Experts

A long-time New Yorker now based in Bermuda and Paris, Kate Lessa is the creative behind the brand—responsible for Saint Holiday's design, images, and overall mood. A Philadelphia native and alumnus of Boston University, she started working as a stylist after graduation.  This work led to a fascination with design and a move to New York City.  After years of designing accessories for brands DVF, Vera Wang and J Crew, Kate teamed up with friend Vijay Paintal in 2018 and pivoted into resort wear. An avid traveler, she always shops for wearable souvenirs on her trips.  Exploring markets, hotel boutiques, and artisan shops for embroidered tops, crochet dresses, and beaded jewelry, she likes to find items that conjure memories of a specific place and time. Influenced by this hobby, the duo started making vacation-ready pieces at a small factory in New York City.  The first samples were inspired by a vintage tuxedo shirt bought in the South of France.  Barneys picked up the launch collection and many of these original designs are still core to the brand. 

I had the idea of Tandem while I was 4 months pregnant. I was constantly lugging around my water bottle but not actually drinking it. Acutely aware of the benefits of drinking water and staying hydrated but I had a hard time constantly drinking plain water. As an avid consumer of flavored waters and sparkling seltzers,  I was searching for an eco-friendly, healthier option, essentially a drink mix so I could cut down on my packaging. However most of the existing drink mixes either had electrolytes (essentially added salt) which required added sugar and sweeteners. I couldn't believe there wasn't a drink mix that didn't have either out on the market! Hence the idea for Tandem.While Tandem is a better-for-you product, I believed we can also be a better-for-the earth and better-for- community company.My inspiration for Slow Ride Instant Coffee happened much the same way, where I knew there had to be a faster way to make delicious coffee. Slow Ride is on a mission to transport you to the highlands of Vietnam where our beans are meticulously grown and harvested, roasted by master Vietnamese coffee roasters and ready to drink in an instant. We strive to use the freshest ingredients, pay workers a living wage, and be supply chain plastic free and carbon negative by 2022. 

In the late 1990s, “Chai Tea” began appearing on American coffee menus—an overly sweetened, syrupy imitation of the real masala chai beloved by South Asian families around the world. Kamini Mamdani, an immigrant with roots in Gujarat, India was stunned. The chai she grew up with—hand-ground spices, slow-brewed to perfection, rich in aroma and heritage—had been reduced to an artificial replica. Kamini was determined to reclaim chai. She began experimenting in her mother’s kitchen, hand-grinding cardamom, ginger, cloves, and other bold spices using her family’s cherished recipe. Soon, she was selling her handcrafted blends to those craving a real, authentic chai experience. What started as a personal mission evolved in 1997 to CHAI.COM—the first South Asian-founded online chai retailer in the United States. Today, CHAI.COM is more than a brand—it’s a way of mindful living. Their chai blends are made with organic, nutrient-dense spices, free of sugar, and sustainably sourced. For Kamini, chai is not just a beverage—it’s a ritual, a symbol of home, and a way to connect. Through CHAI.COM, she ensures that no matter what life offers you, a cup of real chai is always within reach.

The Man Behind the DogOwner Justin Comins has always had a knack for fixing things. During his 20-year career in television, commercial, and film production, he took on a side project to restore a classic 1970 Honda motorcycle from the ground up. The experience reignited his passion for crafting and sparked a realization: it was time to move on from television and follow his calling to create.The moment he first explored woodworking and leatherwork, he felt like he’d found his true purpose in life.With the unwavering support of his wife and two daughters, and the memory of his beloved dog Wylie close at heart, Justin began crafting products that tell the story of who he is as a person: down to earth, charismatic, and passionate.For Justin, Wylie’s Wood & Leather is not just about the products themselves (although there’s nothing more fun than getting on the lathe and turning a bowl); it’s about full-circle sustainability, building relationships, choosing self-reliance, and, most importantly, leaving a life-long impression.

In 2002, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27. Since then, Julie has propelled the business forward with innovative product development and marketing, bringing kefir into the U.S. mainstream, growing the company from $6 million to $160 million in 2023, and expanding distribution to Mexico, Ireland, France, South Africa, UAE, various regions of Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Julie has been named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40, recognized among Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter, featured as one of the Best Instagrammers on the 40 Under 40 list, was honored as a 2020 Champion of Wellness by VeryWell, and was recently named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the Female Executive of the Year – Consumer category, in the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.A University of Illinois at Chicago graduate, Julie is an emeritus member of the United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneurs Council and a 2015 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. She has produced documentaries such as “The Homestretch,” “Honor Diaries,” “The Hunting Ground,” and “On the Record.” In 2013, Julie co-founded Test400k, a non-profit organization advocating to end the backlog of 400,000 untested rape kits in the U.S. Julie released her first book, The Kefir Cookbook: An Ancient Healing Superfood for Modern Life, Recipes from My Family Table and Around the World, in March 2018. She is the mother of two girls.

Our journey began in 2019 when Julie Napolitano founded Pup Wax®,  the first & only 100% clean premium skincare for dogs. February 2022, Pup Wax® rebranded as Puppington®, and our assortment evolved into a comprehensive collection of products designed to promote dog mental health and well-being. Julie has cross-cultural leadership experience at Fortune 500 companies and a track record of building successful partnerships with international teams to deliver innovation and scalable, consistent results. Prior to founding Pup Wax / Puppington, Julie led multiple international cross-functional teams in a variety of global strategic projects as head of global legal operations for Bunge, where she also served as Chief of Staff to the Chief Legal Officer. Julie has extensive experience in new business development and establishing new business units, commodity derivatives, managing risk, and treasury management. Over more than 10 years, Julie contributed to various areas of Bunge, having also served as Assistant Treasurer, head of Global Financial Services Group Business Development, Commodity Derivatives Trader, and Cross Asset Solutions Strategist. Prior to joining Bunge, Julie focused on financial market analysis and risk management at Lehman Brothers and HypoVereinsbank.Julie served on the board of GallopNYC, an organization that provides hippotherapy and therapeutic riding services to children with disabilities from low-income families.Julie has an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University and a BS in Computer Science from Columbia University, School of Engineering and Applied Science.A dog mom to two adopted rescue hounds, Julie lives in Chappaqua, NY. Each foster that joins the family has a permanent place in her heart.

Julia is a marketing veteran who has over a decade of experience in branding, partnerships, content creation, influencer relations and marketing, endorsements, public relations, and social media. She has managed campaigns and partnerships for highly visible brands including BMW, Southwest Airlines, Gatorade, UnitedHealthcare and more.She spent 7 years at an agency based in Atlanta, GA as Director Marketing and ascended to Vice President of Branding by 2018. She oversaw all marketing activities for the firm and led branding strategy and execution for the high profile clients represented by the agency. Julia began consulting for brands and non-profit organizations in late 2021, and has helped guide and create marketing strategies that utilize athletes and influencers in meaningful ways - including charitable connections, PR and media opportunities, NIL partnerships, brand building, and endorsements. She joined Brutus Broth in 2023 as their Chief Marketing Officer, and is excited to be a part of a rapidly growing female-founded CPG brand.

For two decades John Beck McConnico has developed award-winning creative strategies, campaigns, systems, and products for Fortune 50 companies such as Apple, Sony, and NBC—as well as early-stage and mid-growth startups. His areas of expertise include Visual Design, Art Direction, Creative Strategy, Brand & Product Development, and User Experience for web & broadcast media, applications, and consumer products.A strong believer in the power of collaboration and cross-pollination of creative ideas, he built Bespoke Watch Projects to offer equal parts Design, Product, and Service—with the customer being the paramount collaborator.

Jo's background as a history teacher meant that if she was going to build a business, it would have to be one that worked to make the world a better place - as she always felt that teaching does. Seeing first hand how historical and current disinvestment in her west side Chicago neighborhood had legacy effects on the residents and the economy was the inspiration for a savory business model. Starting with the idea that businesses should build communities, not extract from them, Keep It Savory Salt Co works to ensure that our ingredients support small urban farmers and vendors on Chicago's West Side. Each year since inception, she's found a way to build her list of local growers and grocers to ensure she is keep dollars in her neighborhood as long as possible. Jo's also an avid DIY-er, gardener, cyclist, and lover of food and laughter. Although a very decent cook, Jo admits that her partner is the real home chef and grillmaster. Jo's favorite place is at a dinner party with good friends and a proper cocktail in hand.

As a former agency recruiter with a focus on manufacturing and technology, Jenni Morse is inspired by change and by the trailblazing footsteps of her late father. Jenni realized her dream of product-based entrepreneurship with Simpli Press. From there, Made Simpli was born–offering its flagship product Simpli Press for everyday coffee lovers. She now contributes bliss and and ease to the world from her home in Southern California where she resides with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

Jeff Scult is a Fashion Pro-Activist, Thought-Speaker on Regeneration, and the Creator & Designer of the eco-luxe, lovestyle brand, One Golden Thread. As a Social-Environment Impact Entrepreneur and brand soul “Conscultant,” his life purpose is to live his inner-gold, contagiously illuminating others to also shine and share theirs.Scult pivoted his journey at age 51 from a life amplifying other’s visions to finally expressing his own creations as a clothing designer. Jeff’s purpose-driven mission is One Golden Thread, the environmentally-regenerative fashion brand whose ethical materials, golden message, and regenerative model are devoted to connecting one to self, community, and to nature.Jeff’s spoken-word ignited his personal freedom journey, and his soul consultancy Drops of Gold support leaders to raise the bar on their mission and language. Jeff believes, "When we come into right-relationship with themes of interconnectedness, anything is possible. Everything is medicine. Everything is energy. Transcending the greatest lie - the illusion of separation - is we, nature and us, as one.”