Dr. Nina Desai is a board certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist. She received both her undergraduate degree and medical degree from Brown University, working under some of the smartest minds in medicine. Her passion to understand skin disease and how the skin heals led her to pursue a research fellowship at both Harvard University, and Cornell University where she published numerous papers and book chapters on skin cancer and skin diseases, in particular in skin of color. She then trained at St Luke’s- Roosevelt/Mt Sinai and Beth Israel Hospitals in New York City where she was able to learn firsthand how to treat skin issues in a very diverse population. After 12 years in practice, she opened her own solo office, PURE Dermatology & Aesthetics in Manhattan Beach, CA. In her office, Dr Desai combines the most cutting-edge treatments, with a warm personalized approach to each patient.

In her medical practice, whether she is treating acne, or skin cancer, she loves to educate her patients as to why they are experiencing this condition and how they will manage it both in office and at home. With her aesthetic patients, she loves looking at the entire picture, combining numerous modalities including injectables, collagen stimulating devices, and light/laser energy to give her patients the most natural youthful look and their very best skin.

She understands that the world of skin and beauty is continually evolving, and she is committed to keeping up to date on all that is changing in dermatology and aesthetic medicine. Dr. Desai consults for some of the biggest skin care companies, and she is a member of many relevant national and international organizations including the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, American Academy of Dermatology, and Women’s Dermatologic Society.

Her philosophy is simple, to help all my patients achieve healthy beautiful skin so they can look and feel their very best every day.

Looking for a spring refresh? Dr. Desai recommends BBL/HALO for the brown spots, fine lines, texture or the Potenza treatment for tightening. Both tested and approved by Lisa!

Caitlin Aoki is the first, and only (so far!), female agent to represent three consecutive 1st Round NFL Draft picks with Jameson Williams (2022), Ja'Marr Chase (2021) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (2020). Since becoming a NFLPA-certified agent in 2019, she has worked to negotiate over $100 Million in NFL contracts.

Currently as a Managing Partner and the Director of Operations for talent agency Alliance Sports, she works with clients in virtually every aspect of their career, including on-field contracts, marketing deals, public appearances, community outreach and personal matters. Her mission is to bring a personal, individualized approach to player representation. Every client is different-- different background, different goals, different personalities. And no matter what their contract value may be, each client deserves to be treated with respect to the PERSON they are.

Caitlin has spent the last 14 years in the football business, including previous experience at another talent agency, as well as the University of Michigan and San Diego State University Football programs. While the football industry has historically been male-prevalent, it's so exciting to see more and more women making their mark as agents, coaches, scouts, executives, analysts and players!

Sophia Chang hails from the borough of Queens, New York and in less than a decade managed to champion a name for herself in the art, design and streetwear community worldwide. One of her biggest accolades of her career to date was the design of her own collection with Puma which touted their number one grossing lifestyle range and was exhibited at various international museums, curated by the American Federation of the Arts. She has also been featured in collectable books and publications worldwide.

As a gifted multimedia storyteller with the ability to create lucid and inspirited imagery, she’s expanding market boundaries and defining a new vivid, visual vocabulary.

Sophia also co-founded a platform called UNDO-Ordinary which repackages the often mundane concepts related to healthy living in ways that appeal to the masses. She then went on to co-found a creative agency, known as UNDO Lab, which is committed to highlighting the gifts and strengths of her community, championing a unique model of visual storytelling and dynamic branding through bold ideas that move people. Connecting the dots between creative work, philosophies, and cultures.

Sophia is not only a friend and a badass female business woman, she also did the wall graphics at The Studio (MDR) and we could not be happier to support and spotlight our dear friend.

Michelle's passion for honoring real women's bodies and celebrating every unique shape and size led her to co-founding Beyond Yoga, an inclusive brand for every body. With a now 89% female-identifying team, Michelle has grown the company in wholesale and e-commerce to over 1500 retailer partners worldwide, as well as offering even more inclusive collections such as maternity and menswear. She also works to support and empower other female entrepreneurs with organizations like Hello Alice and Beyond Yoga’s new Female Founded Shop. Outside of the brand, Michelle is a wife and mother, and loves to make time for movement (wearing Beyond Yoga, of course!) with workouts at MDR.

The inspiration behind Sand Spa came from our background as college athletes. We both played basketball at universities in California and became accustomed to the benefits of the weekly massage treatments for our sore muscles and the constant body aches. We really loved and enjoyed those moments of recovery, rest, and overall relaxation that were built directly into our schedules. Athletics in college are incredibly demanding, and massages were a form of self-care that allowed us to fully relax, unwind, and decompress both our bodies and our minds. Once we wrapped up our careers we realized that, although we loved the benefits of massages, we simply could not afford to keep this habit up on our own. So, we decided to create Sand Spa and carried on with the belief that spa days shouldn’t only be saved for special occasions but instead should - and can - be incorporated into your ongoing self-care and/or wellness routines.

Our mission was to create a culture that is welcoming and accepting of people from all walks of life. We love having diversity in our locations – we take everyone for who they are as people and how they do their job no matter their race, gender, sexual identity, etc. As members of the LGBTQIA+ community, it has always been important for us to embrace who we are as individuals and to show up as our authentic self in every situation. We do this because we want others to be able to show up and feel comfortable enough to be and embrace their authentic self. We also want our staff and our clients to feel at home when they come through our doors. And while we may not be for everyone, we most certainly are for anyone.

Shontay Lundy loves to be outside. She often hikes, practices yoga and walks her bulldog on the beach. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a sunscreen that would protect her from the sun without cramping her style. Like many women with dark skin tones, applying sunscreen meant dealing with the white residue left behind by traditional products—and it wasn’t a good look.

“I knew there had to be something that could work,” said Shontay. “And I knew that if I could figure out how to make it happen, it’d be a game changer.”

Armed with an MBA and a personal vendetta against this unappealing residue, the New York-raised businesswoman started looking for a solution. She discovered that there were ingredients that could boost melanin production, offer proper UV protection and be fully absorbed by the skin. So, she worked with skin care experts to create BlackGirlSunscreen.

At BlackGirlSunscreen, our mission is to educate customers on safe skin practices and sun protection. We also want to provide an answer to a question we hear far too often, “Do black people need sunscreen?” Yes!

She developed the idea for this sunscreen, after completing her undergrad in upstate NY and her graduate degree in Miami FL. The realization that she was avoiding going out in the sun or hiding under an umbrella sparked this endeavor. The desire to get out from under the umbrella caused her to start looking at ingredients that would be nourishing to people of all skin types as well as melanin boosting.

Shontay wanted to create a product that would completely absorb, leaving no residue. And a product that would bolster the skin’s defense through health and proper UV protection. Shontay has transplanted several times on her journey from New York to Miami to Los Angeles and back to Florida. In her travels she worked on a formula that would nourish as well as protect and developed ties to people who could help create this company.

We want to educate and empower our customers to protect and nurture their skin no matter what shade it comes in. The common misnomer that black people do not need sunscreen due to higher levels of melanin is sadly false. BGS wants you to be smart, protect your skin, and come out from the shade. 

Even though Amy Liu was co-president of the Entrepreneurship Venture Management Association in business school, she wasn’t totally convinced her post-grad career plans would include adding “founder” to her CV. “I’ve had a really linear path,” says Liu. “I went to business school, I worked in the beauty industry, and I worked my way up. I just kept telling myself I’m going to learn on someone else’s dime, and I’m going to get really good.”

And that she did. Liu’s time as a marketing executive for beauty brands like Smashbox and Kate Somerville built up the knowledge and experience she needed to finally launch her own beloved makeup brand, Tower 28, and helped make the learning curve of going from an employee to an entrepreneur less steep for her.

Having always felt that founders were typically authorities in their field—professional makeup artists or skincare experts, Liu initially didn’t believe she belonged in the same cohort of women who were building disruptive beauty brands, seemingly singlehandedly, because her experience was in working for others. Not to mention, she had kids and a mortgage to think about, which made the decision to start a business even scarier.

But after a meeting with a friend from business school 15 years into her career, Liu finally was convinced that her experience in the corporate world would be instrumental in preparing her for entrepreneurship. “I gained a lot of skills in terms of understanding what it’s like to be an employee,” she said on this week’s episode of WorkParty. This epiphany led to a core lesson in Liu’s playbook: Never underestimate the power of experience—no matter the industry.

Liu suggests taking stock of your background and identifying transferable skills that will be valuable in your new venture. If you work in marketing, you likely have know-how in branding, advertising, and customer acquisition. As an employee you likely built up a network of contacts in your industry. These contacts can be valuable resources when starting your own business. (Liu’s co-president from the aforementioned Entrepreneurship Venture Management Association was Tower 28’s very first investor!)

Liu also emphasizes the importance of being adaptable and willing to learn. As an employee, you likely had a set of defined responsibilities and tasks. As an entrepreneur, you will need to be comfortable with uncertainty and change, try new approaches, and pivot when necessary.

On this week’s episode of WorkParty, Liu, who’s also an honoree on this year’s Create Cultivate 100 List, joins Jaclyn to share everything from her favorite hiring tips to what she learned while formulating Tower 28’s first product. Plus, we get into the business details like her tech stack, scheduling strategies, and go-to personal development tools. 

When she was younger, Beatrice Dixon suffered with bacterial vaginosis for eight months. One night, an ancestor gave her the ingredients to heal herself in a dream. From that insightful dream, she created the formula for a healthy, clean feminine wash. In 2014, Dixon launched The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based feminine hygiene line created with a goal to provide women with a healthy alternative to feminine care that is free of chemicals, parabens, carcinogens and sulfates. The rest is history.

With experience in pharmaceuticals, retail and natural foods, Dixon has the insight and expertise to bring the innovative concept of a plant-based feminine care system to the marketplace. Unlike mass market and conventional feminine care brands, consumers will be able to get all of their feminine care needs met under one brand as The Honey Pot Company currently offers feminine washes, wipes, tampons, pads, mommy-to-be products, and soon-to-be additional offerings in both the feminine hygiene and feminine care segments.

Today, The Honey Pot Company’s products can be found online and in stores nationwide at Target, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, Walgreens, Bed Bath and Beyond, Wegmans and Whole Foods, among other retailers.

An empowering African American female entrepreneur, Dixon has been a recipient of the Sundial and Unilever’s multimillion-dollar New Voices fund; was 1 of the first 40 women of color to raise one million in venture capital; and has been featured in T-Pain’s School of Business, BuzzFeed’s Ladylike series, Today Show, The New York Times, Entrepreneur, ELLE, ESSENCE and Forbes, to name a few.