The Ripple Effect

Empowering women financially isn’t just the work we do — it’s the mission we live every day.

Since the inception of Elevating Women in 2019, we’ve had the great privilege of collaborating with remarkable leaders who are reshaping industries, redefining leadership and philanthropy, and expanding what’s possible for women everywhere.

Through the years, one theme has remained constant: When women rise, they lift others with them. In our conversations with founders, creators and philanthropists, we’ve witnessed the transformative power of creativity, reinvention, passion and purpose. These women have built global brands, created second acts at life’s turning points, scaled ideas into national movements and reimagined philanthropy with intention and heart. Their journeys illuminate pathways forward, their lessons fuel possibility and their impact reverberates far beyond their own success.

Read on for the stories of three incredible women — just a few of the many whose work we’ve spotlighted. Adapted from our conversations with each woman, these profiles reveal what's possible when courage meets opportunity — and when women lead, learn and lift each other up. 

Bobbi Brown

Founder, Jones Road Beauty and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics; Author of Still Bobbi

Bobbi Brown hates the term “ageless.” As an icon of an industry where creams promising to erase fine lines and treatments aimed at winding back the clock run rampant, this fact may come as a shock.

“I don’t think about age,” shared the beauty industry icon, who in 2020, at 63-years-old, launched her mega-successful second-act start-up venture, Jones Road Beauty. “A lifetime of beauty knowledge, distilled,” is how Bobbi describes the brand, which stays true to the “no-makeup makeup” look that established her as an industry revolutionary more than 30 years ago.

While Jones Road has quickly become a makeup-bag staple, most know Bobbi by the namesake brand that jettisoned her from freelance makeup artist to industry icon. In 1995, when beauty giant Estee Lauder approached Bobbi about acquiring the brand, she jumped at the opportunity. And as a hungry 30-something, she didn’t think twice about signing the accompanying 25-year non-compete that wouldn’t expire until she was in her 60s. Surely, by then she’d be ready to rest on her laurels…

“I had no idea what I was doing,” admits Bobbi of the non-compete that has since become an infamous inflection point in her story. “When Leonard Lauder bought Bobbi Brown, he said I would have complete autonomy. And for most of the time, I did.” After more than two decades of industry success and a change in leadership, Bobbi decided it was time for her to part ways with Estee Lauder and her namesake brand — four and a half years before the expiration of her non-compete. “I didn’t think I was going to go back into beauty,” she recalls. “I walked out of the exit meeting, and was like, ‘now what?’”

While many in her shoes would happily retire to a life of leisure, it didn’t take long for Bobbi to realize she wasn’t yet done making her mark in the beauty industry. In 2020, after quietly building and testing, Bobbi launched Jones Road Beauty on the very day her non-compete expired.

Today, as her 69th birthday approaches, Bobbi continues to push the boundaries of the beauty industry and beyond. Jones Road’s roster of clean, multi-use, high-performance products has created buzz among beauty lovers of all ages and backgrounds. Her story, which is captured in her inspiring new memoir, Still Bobbi, is proof that it’s never too late to bet on yourself. Her work has resonated with generations of women too often told that beauty requires correction and concealment. Bobbi and her brand celebrate authenticity, creating products that enhance natural features rather than mask them.

Since the brand’s launch in 2020, Bobbi has opened 11 brick-and-mortar stores across the country and isn’t done yet. “I figure I’m in the teenage years of the second half of my life,” she says. “[I] just want to have fun.” 

Watch the full conversation with Bobbi Brown.

Candace Nelson

Founder, Sprinkles Cupcakes & Pizzana; Producer; TV Personality; NYT Best-Selling Author of The Sprinkles Baking Book and Sweet Success 

Candace Nelson doesn’t believe in linear careers — she believes in the power of the pivot. Long before she became the force behind the gourmet cupcake phenomenon, two-time bestselling author, TV personality and guest shark on Shark Tank, Candace was a young investment banker doing “everything right” on paper. But after the dot com bust left her unemployed and questioning her path, she gave herself permission to follow a different kind of ambition — one rooted not in convention, but in joy. That small act of self trust sparked an empire.

In 2005, after trading spreadsheets for pastry school and a dream, Candace and her husband Charles launched Sprinkles, the world’s first cupcake bakery — a disruptive, design forward concept that elevated a nostalgic treat into a luxury experience. The from scratch recipes, fashion boutique aesthetic and refusal to compromise on quality captivated customers and celebrities alike. Soon, Sprinkles became a cultural sensation — culminating in the ultimate entrepreneurial ignition: a phone call from Oprah, which led to an invitation to her studio and a declaration that Sprinkles were her favorite cupcakes on national television, catapulting the brand into international demand overnight.

But Candace’s impact extends far beyond cupcakes. A natural creator and visionary, she transformed challenges into innovations — from the iconic Cupcake ATM to her later ventures, including Pizzana, a critically acclaimed restaurant concept. Her story is a study in bold thinking, grit and the power of self-belief. “Sometimes when other people can’t see your vision, that’s the sign you’re onto something," she says. "Because that’s when you’re really innovating.”

What makes Candace remarkable, however, isn’t just her entrepreneurial success — it’s her heart. She speaks openly about imposter syndrome, failure, doubt and the discomfort that precedes growth. She champions community, collaboration and asking for help, reminding women that perfection isn’t the goal — progress is.

Today, Candace continues to create, invest and lift others. As an investor, mentor and advisor to founders, she is driven by one mission: helping others dream audaciously, start boldly and seize opportunities with courage. “I love a blank slate,” she says. “I love a fresh start. And when someone comes to me with an idea, my first instinct is: How can I help?”

Candace Nelson is living proof that joy can be a strategy, reinvention can be a superpower and community can change everything — especially for women determined to build, rise and elevate each other.

Watch the full conversation with Candace Nelson.

Kendra Scott

Founder, Kendra Scott, LLC; Philanthropist; Author of Born to Shine

Kendra Scott has built far more than a global jewelry brand. She has built a company grounded in three unwavering pillars — family, fashion, and philanthropy. From the beginning, her belief has been clear: Business can be beautiful, profitable, and deeply human, all at the same time.

Long before her signature yellow boxes became a symbol of joy and generosity, Kendra was a young woman searching for purpose after profound loss. When her stepfather, a decorated veteran and one of her greatest inspirations, passed away from brain cancer, his final charge to her was simple: “While you’re on this earth, make a positive impact with the gifts you were given.” That message became the north star guiding every chapter that followed.

Kendra’s entrepreneurial journey began in fashion — and with failure. At 19, she walked away from the traditional college path to launch her first business, a hat company inspired by her love of design and her desire to give back. The business ultimately failed, but it became her greatest classroom. She learned retail, margins, customer connection and resilience — lessons no textbook could teach. And it was during those years that a quiet insight emerged: While customers didn’t return for hats, they couldn’t get enough of the jewelry she was making on the side. That realization sparked a pivot — and the foundation of what would become the Kendra Scott brand.

Family has always been Kendra’s key pillar. As a young, single mother building a business from the ground up, she experienced her share of “on the floor moments” — nights marked by fear, financial pressure, and uncertainty, all while juggling responsibilities at home. Rather than hiding those struggles, she embraced vulnerability, believing that strength comes not from perfection, but perseverance — and developing a deep conviction that no woman should ever be forced to choose between her professional aspirations and the rest of her life.

Those early experiences shaped not only how she led, but the kind of company culture she was determined to create — one rooted in flexibility, trust and respect, ensuring employees felt supported in all aspects of their lives.

The last pillar, philanthropy, is not an add on to the Kendra Scott brand; it is embedded into its DNA. During the Great Recession, when wholesale partners shuttered and buyers disappeared, Kendra made a bold reinvention: launching e-commerce, opening her own retail stores and reimagining jewelry shopping as a community-centered experience through innovations like the Color Bar™.

At the same time, she wove philanthropy directly into the business model. Through Kendra Gives Back and Kendra Cares, stores became community hubs, hosting nonprofit events, supporting causes from women’s health to pediatric care, and bringing joy directly into children’s hospitals nationwide. Kendra has proven that when family and philanthropy are alive inside a company, they amplify impact outside of it.

Her leadership philosophy is simple and radical: connection before transaction. Lead with empathy. Build trust. Put people first — customers, employees and communities alike. Today, Kendra Scott stands as a blueprint for modern leadership, showing that when family, fashion and philanthropy work together, business becomes a force not just for success, but for good.

Watch the full conversation with Kendra Scott.