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Rebecca Minkoff is passionate about two things: fashion and entrepreneurship. The author of “Fearless” made a space for her own brand on luxury shelves, and is determined to do the same for other female founders by creating space for them in the market. “As a founder, I felt alone; I didn’t have any peers that I could genuinely share what was going on in my business with,” Minkoff tells POPSUGAR. She was tired of a panel culture that lacked tangible tools and growth opportunities for female founders. So in 2018, she co-founded the Female Founders Collective. The collective went from 3,000 applications in the first week to a whopping 20,000 members in just five years.
What sets the collective apart is that it’s a private, members-only community that offers webinars and one-on-one mentoring to help members find practical solutions. “We have meeting rooms where we bring together a set number of founders to work on a particular problem or topic, and support them with other experts in the field,” Minkoff explains. The Female Founders Collective also hosts presentation competitions and grant opportunities, and has provided nearly $100,000 in grants to women-founded companies since its inception.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted, Minkoff points out. “It’s a long journey, and there will be storms, and you have to weather them,” she says. “If you don’t have the courage and determination to weather them, don’t start a company.” But if you have a product or idea that you’re really excited about, Minkoff urges you to take the plunge. “You could be the next female-founded company that makes a difference in culture, society, your neighborhood, whatever it may be. Take the chance to be against what’s going on, rather than for it, and start on that path,” she adds.
Minkoff believes in taking risks, both in entrepreneurship and fashion: “I always tell people to buy things that make you feel a little uncomfortable, not physically, but like, ‘Can I pull this off?’ That’s when people like it the most and get the most compliments,” she says. The designer currently favors crop tops paired with baggy pants and on-trend sneakers, as well as oversized sweatsuits and fun nail art.
In addition to sharing entrepreneurial and fashion advice, Minkoff also revealed her favorite products, from neon mules to nourishing moisturizer, which are her current must-haves.
