Women entrepreneurs and business owners, and the pandemic. For insight, we turned to an expert in the field, Elizabeth (Liz) Sara. Liz currently serves as the Chairperson of the National Women’s Business Council, having been nominated for the position by President Trump in 2018.
The Council is a non-partisan federal advisory committee serving as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, the U.S. Congress and to the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration on issues of importance to women business owners and entrepreneurs.
Who do Michelle Obama, Nicole Kidman, Emma Watson and Serena Williams have in common? Shilpa Yarlagadda, Founder of Shiffon.
What do Michelle Obama, Nicole Kidman, Emma Watson and Serena Williams have in common? A Shiffon Duet Pinky Ring. They believe in the symbolism of the ring: the power of mentorship between women. Each of these women unite in showing the beauty behind this gem. And the ‘Pinky Promise’ to pay-it-forward.
What is Shiffon? A fine jewelry company Shilpa started in her dorm at Harvard University.
In 2017 looking for something to do in her downtime at Harvard, Shilpa started googling. The two areas that interested her the most were fine jewelry and women entrepreneurs. Two major discoveries took place: Discovery #1 – fine jewelry has a large markup. Discovery #2 – a large gender gap in the field of entrepreneurship exits. Armed with this information, Shilpa lowered the overhead by selling directly to the consumer. And embarked on a mission to close the entrepreneurial gender gap, ‘one pinky at a time’. All while she continues finishing her studies at Harvard University.
The Four Events
Four events by Shilpa took place simultaneously:
Attending Harvard University
Launching Shiffon and the Duet Pinky Ring
Launching the non-profit, Start-Up Girl Foundation – funding women entrepreneurs
Donating 50% of Shiffon’s profits from the Duet Pinky Ring to the Start-Up Girl Foundation
Featured
Forbes has named her in their list of ’30 under 30′. The Wall Street Journal featured Shilpa in, ‘The Crazy, True Story Behind the Pinky Ring Loved by Nicole Kidman, Michelle Obama and Serena Williams’. And CNBC did a story on her: ‘How a 20-year old college student launched a jewelry company whose rings are worn by Michelle Obama’.
The Duet Pinky Ring – a symbol of female solidarity and a promise to pay it forward. Since launching Shiffon Co., Shilpa and Shiffon have funded 11 female entrepreneurs. And it doesn’t stop with money, it continues with mentoring.
An Inspiring Conversation
Listen to my inspiring conversation with Shilpa and:
The entrepreneurial gender gap
Why a spiraling ring
Paying it forward
Emma Watson and perseverance
Doing one thing and doing it well
Sustainable business model
The network of powerful women supporting each other
What’s next
Rose Morris: Founder/Pres. Award Winning Abram’s Nation, Creator of ‘The Safety Sleeper’, Chairman/Co-Founder Fund It Forward, Special Needs Children & Adults Advocate
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Rose’s son Abram is on the autism spectrum. For Rose Morris, the will to make sure that her son had a safe place to sleep, showed her the way. That way led to the creation of the Safety Sleeper. As a result of her will, parents of children with special needs are sleeping better knowing that their children are safe. Rose did not wait for someone else to solve her problem. Because of her drive, so many families are feeling more secure. Rose created Abram’s Nation, a company that with The Safety Sleeper has served over 1500 families.
Recognition for what Rose and her company have created and continue to create,is ongoing. In 2010 Rose received the 40 under 40 award from Pittsburgh Magazine. Abram’s Nation has been honored for contributing to the special needs community. In addition to the Safety Sleeper, Rose Co-Founded Fund It Forward. Fund It Forward, is a non-profit Rose created to help families get adaptive equipment not covered by insurance. 2018 saw Rose appointed to the Western Pennsylvania District Export Council. The Pittsburgh Business Times honored Rose with the 2018 Women of Influence Award. And Abram’s Nation was awarded the 2017 Exporter of the Year by the Small Business Association.
Rose has adapted and redirected life plans over the years. She has learned to focus on what is important, taking it one day at a time. Rose’s mission is simple – providing practical products with real solutions for special needs problems. Rose’s vision for Abram’s Nation -to be devoted to special needs families around the world.
Find out how it all started and more. A conversation with Rose Morris, Founder & President of Abram’s Nation and Co-Founder of Fund It Forward. The beginning, the middle and what’s next.
Women Entrepreneurs and Beginnings I have always loved starting from the beginning and creating. From the beginning, I knew that the business was going to be a success. Why? Because there was a need and a void that was waiting to be filled. The excitement was in...
Women, Business and Entrepreneurship – Does everyone fit the description? So what does it take? What are the obstacles that women face? Fran answers these questions and much more.
Finding herself a single mom with very jobs available, Fran took the bull by the horn. Fran embarked on her own venture and founded Connecticut Business Development Center. And CBDC is a leading organization championing female entrepreneurship and women’s economic equity. The council provides training, education and access to capital for women entrepreneurs and business owners.
Fran’s background is quite extensive. She served a 3-year term as an appointed member to the President’s National Women’s Business Council (NWBC). In addition, Fran serves on the Board of Women Impacting Public Policy. In conjunction with the U.S. State Department and University of Connecticut’s Office of Global Affairs, Fran taught women entrepreneurs in rural Costa Rica financial management and business strategies. She has served as a US Delegate to the 2015 Istanbul Women’s Summit. Over the past two years Fran has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions and was instrumental in the passage of legislation benefiting women entrepreneurs.
