Kendra Scott

I hope our daughters, our granddaughters will start to walk into board rooms where the majority of people in there will look just like them.

When I started (the company) out of my bedroom, it really was those three things: I wanted to be a present mother, I wanted to be in fashion because that’s what I’d loved since I was young and I wanted to do something good for my community…I didn’t write a big plan to build a billion-dollar fashion empire, I just knew it would be a success if I were able to do those three things.

Being a woman, we have a huge advantage, and it’s hard sometimes to hear that when a lot of doors can be slammed in our faces and we’re told ‘no,’ but we have instinct. We have a gut instinct that can really tell you if someone around you is good or bad, and I say we should use that.

Those values and seeing what family meant – and it doesn’t always mean your blood family, it could be a neighbor in need or a friend – we always had room at the table and I think that’s such a big part of these Midwest values.