The Social Impact Startup

Kathryn Elizabeth Gregg is an author and the founder of Amant House. Born in Washington, D.C., politics were her original North Star. The quintessential overachiever, she is a graduate of Duke University and earned her J.D. from the UCLA School of Law. As she climbed the golden staircase towards success, however, there was a moment she describes as “the lights coming on” and suddenly she realized that the narrowly defined pathway of “success” wasn’t what she was meant to be doing.

In our conversation we discuss:

• The courage it takes to carve an authentic path that is true to your story
• The art of story-telling and how it helps us get through trying times
• Why she decided to create her own publishing house
• The importance of personal responsibility and how choosing herself every day allows her to create larger impact in the world
• And why she made the main character of her novel a woman

Kathryn is representative of the fact that society’s definition of success doesn’t necessarily create a happy and fulfilling life. It’s up to you to step into the life that is authentically you and she inspires us all to reject what doesn’t serve us, to embrace what does, even if that means going against the current - at least you’re riding your own wave.

Connect with Kathryn:

http://kegregg.com/bio

https://www.instagram.com/k.e.gregg/?hl=en

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Kimberly and Brittany are more than co-founders; they are friends building a digital platform for sexual wellness where Black women are seen, heard and celebrated. Coming from extensive educational backgrounds in public health, gender studies and psychology, they didn’t want to just advocate for this space - they decided to build Kimbritive not as an attempt to correct to the current system, but to create their own.

In our conversation we discuss:

• The discrepancies Black women experience in sexual and reproductive healthcare
• How they’ve built rest into their company culture
• Their top 4 tips to start identifying and implementing boundaries into your life
• And the power of personal story-telling for confronting stigma and shame

Kimberly and Brittany are doing the work to de-stigmatize sexual health and center Black women because not only do they deserve this space - they deserve great sex.

Connect with Brittany & Kimberly:

https://www.kimbritive.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kimbritive/

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Liz Eddy has always been passionate about building products and businesses that can tangibly help others. At 15 she created her first company that was focused on educating others about dating abuse and domestic violence, she also led communications from inception for the nation's first free, 24/7 crisis support line, Crisis Text Line, and most recently is the co-founder and CEO of Lantern, a single source platform that provides step-by-step guidance for navigating life before and after death.

Lantern was born from personal experience. Liz lost her dad at a young age and was the caretaker for her Grandmother who passed away more recently. In the midst of navigating grief, Liz had to handle the logistics of what you do when someone you love passes away, and found there was no singular place to find the answers she needed.

In our conversation we discuss:

• Why being aware of our own mortality can actually make us happier people
• Her journey through entrepreneurship and how many different ideas she had before finally finding the right one
• The difficulty of raising venture capital as a woman and why women are judged on progress while men are judged on promise
• And why having healthy, happy, and cared for employees is of the utmost importance to Liz and her team

Liz isn’t shy about having conversations with taboo topics that the rest of society hides away from and her ability to do so has produced tangible results for people when navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Connect with Liz:

https://www.lantern.co/

https://www.instagram.com/followlantern/?hl=en

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Alexia Akbay is one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 in the social impact space for 2021 and the founder of Symbrosia, a climate tech company that is reducing livestock methane emissions with seaweed.

Alexia comes from a family of entrepreneurs which allowed her to become familiar with taking risks. Receiving both her undergrad and graduate degrees in Chemistry, Alexia discovered a paper during grad school that brought her attention to this incredible seaweed. She believes in translating research and conversations into action, which is why she launched Symbrosia where they’ve been addressing climate change mindfully since 2018.

In our conversation we discuss:

• How Symbrosia is providing a solution without exploiting the ocean environment
• The importance of respecting, perpetuating and uplifting Indigenous knowledge when it comes to sustainable practices
• Why she believes that it’s not a money issue in terms of solving climate change
• And why it’s important to promote yourself and your company in ways that feel authentic to you

As a leader in the social impact space, Alexia believes that  “change is inevitable but adaptation is optional” and in order to solve the most pressing problems in our rapidly changing world, you need to be willing to continuously learn and adapt.

Connect with Alexia:

https://symbrosia.co/

https://www.instagram.com/symbrosia.co/?hl=en

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Amy Divaraniya is the founder of Oova, a women’s health tech company that is responsible for inventing the first fertility translator. With a PhD in the medical field, Amy never wanted to be an entrepreneur but ended up creating a company and product that is setting a new standard for women’s health.

Oova is a test that monitors multiple hormones through urine and tracks the data over time. Clinician approved and completely personalized, Oova is giving women the power to be their own advocate.

In our conversation we discuss:

• Amy’s journey and why we need to normalize conversations around fertility
• Why it took 3 years to develop a product that was not a bandaid solution, unlike other products available on the market today
• Her experiences raising VC money
• And why trusting your vision will get you far as a founder

Amy and Oova are taking the women’s health tech space by storm. With plans for new products and growth in the near future, her definition of success isn’t about profit margins but rather how she can truly help women take control of their health at every stage of life.

Connect with Amy:

https://oova.life

https://instagram.com/oovalife?utm_medium=copy_link

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Anastasia White is the founder of Crescent Bleu, a sustainable swimwear line that focuses on building timeless and eco-friendly products for women to celebrate themselves in.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Anastasia discovered her love of fashion when her mother taught her how to sew at just 5 years old. She fell in love and knew that being a fashion designer was her calling. She moved to NYC after college and worked in corporate fashion for over 20 years. Throughout that time she saw the fashion industry transform and evolve but eventually left the corporate world to pursue her dream of starting her own swimwear line.

In our conversation we discuss:

• Her experiences in the corporate fashion world and what she learned from it
• Launching her company in the midst of the pandemic and how she persevered
• Why it’s important to build safe spaces where Black women can be represented and celebrated
• The importance of building your community as a social entrepreneur
• And why no business has the capacity to do sustainability“perfectly” yet, but why it’s important for business owners to be committed to taking small steps and doing what they can through their own particular business model / product

Anastasia is hopeful about the future of the fashion industry and is doing her part to set a higher standard, not just by creating a sustainable product, but by creating a safe space where Black women and diverse bodies can be celebrated.

Connect with Anastasia:

https://crescentbleu.co

https://instagram.com/crescentbleu?utm_medium=copy_link

Support their crowdfunding campaign with iFundWomen

crescent bleu™ a perfect fit for you & the planet! | IFundWomen

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Madlyn McArn is a freelance producer who specializes in both live and digital events, a role that she created for herself in the midst of what is being referred to as the “Great Resignation”.

Maddy has spent the majority of her career in NYC, navigating the publishing world in roles at Cosmopolitan, Redbook and Time Out New York. When an opportunity arose to lead the events department, she challenged herself to take on the role. This career move led to her transition into the events exclusively, an industry that took quite the hit in the midst of the global pandemic. 

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Why it’s important to have women in your corner  who aren’t afraid to help you (9 min)
• Learning to recognize if there is opportunity to challenge yourself - or if it’s time to walk away from a specific role (16 min)
• The difference between having will vs. skill (18 min)
• How to start the process of detaching your identity from your work (25 min)
• And why it’s ok to ask for help (25min)

At a time when the world of work is being redefined and people are reassessing what is important to them, Maddy is emblematic of how the future can be even better than you could’ve imagined if you’re willing to look beyond what has been conventionally labeled “success” and be willing to redefine your career on your own terms.

Connect with Maddy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madlynmcarn/

Email: [email protected]

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Alexandra Cohl is a writer, social media strategist and founder of POD.RALAND, a space dedicated to amplifying diverse women’s voices in podcasting.

Alexandra has spent the majority of her career in education but has always been inspired by the women who have carved out non-linear career paths. As an advocate for women’s stories and diverse voices, her journey finding her own voice has given her the strength to help uplift and amplify others and ultimately created the foundation for her company.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Why every job we have is integral to our career path (6 min)
• Why stability and the ‘safe’ choice can be limiting (8 min)
• Why building a business can be like writing a thesis
• Her thoughts on podcasting vs. Clubhouse (27 min)
• And why you shouldn’t underestimate the power of smaller media outlets (46 min)

As our society progresses and detaches from linear definitions and storylines, Alexandra is helping to diversify the landscape of storytelling by amplifying voices that need to be heard and helping to ensure that more women are being listened to in every industry.

Connect with Alexandra

https://www.poddraland.com/

https://www.instagram.com/pod.draland/?hl=en

Listen to the Pod Broads

https://www.poddraland.com/the-pod-broads-a-podcast-about-women-in-podcasting

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Kelly Travis is a certified health and success coach who helps ambitious people to recognize their individual value and worth as they reach big goals.

Kelly was a competitive athlete, earning a scholarship to college but had to eventually drop out due to internal and external pressures to be perfect. After becoming hospitalized, Kelly realized that although she was applauded for seeming healthy on the outside, internally she was truly struggling.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Her journey with prioritizing her mental health
• How she built her own business after slowly being pushed out of a male dominated space
• The courage it took to leave her abusive marriage
• Why so many women struggle with self-trust - and why she’s made it her goal to help them build that trust
• And why perfection isn’t the goal - but healing is.

As a woman who has first hand struggled with many issues that women face, Kelly aspires to be the support system she desperately needed for her 20-year old self. By promoting self-acceptance and detaching from the idea of perfectionism, Kelly believes that to in order to have an impact on the world, we have to first start with ourselves.

Connect with Kelly:

http://www.kellytravis.net/about

https://www.instagram.com/kellythealth/

Listen to the She Doesn’t Settle Podcast

http://www.kellytravis.net/podcast

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/

Kirn is a conscious brand mentor who is the founder of Elume. Breaking away from traditional ideas about business, Kirn is working to help entrepreneurs build human-centered brands that align with their personal values.

Having spent 7 years climbing the corporate ladder, Kirn cultivated an impressive skillset helping corporations with business strategy and optimization. However, the traditional idea of success always felt out of alignment with who she was and what she wanted. As she began to unpack and unlearn the linear ideas of success that society has prescribed to us, she realized that she wanted to create a life that felt in alignment with her values - and help others do the same.

In our conversation we discuss:

• Her journey into entrepreneurship
• The internal work / healing required to build an intentional and impactful business
• Why it’s important to challenge norms and systems to build a successful business in today’s landscape
• and why we need to normalize putting humanity back into business

Kirn is doing the work to redefine what business looks like by helping others build conscious brands that fit their lifestyles. 

Connect with Kirn & Elume

https://www.elume.co/

https://www.instagram.com/elume._/

Our intro theme song is “Pico & Westwood” by Esbie Fonte. Check her out here:

https://www.esbiefonte.com/