Although we would argue that every month should be Women’s History Month, March marks the 40th birthday of the nationally celebrated holiday, and Sunday Riley is proud to be a member of one of the many incredible women-owned businesses that are making our planet that much better.
Because March is the month of celebration, applause, and achievements for women nationwide, we wanted to spotlight a few of our favorite women-owned brands that are doing big things to change lives. Below, find five brands and businesses worth watching (and cheering on, too).
Lia
Lia is the first and only FDA-cleared, biodegradable, flushable, and plastic-free pregnancy test created by co-founder and CEO, Bethany Edwards.
Bethany had always felt that the relationship between a woman and her health was sacred, private, and should not be shamed in any context, especially when it comes to reproductive health. Unfortunately, there had been instances where either she or someone she knew experienced social discomfort taking and discarding things such as a pregnancy test, condom, or tampon. That’s when the idea of Lia was born.
If you want to keep something as personal as a positive or negative pregnancy to yourself, you now can with the flushable, plastic-free Lia pregnancy test.
What is the best part about being a woman-owned business?
“The best part about being a woman-owned business is inspiring other women to become entrepreneurs and team members to think like entrepreneurs. I think we’re often doing more with less and the one benefit of this is that it helps foster a culture of ingenuity, encouraging everyone on the team to actively and creatively solve problems.”
What is the hardest part about being a woman-owned business?
“Generally, as a woman, you are often underestimated by your male counterparts. I would say the hardest part of being a woman-owned business is having to constantly prove yourself when you’re in a room full of men.”
In what way is your business helping to make the world a better place?
“As the first and only biodegradable, plastic-free, flushable, 99% accurate and FDA cleared pregnancy test, Lia is eliminating the over 2M pounds of plastic waste generated each year in the US alone from pregnancy tests. Lia empowers women by putting the control of their health in their hands, allowing them to share their relief, their joy, or keep their testing private.”
Amber Jean
Amber Jean’s dream was to become a model and actress, but just as she was about to fully launch her career, she was diagnosed with alopecia, a condition that causes full or partial hair loss, affecting both men and women.
Amber wasn’t going to let her diagnosis stop her from pursuing her dream, though. Rather than accept that her alopecia would impact her career goals, she decided to take matters into her own hands (and head!) and incorporate different wigs, weaves, and hairpieces into her everyday life.
Amber Jean has found so much empowerment through experimenting with different wigs and is on a mission to empower other women to feel beautiful in their bodies, with or without hair. The Amber Jean shop helps to guide women experiencing hair loss with free consultations to help you find your perfect wig, how-to videos on how to wear the pieces and even includes a CBT guidance program developed by a grief bereavement counselor.
What is the best part about being a woman-owned business?
“To me, it’s all about inspiration. Being a woman-owned business is all about inspiring and encouraging other women to do the same because representation is truly everything in life. I never thought as a young model and actress who’s always been in the creative space that I’d ever been able to be a business owner myself, but through the influence of strong and empowered women around me within the business sphere, they allowed me to believe that it was possible.”
What is the hardest part about being a woman-owned business?
“I think us as women have to work that little bit harder. But the payoff is worth it, 100 million percent. We are used to working that extra bit harder, so we just have to keep on going and pushing boundaries.”
In what way is your business helping to make the world a better place?
“As a young girl who lost her hair at 15, I always struggled to find a perfect wig shop. Being online or in a wig store, I always felt the hair buying experience was an awful one — it was full of people who are trying to take advantage of me, dreary shops on street corners, and horrible websites where I never knew what I was getting. I didn’t trust anyone and I got taken for a ride a lot of the time. There was no place I ever felt inspired or empowered — I always left a wig shop feeling horrible.
I wanted to change this and completely change the whole hair buying experience, and I really wanted to build a brand and a service that helps guide women through this process. Losing one’s hair can be a really traumatic thing, as lots of women’s identities are wrapped up in their hair, so it needs to be met with guidance and needs to really be met with caution. I really wanted to create a beautiful brand with a wonderful esthetic so people know what they’re getting. We have a wonderful website that’s really tech savvy so women can see the hairpieces in all their glory. We also have a really great guidance part of the website with free consultations, a plethora of how-to videos to guide the women step by step on how to put on their hairpiece, and also offer our CBT guidance program that’s being developed by a Chief Grief Bereavement Counselor, so that will also be integrated into our service.
Another main thing is that hairpieces can be very, very expensive, so we’re offering a payment plan implemented into our company, so people can pay off their hair pieces as they like. So I really wanted to create something that didn’t exist for me and I really wanted to change the whole hair buying experience— I wanted to make it a joyous and fun experience to allow women to express every version of themselves through their hair if they choose to do so. Amber Jean is here to guide you all along your hair loss way.”
Perelel
Perelel isn’t just any vitamin company — it’s the first prenatal vitamin that changes with you throughout your motherhood journey. From conception to the first trimester, to the second and third trimester and post-pregnancy, Perelel offers vitamin support during each stage and also provides personalized resources and a supportive community that’s built for today’s woman.
Founded by Victoria Thain Gioia, Alex Taylor and OB/GYN Dr. Banafsheh Bayati, Perelel is all about motherhood through pre-and post-natal needs. It delivers educational content based on exactly where you are. The brand has partnered with Baby2Baby, women’s shelters in Los Angeles and March of Dimes to help deliver these prenatal nutrients to moms-to-be in need.
What is the best part about being a woman-owned business?
Dr. Banafsheh Bayati, MD, OB/GYN, FACOG, co-founder of Perelel: I love the fact that as a woman-owned business, I can inspire my patients to be their own boss, have a family, a thriving relationship and a self-care regimen. I love employing women who need the motivation to go beyond their self-imposed limits.
What is the hardest part about being a woman-owned business?
Despite 20 years on my own, I still have to prove myself to establishments. I still have to tell myself that asking for it all is acceptable. I have to push harder to sometimes get certain parties to take me as seriously as my male counterparts. I still get called “mam” and not Doctor despite the white coat and tag while my male counterparts never get called “sir”, only “doc”.
In what way is your business helping to make the world a better place?
1 in 33 babies born in the United States is born with a birth defect, and our mission is to help create a world with more healthy babies and more healthy moms. Not only do we strive to do this with our customers, but for every new subscription to Perelel, we donate a supply of our own high-quality prenatal vitamins to underserved women right here in the United States.
Nue
Founded by Stephanie Montes, a fashion-design graduate turned fashion and beauty editor, Nue is a line of breast tape with shades available for all skin tones. After trying out the duct-taping-to-go-braless experience on herself, Stephanie realized how much of a nightmare the whole process was.
That’s when Stephanie created her line of Nue boob tapes, which feature 16.5 feet of tape that’s designed to stretch to move with your body and give you just the right amount of support. They’re hypoallergenic, latex-free, easy to remove, and most importantly, they’re comfortable.
Ideal for those tops or dresses that won’t really work with a strapless bra, Nue tape is like a push-up bra in a box and comes in three shades for multiple skin tones.
What is the best part about being a woman-owned business?
“The best part about owning my own business is knowing that I don’t need permission to follow my vision. I’ve been gaslit in the past, and it crushed my confidence. When it comes to my brand, I get to call the shots. And while it can be terrifying and comes with insecurity at times, it can be so liberating. Self-funding a company from the ground up, learning the ins and outs along the way, and growing it over the last year has been so empowering.”
What is the hardest part about being a woman-owned business?
“In general, running a business is difficult. In the beginning, everything that could’ve gone wrong did. It took a couple of rounds to get the tape color correct; when the final packaging was delivered, all the boxes were printed in the wrong color, items got stuck in customs. Even now, I face obstacles every day. Keeping the drive to continue can be challenging at times, but it’s the little wins that motivate me.
As a woman-owned business, Nue solves a problem women face every day, but it can be challenging to get my vision across to men. You can’t imagine the awkward conversations I’ve had about breast tape with manufacturers, bankers, and distributors.”
In what way is your business helping to make the world a better place?
“I never wanted to start a business for the sake of slapping my name on a product. I had to think long and hard before bringing a product into such a saturated market. It was important to me to create something that would improve our customers’ daily lives and make an impact on a larger scale.
Nue gives women power over their own bodies. There was once a time when the only options for a lifted bust were push-up bras or surgical lifts, and there are certainly times when bras are just not the answer. Plus, we love our bodies the way they are, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel better in backless and strapless styles. A few strips of tape can make a woman feel confident without the need to go under the knife or stuff her bra. The bottom line is when a woman looks good, she feels good, and when she feels good, there’s nothing she can’t do!
Additionally, I like to say Nue’s mission to lift women up goes far beyond replacing her bra. With giving back at the core of the brand, a percentage of proceeds from every sale is donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. If we can play a small part in ensuring that one day, women won’t have to live in fear of this disease, it makes all the sleepless nights and stressful days that come with being a business owner all worth it.”
viv for your v
Founded by Katie Diasti, viv for your v is a line of eco-conscious menstruation products for women everywhere. After learning just how harmful period care is to the environment, Katie and her team made it their mission to place earth-friendly and toxin-free products into the hands of every menstruator.
The viv for your v products are super sustainable — their pads are 95% biodegradable and their menstrual cup can be used again and again. Their products contain no plastic, but instead use bamboo (their core material), which uses ¼ the amount of water and less land than cotton pads. At viv for your v, the mission is to create menstrual care that’s not only good for your body but is also helping to save our planet, too.
What is the best part about being a woman-owned business?
“At an early-stage startup accelerator workshop, I was once told, ‘If you feel like you don’t want to serve your customer base for the rest of your life, you’re in the wrong space.’ I smiled knowing I would genuinely love to continue to serve other menstruators and women forever. Being a woman-owned business offers a sense of pride for our customers and our products. Buying from women-owned businesses and selling to women creates a sense of comradery and community. I often leave customer interview calls wanting to be their new bestie.
Women also make incredible entrepreneurs, as we are resilient, open-minded, and flexible. Ego rarely gets in the way since we are so open to learning and mending based on the feedback we seek, making us more successful.”
What is the hardest part about being a woman-owned business?
“To even begin trusting yourself to start a business takes many hurdles. We are so often told by society that we are wrong or silly. We have to actively unlearn our insecurities and lack of confidence in ourselves so we believe we can make hard business decisions. It is not something that is a one-time mental hurdle too, confidence in one’s self must be practiced.”
In what way is your business helping to make the world a better place?
“Viv is an earth-friendly period care brand that works to break stigmas and bring more inclusivity into the menstrual care space. Our products themselves reduce about 48 plastic bags per period, reduce a significant amount of water usage and carbon emissions, all while building a brand that challenges the status quo. We built Viv because we were frustrated with the way the beauty industry spoke to women, often thriving off our insecurities. Instead, Viv is here to educate, open dialogue around difficult conversations, and provide products that you feel proud to use.”
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