The best part? Selfmade now provides one-on-one mentoring with successful entrepreneurs who've been where you are right now and who care about making a difference for women in business. They include business owners, founders, VCs, and subject-matter experts in industries such as finance, advertising, marketing, licensing, fashion, and media.
Our summer mentorship program will feature a host of new mentors we're excited to connect you with, including:
Linda Xu, Entrepreneur and E-Commerce Expert
Linda is the co-founder and chief growth officer at Cart.com, a Series-A e-commerce technology platform that partners with brands to help them grow. Linda served as head of growth at Sitari Ventures where she oversaw strategy and operations. She has acquired and advised tech and consumer companies as a private equity investor at global firms including The Riverside Company and Lazard. Additionally, Linda spent a brief stint on the team launching Uber Freight. She loves all things food and plants.
Stephanie Cartin, Social Media Expert + Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur at heart, Stephanie walked away from her corporate career in 2012 to follow her passion to launch Socialfly, a leading social-first digital and influencer marketing agency based in New York City. Socialfly has since blossomed to over 30 full-time employees and has been named to Inc. 5000's fastest growing private companies two years in a row. The agency has worked with over 200 well-known brands including Girl Scouts, WeTV, Conair, Nest Fragrances, 20th Century Fox and Univision. Stephanie is the co-host of the Entreprenista Podcast and co-author of Like, Love, Follow: The Entreprenista's Guide to Using Social Media To Grow Your Business. She is also a recent recipient of the SmartCEO Brava award, which recognizes the top female CEOs in New York and a Stevie Award for Women Run Workplace of the Year.
Kristina Ross, Content Creator + Social Media Whiz
Kristina Makes #Content is a social media ✨funtrepreneur✨, creative strategist, and public speaker for all things Internet related. Four years as a magazine editor and producer/copywriter in the world of advertising (Mercedes, Cancer Research, French Kiss Records), Kristina packed her bags and decided to go remote with social media as she saw a booming industry. Since then, she built @thefabstory from 10k to 1m followers in just 18 months and now specializes in creative strategies behind social media advertising and user acquisition. Her campaigns have levelled apps from the top 50 into #1 in their app store categories overnight. Kristina's work and experiences have been featured in Forbes, Thrive Global and has given several talks at Harvard Business School on the big bad world of #content.
A.V. Perkins, Selfmade Alum and Creator of AVdoeswhat
A.V. is a DIY expert and creator of Avdoeswhat.com. What began as a traditional Do-It-Yourself blog has grown into a lifestyle platform that includes crafts, upcycled furniture and pop culture. As a digital host for HGTV Handmade, along with appearances in Bustle, The Pioneer Woman, and BuzzFeed, A.V. is determined to help thrifty millennials realize "Life is better when you Do-It-Yourself!" A.V. is also the co-creator of University of Dope, an exciting thought-provoking card game that celebrates Hip Hop culture.The first of its kind.
David Mesfin, Creative Director + Brand Expert
David is a multi-disciplinary designer and creative director with award-winning integrated campaign background, including the Super Bowl, FIFA, NFL, and global launch campaign. He has created global partnerships to increase brand awareness through traditional, digital, social, and experimental marketing campaigns, collaborating with C-suite leaders from Genesis, Hyundai, Honda, Sony, Adidas, Oakley, Toyota, Neutrogena, Land more to communicate their company's vision through creative and marketing. He has earned awards from Cannes, One Show, Clio, Webby, EFFIE, Communication Arts, Google Creative Sandbox, OC and LA ADDY, DIGIDAY, TED | Ads Worth Spreading, American Advertising Federation, FWA, The A-List Hollywood Awards, IAB Mixx, and Graphis.
Jasmine Plouffe, Brand Strategist
Jasmin is a brand strategist/graphic designer who helps female entrepreneurs attract their dream customers by sharing their story and taking their branding and graphic design to a whole new level.
Plus, our Selfmade Alum will be there to guide you along the way! Go from feeling alone to feeling deeply connected to a community of like-minded women. Our professional business and career coaches will encourage you to take the next step toward your biz goals via weekly Accountability Pods. Students will have access to a wide community of like-minded entrepreneurs, including experts, founders, future business partners, freelancers, and more.
This summer, Selfmade coaches include Niki Shamdasani, co-founder and CEO of Sani, a South Asian-inspired fashion brand; Emily Merrell, founder and chief networking officer of female-focused networking organization Six Degrees Society; Dr. Annie Vovan, whose career spans the corporate world, non-profit space, and service-based and e-commerce businesses; and Cachet Prescott, a business mindset coach and strategist.
Ready to take your business idea to the next level? Enroll in Selfmade Summer session today!
Interested in joining our Mentor Program? Apply here.
Never want to have a bad hair day in your life? Ponytails are the quintessential backup hairstyles that will *always* take your hair from "oh, no" to "oh, yes!" Whether you have super long locks or an updated lob, here are some of the best ponytail styles to copy from your favorite celebs.
Lucy Hale: Sleek in the front, party in the back. This down-the-middle braid-turned-pony is bold and beautiful for every hair type. (Photo via Todd Williamson/dcp/Getty)
Ariana Grande: Add a few mini braids to a classic ponytail to create dimension and structure. (Photo via Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty)
Selena Gomez: Part your bangs down the middle to achieve Gomez's teased low pony look. (Photo via David Livingston/Getty)
Chrissy Teigen: The more gel, the better when it comes to Chrissy Teigen's simple pulled-back 'do. (Photo via Kevin Winter/Getty)
Zendaya: Feel like a princess with a half-up ponytail that's voluminous and curly AF. (Photo via Rob Kim/WireImage/Getty)
Gina Rodriguez: This braided pony is whimsical and fun with just the right amount of texture. (Photo via Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty)
Lea Michele: Classic and chic, Michele's style is ideal to take from the boardroom to happy hour. (Photo via Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty)
Issa Rae: Bring back the side pony with a sleek side-braid and a whole lotta volume. (Photo via Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty)
Yara Shahidi: This hairdo will make you see braids for daaays. (Photo via Todd Williamson/dcp/Getty)
Kerry Washinton: Let your strands drape to the side with a high pony that's classic enough for the red carpet. (Photo via JB Lacroix/ WireImage/Getty)
