: 70% of women of color say that current products don’t work for them and that 75% of products marketed toward women of color contain ingredients classified as toxins. She founded Absolute JOI - Skincare for Women of Color to provide women of color clean, effective beauty alternatives.
Barbara Jones (‘21) is the founder & CEO of Lillii RNB, an Enterprise Solutions Company specialized in retail tech and are the creators of the Freeing.Returns Total Retail Loss and Returns Management Platform. As a black veteran tech founder, Barbara’s vision is to bring more women into tech. Lillii is an acronym for “Let’s Imagine Life with Ladies in IT”. In addition to Enterprise Solutions, they provide online training for women who want to enter the retail tech space.
As a maternal mental health advocate, Lauren Elliott (‘20) and her company, Candlelit, are working to create a world where every new mom has access to culturally-relevant, evidence-based behavioral health screening, education, and support.
Gwen Jimmere (‘20) is the first African American woman to hold a patent for a natural hair care product. Her company Naturalicious, is dedicated to eliminating the frustration, time, and expense of managing natural hair while reminding customers that they are the standard of beauty. Their products have collectively saved over 70K women more than 1.2M minutes on washday.
Dr. Kimberly McGlonn (‘21) is the founder & CEO of Grant Blvd Clothing, a sustainably sourced, socially conscious style, women-led brand committed to supporting currently incarcerated & formerly incarcerated women through seamstress training programs.
