She owns it
We’ve seen movements for gender equality in Hollywood
representation, Silicon Valley and even Madison Avenue,
so what’s next? Increasingly, brands of all stripes are
highlighting their commitment to ownership structures,
supply chains and staff that are either exclusively or
proportionately female, and some are using this as a
selling point.
Thalia Mavros, founder of media platform The Front, places female ownership
at the core of her business model. “Even though we see a huge disparity in
ownership, we still had a few potential investors aggressively challenge the
importance of investing in female media entrepreneurs,” says Mavros. “A few
heated arguments and door slams later, I am proud to say we are founded and
run by women, our investor has a female chief executive at the helm, and even
our board of directors is all-female.”
Manufactory, the latest project from San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, offers
a wine list with at least half of selections sourced from vineyards that have
women owners. In a male-dominated industry, it’s not the easiest quota to
meet. “When we had this conversation not long ago about the wine list, I was
mortified with myself that it was not even on my radar, the aspect of having
female producers on there,” Tartine co-owner Elisabeth Prueitt told online
drinks magazine Punch. “Over 50% of my staff are female, and it’s important
to mirror those qualities in every aspect of the operation.”
Why it’s interesting: Women are looking for brands to pay more than just lip
service to feminism—even a hyper-inclusive H&M ad campaign was criticized
by some in light of the brand’s reliance on low-paid female labor in developing
countries. Build in feminism throughout your supply chain to stand out.