Emma Grede "Start with Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life": Author Talk | Global Conference 2026

Why It Matters

Grede’s insistence on explicit ambition and transparent compensation challenges entrenched gender norms, offering a pragmatic roadmap for women to secure resources and scale businesses in competitive markets.

Key Takeaways

• Early grit from East London fuels direct communication and accountability.
• Explicitly stating financial needs accelerates opportunities, especially for women.
• Ambition must be voiced, not hidden, to overcome systemic biases.
• U.S. ecosystem offers capital and openness that aligns with her entrepreneurial style.
• Redefining motherhood expectations removes unrealistic standards for ambitious women.

Summary

Emma Grede, serial entrepreneur behind Skims, Good American and Off Season, launched her memoir‑business hybrid "Start With Yourself" at the Global Conference 2026. The talk centered on how her East London upbringing forged a no‑nonsense ethic, a low tolerance for bullshit, and a habit of delivering on promises—principles she credits for scaling multi‑billion‑dollar brands. She emphasized that speaking openly about money and ambition is not optional for those from scarcity; it’s a survival tool. Grede argues that women must articulate their financial needs and career goals directly, because silence only reinforces systemic bias. The U.S. market, with its ready capital and cultural openness, provided the fertile ground where her outspoken style could thrive. Memorable lines included, “Ask for what you want; asking gets you everywhere,” and “I never want to be a poster child for the impossible,” underscoring her push against unrealistic motherhood standards. She frames her book as a series of truth‑busting “trade‑offs,” inviting readers to reject outdated norms and craft personalized career equations. For entrepreneurs and corporate leaders, Grede’s message translates into actionable tactics: cultivate blunt communication, negotiate compensation early, and seek ecosystems that reward transparency. Her perspective also reshapes the dialogue around work‑life balance, urging companies to accommodate diverse parenting models rather than imposing a one‑size‑fits‑all ideal.

Original Description

Watch all 2026 Global Conference session replays: https://milkeninstitute.org/events/global-conference-2026/program

You can’t think about entrepreneurship and innovation without thinking of Emma Grede. Founding Partner of Skims and Co-Founder and CEO of Good American, inspiring podcast host, Chair of The Fifteen Percent Pledge, and mom, Grede has managed it all to become one of America’s most celebrated self-made women. In Start With Yourself, she challenges the assumptions and inherited beliefs that quietly keep people from going after what they want—and lays out a practical, accountability-driven framework for doing things differently. Emma Grede sits down with L Catterton’s Stephanie Phair for a candid discussion about building brands with purpose, rewriting the rules you didn't know were holding you back, and what it truly looks like to bet on yourself from the ground up.

Stephanie Phair

Senior Advisor, L Catterton; Chair, Invisible Dynamics

Emma Grede

Founder; Serial Entrepreneur; Author, "Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life"; Host, "Aspire with Emma Grede" Podcast

Emma Grede is a British businesswoman, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author. She is the Founding Partner of SKIMS, the Co-Founder & CEO of Good American, Chairwoman of The Fifteen Percent Pledge, and on the board of directors for the Obama Foundation. Emma is named as one of America’s Richest Self-Made Women by Forbes (2022-2025) and America’s Richest Self-Made Women Under 40 by Forbes (2022). In October 2016, Emma launched Good American. What started out as the largest denim launch in history, Good American is now an iconic B-Corp certified brand, has been named as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies,” and has been largely credited with propelling the narrative for inclusivity throughout the fashion industry. Emma went on to Co-Found SKIMS, a solutions-oriented brand creating the next generation of underwear, loungewear and shapewear, valued at $4B and named as one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential Companies.”

In 2025, Emma teamed up with fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk, along with the National Football League and Fanatics to launch a sports apparel brand called Off Season. Emma is an investor in countless businesses with a strong focus on consumer brands founded by women.

In May 2025, Emma launched Aspire with Emma Grede, a weekly audio and video podcast on which she helps listeners build the lives of their dreams and learn from the world's most successful people. Each episode unpacks their habits, philosophy, and strategies, covering career advice, well-being, psychology, and of course, how to win in business. The show offers personal stories, data-driven advice, real-world strategies, and the experience you need, to turn your dreams into reality. New episodes are released weekly on Tuesdays on YouTube and everywhere podcasts are available.

In October 2025, Emma announced her first book, START WITH YOURSELF: A NEW VISION FOR WORK & LIFE. Slated to be published on April 14, 2026 by Avid Reader Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, this game-changing, no B.S. guide for anyone seeking meaningful success on their own terms comes straight from a woman who defied all the odds.

On television, Emma is a recurring guest Shark on ABC’s hit series, “Shark Tank,” as the show’s first female judge of color, and has also made appearances as the first ever guest Dragon on the BBC series “Dragon’s Den.” In March 2024, the first season of her Roku series, "Side Hustlers", from Hello Sunshine and Ally Financial, premiered as the #1 on-demand title on The Roku Channel, followed by season two in August 2024; also at #1. Grede Executive Produced and co-hosts the show alongside Ashley Graham, where they help female entrepreneurs turn their side hustles into full-time careers.

Emma is also a board member of Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides children living in poverty across the country with diapers, clothing, and basic necessities that every child deserves.

Born and raised in London, Emma currently lives in Los Angeles and is married to Swedish entrepreneur Jens Grede. Together, they have four children.