Category: Industry Specific

No More Greenwashing for Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney, famous English fashion designer and daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney, has always been a staunch supporter of animal rights and environmentalism and is known for the use of animal-free alternatives in her fashion work. This article in The Story Exchange shares how McCartney is now taking her designs to the next level. In one example, she is producing a parka made from Econyl which is a regenerated nylon created from discarded fishing nets and other plastic waste that is 100 percent recycled and recyclable. With the fashion industry being one of the most polluting industries, this is a fantastic step forward. Click the link above to read more.

Two Entrepreneurs Enabling Safer Travel for Women

Srishti Mendhekar and Priyansha Mishra are the founders of On Her Way, a platform that connects women travelers to a local woman who can help them awareness about safe spaces and general information about the area. “Women have needs and issues, which can be broadly categorized into safety and hygiene, and no one is solving that. The current travel ecosystem is made by men for men. We want to change that,” says Srishti. Read more by accessing an article about how they founded their startup in YourStory.com.

All Women eXXpedition Sailing Crews Tackle Ocean Plastic

Led by ocean advocate and skipper Emily Penn and founded in 2014, the nonprofit organization eXXpedition strives to shift the way people feel, think and act by building a global network of multidisciplinary women who can contribute to world-class scientific studies, explore solutions, and use their unique skill sets to tackle the problem from all angles. eXXpedition has been on a mission to “make the unseen, seen”—the unseen being women in sailing and science, the plastics and toxins polluting our oceans, and the diverse solutions to the problem. Read more about their work in this Upworthy article.

Togethxr—A Women’s-Focused Media Platform

Togethxr is a media brand that is tied to four legendary athletes from a diverse cross-section of sports. Cofounder and chief content officer Jessica Robertson says that Togethxr has a culture that recognizes that women’s sports is “ground zero for every single -ism that’s in culture – which means this is a brand that is going to touch issues of race, gender, sexuality, human rights, voting rights, and so much more.” Check out this article in Fast Company to learn more about this up and coming brand!

Medtech Startup Focusing on Menopause Raises $2.5M in Seed Funding

After raising $2.5M in seed funding, Lisa Health announced the launch of its new app, Midday, which has been created in collaboration with Mayo Clinic.  The app provides a personalized digital health solution that illuminates what is happening physically and emotionally during menopause and provides the right intervention at the right time to promote healthy aging. See this article in FemTech Insider to learn more.

Female-led Startups Bring Innovation to Reproductive Health

Reproductive health issues have certainly been a topic in the news over the past few weeks in the United States. At Johns Hopkins University, two teams led by female graduate students are bringing much needed innovation to the reproductive health product marketplace. One company, Ovubrush, is a technology-enabled toothbrush that monitors biomarker in saliva to identify ovulation windows for conception. Another company, NovvaCup is redesigning menstrual cups to have different collapsible states which will increase ease of insertion and removal. To read more about these companies and the women behind them, check out this article posted in Johns Hopkins HUB.

26-Year Old Woman Bets on Green Ridesharing

In October 2020, Raven Hernandez decided to launch an eco-friendly rideshare service in Nashville that uses only electric vehicles (EVs). Earth Rides has grown quickly. In 2021, the company moved more than 180,000 passengers, offsetting 230 million grams of carbon. Hernandez’s company has since expanded from Nashville to Austin, Texas, too, and now has some 100 employees.  Read more about her story in this article in Marie Claire.

Vera Wang Tapped as Barbie’s Latest Female Visionary

In recognition of her contributions to the fashion industry, Mattel has announced its latest Barbie honoree as Vera Wang. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Wang first became one of the youngest editors at Vogue and then became the design director for accessories at Ralph Lauren before finally becoming an entrepreneur when she opened her own boutique in 1990. How wonderful that Barbie can reflect trailblazing entrepreneurs in women’s fashion! Read more about the story in WWD.

Women in Enterprising Science (WIES) Program Launched by Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna

Dr. Jennifer Doudna, who is a professor at the University of California-Berkeley as well as a 2020 Nobel prize winner for her pioneering work in CRISPR gene editing, has recently launched a program entitled “Women in Enterprising Science” (WIES). The goal of the program is to enhance gender equity in bio-entrepreneurship. The program seeks to achieve this by offering scientific entrepreneurs the opportunity to receive up to $1 million of funding to create and grow new ventures around promising genomic and emerging biotechnologies. To learn more about this initiative, read this article in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.