5 (Not So) Small Businesses by Women for Women
photo: KNC Beauty
NOT ONLY DO WE TAKE PRIDE IN CELEBRATING FEMALE TALENTS IN ALL CREATIVE WORLDS, BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO ALSO SPOTLIGHT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS. WE BELIEVE THAT GIRLS WILL INVENT THE FUTURE IN ALL FORMS OF INDUSTRY BY CREATING JOBS, INFLUENCING CULTURE AND MARKET/ECONOMY AND PROVIDING OPEN PATHS TO THE NEXT GENERATIONS. IN THIS MONTH’S ROUND-UP WE TAKE PLEASURE IN INTRODUCING THESE FIVE GROWING BUSINESSES FOUNDED BY SMART, PASSIONATE AND HARD WORKING WOMEN.
BUILDING BLOCK
Sisters Nancy and Kimberly Wu launched Building Block in 2011 to make handbags for women who didn’t like handbags. Both came from design backgrounds, although neither in fashion. Kimberly worked in Tokyo for Honda where she was designing concept cars, and Nancy in Portland designing for Nike. Now based in Los Angeles with a storefront in Chinatown, Building Block suggests a minimal(ist) alternative to accessories in hopes to stick with what’s essential and opt out of the excessive.
At Our Place, connections begin at the dinner table. Cookware is the new family heirlooms and eating together whether it’s with family, friends or a community, the stories that are told is what brings us closer to each other. Founded by activist/entrepreneur Shiza Shahid, the brand is run mostly by women of immigrant majority or first-generation. What they all share in common is their love of food, cooking and sharing.
Dianna Cohen founded Crown Affair to create high quality haircare rooted in ritual. Hair is a big part of daily self-care and wellness. We’re either having good hair days or bad hair days, there’s never a middle ground. Crown Affair offers beautiful, quality handmade tools to care better and more thoughtful for your hair. Each product is made of carefully sourced materials such as 100% plant-based acetate and natural beechwood.
At least we can say that 2020 was the year of the lip K, thanks to founder Kristen Noel Crawley. With a background as a beauty columnist and jewelry designer, Crawley took note of these sheet masks for lips during Tokyo Fashion Week. It took two years to develop before launching KNC Beauty Lip Masks, which now this Black-owned beauty brand has added lip balms and eye masks to the collection.
Pepper is a body positive bra line specifically for women with small boobs. Female founders Jaclyn Fu and Lia Winograd wanted to break the cringeworthy attitude towards small busted women. If we’re hoping to build a total inclusive world, we all have to come as we are, no matter what size big or small. Pepper launched in 2017 through a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $10,000. They had reached their goal within the first 10 hours. That alone proves the gap in the market and bras are just the beginning for Pepper.
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