BlogHer VOTY 100: Meet Our Small Business Owner Honorees

Explore the entire BlogHer VOTY 100 digital issue.

Voices of the Year (VOTY) is BlogHer’s annual celebration of women doing culture-shifting work for the greater good. This year, we’ve expanded this initiative into the VOTY 100, a list of changemakers across 10 categories: Wellness Champions, Small Business Owners, Creators, Eco Impact Warriors, Next Gen Creatives, Biz Experts, Innovators, Social Impact Leaders, Storytellers, and Community Builders. 

There’s nothing small about the success of these entrepreneurs, whose standout brands are a testament to their hard work and perseverance.

Aurea Sanabria Molaei, Founder & Creative Director of Flower Bodega

(and former BlogHer speaker)

What is your proudest moment of the past year? 

My proudest moment of the past year was being able to pivot our business model to keep our business alive. We’re an event-based floral company and had a full schedule of in-person events and workshop experiences on the calendar. Instead of canceling our scheduled workshops, we launched a virtual workshop course complete with flowers and tools delivered to attendees’ homes, then hosted it live on Zoom. We were the first to bring this experience to floral customers back in March 2020 and have continued hosting these workshops monthly ever since.

When you’re in a rut, how do you get inspired?

I’ll always turn to film or music for inspiration. Our work is inspired by cinema, music, fine art, furniture design with an emphasis on shape, texture, scent, and sound.

What is something you wish you knew at the start of your career?

I wish I knew that I could be more forgiving to myself and that I didn’t have to sacrifice my physical or mental health to advance in my career the way that I did in the beginning. I experienced major burnout over and over again, and my health suffered for it. I wish I knew that my talents and work ethic would still be appreciated without having to sacrifice my personal boundaries.

Noëlle Santos, Founder of The Lit Bar

Noëlle Santos is a Black and Puerto Rican venture activist from the Bronx. She owns and operates The Lit. Bar, the only independent bookstore in the Bronx that serves 1.5 million people. The Lit. Bar — part bookstore, part wine bar, part community center — opened in April 2019, after the Bronx’s only bookstore, a Barnes and Noble, closed its doors in 2016. Santos also earned both a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting and a master’s degree in Human resources management from Lehman College.

 

Grace Lee, Founder & CEO of Birdy Grey

(and former BlogHer speaker)

Grace Lee is the founder and CEO of Birdy Grey, a company dedicated to providing affordable yet stylish bridesmaid dresses while keeping stress at bay and the focus on the celebration. Lee is a veteran in the fashion and beauty world and has worked at InStyle, Kate Spade New York, Stila Cosmetics, and Kate Somerville Skincare. Birdy Grey has a goal to change the way women shop for weddings and strives to put the fun back into being a bridesmaid.

 

Nikki Reed, Storyteller & Founder of BaYou With Love

(and former BlogHer speaker)

Nikki Reed is an actress, writer, and environmentalist. She is also the founder of BaYou with Love, a luxury brand that crafts fine jewelry using recycled and recovered gold that comes from discarded technology. Sustainable production is top of mind, and Bayou with Love also supports local artisans while bringing more awareness to conscious sourcing.

Jamika Martin, Founder of Rosen Skincare

Struggling with acne for most of her life, Jamika Martin founded Rosen Skincare after graduating from UCLA. The idea for Rosen Skincare began in her dorm room, and can now be found at retailers such as Target, Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie. Rosen Skincare uses natural ingredients and gentle formulas to combat acne and uses modern, polished packaging aimed at attracting Millennials and Gen-Z customers.

 

Kalkidan Gebreyohannes & J’Maica Roxanne, Founders of Blk Girls Green House

Kalkidan Gebreyohannes and J’Maica Roxanne founded Blk Girls Green House in West Oakland, CA. Inspired by a shared love of interiors, plants, and making living spaces come alive, Blk Girls Green House is an outdoor space where customers can buy plants, ceramic and clay pots, magazines, candles, specialty teas, locally produced apparel, and more. They also collaborate with fellow Black-owned businesses and promote local, conscious shopping. Gebreyohannes and Roxanne opened Blk Girls Greenhouse in 2020 during the pandemic, and the business has proved to be a place of respite in the community where Black makers, artists, and visitors feel supported and welcome.

 

Jena Wolfe, Co-Founder of Piecework Puzzles

(and former BlogHer speaker)

Jena Wolfe is the co-founder of Piecework Puzzles, a puzzle company producing beautiful puzzles that resemble cookbook and magazine covers. Piecework Puzzles was designed to be an escape from work culture and screen addiction, and a reminder to love yourself and do things you enjoy. Unsurprisingly, sales skyrocketed during the pandemic when everyone was stuck at home looking for ways to entertain themselves. Aside from the online store, Piecework Puzzles can also be found at Madewell, Anthropologie, and West Elm. Additionally, Wolfe is a partner and strategy director at Major Studio, a creative agency in Los Angeles that does branding and marketing for clients such as Steinway, Radisson Hotel Group, and Google.

 

Sashee Chandran, Founder & CEO of Tea Drops

(and former BlogHer speaker)

Sashee Chandran is the founder and CEO at Tea Drops, a California-based company that produces organic, bagless teas. Tea Drops is sold in more than 1,500 retail stores nationwide, as well as online and on the Home Shopping Network. Tea Drops uses 15% less waste than traditional tea bags and supports fair-trade, organic harvesting. Before founding Tea Drops, Chandran worked in Silicon Valley, leading digital marketing and market research campaigns for Fortune 100 brands.

 

Jen Batchelor, Founder of Kin Euphorics

Jen Batchelor is the founder of Kin Euphorics, an alcohol-free adult beverage company launched in 2018. Kin Euphorics uses nootropic, botanic, and adaptogenic formulas to offer uplifting effects and social benefits. The company uses the tagline “all bliss, no booze,” and can be found in more than 40 restaurants in major cities across the United States. Kin also has more than 75 wholesale partners and can be found at select grocery stores as well as health clubs, co-working spaces, and music festivals.

 

Violette, Makeup Artist & Founder of Violette Fr

Violette is a makeup artist and the founder of Violette Fr, a beauty brand creating safe, luxurious products with highly pigmented formulas and environmentally conscious packaging. Over the course of 17 years, Violette has collaborated with renowned photographers and was an international makeup designer for Dior, in addition to working in product development with Sephora, and becoming the Global Beauty Director for Estée Lauder. Violette Fr encourages customers to have fun with makeup and play into all of their muses.

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