In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we’ve gathered our favorite home and lifestyle brand founded by incredible women. From Aerangis and Dearfoams to NEOM Wellbeing, M.Gemi and Haverhill, these brands showcase the creativity and innovation of female entrepreneurs!
Aerangis
Alicia Tsai, AAPI Founder of Aerangis, founded the brand in 2020 after being inspired by the connection of scent and memory throughout her entire life. Alicia attended the Fashion Institute of Technology’s cosmetics and fragrance program and worked alongside New York’s top fragrance industry thought leaders. Her obsession with scent began when she was nine at her grandfather’s greenhouse, and has resulted in a luxury candle brand sold at major retailers to not only relive her own cherished memories but to help others use fragrance to tell their own stories. The brand is rooted in their standards of being cruelty-free, plant-based, non-toxic, and eco-conscious from the handmade ceramic jars to the lead-free wicks.
CORE Cycle.Fitness.Lagree
Denise Chakoian, Owner + Founder of CORE Cycle.Fitness.Lagree, Certified Personal Trainer, Cancer Exercise Specialist, and Boutique Fitness Consultant – Denise has worked in the fitness industry for 30 years and some of her certifications include Step Reebok, Mad Dogg Athletics, Keiser Indoor Cycling, Resist-a-ball, Indo-Row, Lagree, NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), and additional Strength and Conditioning organizations. Denise opened CORE-Center of Real Energy LLC in 2006 and pursued her dream of fitness after working in a corporate setting in Boston for 15 plus years.
Dearfoams
Founded by Florence Melton, Dearfoams is the largest female founded slipper manufacturer in America. For the last 76+ years they have been focused on bringing the best quality and value to their consumers and their families.
Design Insider
Design Insider was conceived by Amanda Wyatt, a self-taught interior designer with a passion for demystifying the world of design. Frustrated by the lack of transparency in the industry and the daunting task of sourcing quality furnishings, Amanda embarked on a mission to compile a curated yet comprehensive list of interior design resources. Drawing from her own journey of trial and error, she created Design Insider as a beacon of inspiration and guidance for design enthusiasts at every level. With a firm belief in the power of creativity and self-trust, Amanda’s platform empowers individuals to embrace their unique design instincts and create spaces that reflect their true vision. Through Design Insider, Amanda invites aspiring designers and DIY enthusiasts to join a supportive community where creativity knows no bounds and the only validation needed is from within.
Downey Street Events
Downey Street Events was founded by Lauren Geissler and Emily de Ayora during their time at Stanford Law School, and after planning Lauren’s wedding in 2008 where they discovered their passion for event planning. Today, under CEO and luxury event planner Kelsey Connely’s leadership, the company is recognized as one of California’s top wedding and event planning and design firms, known for stylish and timeless design. They serve a diverse clientele, including tech VPs, artists, startup founders, doctors, musicians, and lawyers, creating flawlessly planned weddings throughout California and beyond.
Haverhill
Haverhill’s father has immense knowledge of how jewelry is made and her mother is her style guru so having them close by as constant mentors is something she value greatly. With her husband, Andrej as her business partner, it’s truly a family affair! After designing handbags and shoes in New York and owning a swimwear company in Los Angeles, she felt a genetic, magnetic pull towards New England and jewelry design. She is very proud to be the 5th generation in her family to create jewelry, here in New England.
M.Gemi
M.Gemi is an online shoe brand that offers high-quality, handmade Italian shoes and accessories. The company was founded in 2014 by Maria Gangemi who was passionate about bringing high-quality Italian craftsmanship to the world.
NEOM Wellbeing
Nicola Elliott is the Founder of NEOM – a British wellbeing brand which harnesses the powers of 100% natural essential oils to help boost your wellbeing. After spending seven hectic years working a 60-hour week as a journalist, Nicola really started to feel the effects of a fast-paced life – poor sleep, increased stress and low energy and mood. It was this that kickstarted her own wellbeing journey and led her to create therapeutic and effective blends using pure and 100% natural essential oils from her own kitchen. In 2005, NEOM was born.
Velvet Caviar
Velvet Caviar was founded by Michelle Aran in 2014, when she realized she couldn’t find phone cases that were aesthetically pleasing while offering a high level of protection for her smartphone. Built from the ground up out of Brooklyn, NY, Michelle is dominating a male-centric industry by creating trend-driven-yet-practical accessories for smartphones, iPads, laptops and more. Shortly after launching in 2014, the brand became a viral sensation on TikTok with their unique designs appealing to a Gen Z audience.
