M+A Edit

Today on The Mentor Files, we have the founder of Bombas, David Heath. David and his co-founders set out to rethink a product that was an afterthought in the marketplace. Two years of research & development led to seven material improvements to the design, performance and comfort of the everyday sock. And they continue to innovate with each successive production run.But there's more to this story. When David first learned that socks were the most requested clothing item in homeless shelters, he knew he had to do something to help....

Here’s what’s so exciting if you’re expecting right now: nursery gear has never been better. But the sheer number of products and promises can leave any future mama’s head spinning. So our HQ team—made of 80% moms—decided to dig in deep. Really deep. We tested, we sorted, we talked with experts, and we discovered. Monica + Andy’s Nursery Checklist is our complete list of can’t-live-without-it products for your new bundle of joy. From a monitor that measures the exact number of minutes your little one has been asleep, to baby-safe...

In the four years since Birdies launched, they have become a staple in Meghan Markle’s wardrobe, have had waitlists 30 thousand people long and have raised around $10 million in funding. Today, Birdies is disrupting the footwear industry, merging the style customers want with the comfort that they need. Birdies Co-Founder and CEO, Bianca Gates is a first generation American and grew up in San Francisco. She first started her career as an account executive at Univision. In 2011, she happen to catch a commencement speech from Sheryl Sandberg which...

In 2013, at just 25 years-old, Sarah Flint launched her eponymous brand, Sarah Flint. The company was born out of Sarah's frustration that women had to choose between feeling good in their shoes and looking great in them. When she first launched the brand, her landmark luxury shoes could be found in boutiques and high end department stores around the world. However, as she grew, she saw an opportunity in the direct-to-consumer space and made the decision to adjust her distribution strategy. Fast forward to today, the brand has developed...

In 2012, Vicki Fulop and her husband Rich were vacationing in Las Vegas when they slept on bed sheets so comfortable that they asked the hotel where they could purchase them to bring home. When they discovered the sheets cost $800 they were appalled and dove deep into researching the bedding industry to see if they could find a way to make such a luxury product more affordable. They built Brooklinen with a direct to consumer business model and in 2014 launched a kickstarter a kickstarter campaign. Their goal was...

Katie Warner Johnson went from Ballerina to Broadway dancer, Wall Street analyst and fitness instructor before ultimately starting what is now Carbon 38. The company which started out as a content driven site showcasing the contents of influencer's gym bags is now a premier e-commerce destination for performance fashion. Through a curated selection and exclusive collaborations, they're blurring the boundaries between functional activewear and progressive street style. Katie's unique story brings a new light to the entrepreneurial journey—listen in to learn why she believes female CEOs are over mentored and...

Nicole Quinn is an investor at Lightspeed Venture Partners, focused on early stage Consumer internet and FinTech companies, having invested in companies such as Calm, Cameo, HAUS, Rothy’s, Zola, Daily Harvest, Illumix, Brandable, Girlboss and Goop. Nicole spent nearly a decade at Morgan Stanley covering the European and US e-commerce, retail and consumer companies, and also angel invested in healthcare and consumer companies over those years. Nicole then went to Nutmeg, a London based FinTech company before launching her own startup, which is where she met Lightspeed. At her core,...

You're touching your belly around the clock, your partner is cooing in your baby's general direction, and family members (and, let's be honest, perfect strangers) are asking to feel your little one kick. But have you tried playing your babe music? Exposing an unborn baby to a variety of sounds isn't exactly a new idea (see: this product, which allows you to place headphones directly on your bump for Baby's listening pleasure) — but it there any benefit to it? We caught up with ob-gyn Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, FACOG,...

Meet Afton Vechery, cofounder of Modern Fertility, a women's health company focused on making fertility information more easily accessible. When Afton considered starting her own family, she felt that she was totally alone in the process without support and information to help guide her decisions. After some research and seeing that there was a severe shortage of fertility clinics across the United States, Afton committed herself to getting women the information they deserve. Modern Fertility, started in late 2016, has since been named Fast Company's #1 most innovative health care...

By reproductive psychiatrist Carly Snyder, MD, Director of Women's Health, Family Health Associates in NYC, as told to Kristen Dold. Yes, you’re surrounded by babies. But a lot of them took work. When you’re waiting for a baby, it’s hard to walk down the street without noticing every single mom and tot that strolls by. And while the assumption is often ‘she’s so lucky, it was probably so easy’ the truth is this: it probably wasn’t. Conception truly is a miracle. It may have taken her five minutes to get...