How One Entrepreneur Turned Her Tax Refund Into A Side Hustle | Under Fire, WeWoreWhat Founder Danielle Bernstein Speaks Out | And More

Plus: Meet The 34-Year-Old Female Pilot Who Wants To Reinvent Jet Charter

Over the past year, we’ve witnessed a rise in anti-Asian rhetoric, discrimination, and hate crimes. We’ve seen the reports on the 3,800 cases of name-calling, harassment and assault against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. And yesterday, we awoke to the horrific news that a white man killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women, in a mass shooting that was gender- and racially-motivated. 

Prominent Asian-American business leaders, celebrities and activists have been raising their voices on anti-Asian sentiment for months—among which are these 12 founders in the beauty space, an industry that has long benefited from Asian beauty methods and consumer interest without fostering an inclusive or equitable environment.  

“Growing up as an Asian American in California, the lack of Asian representation in the media led me to believe my physical appearance would never be seen as beautiful,” says Charlotte Cho, cofounder of Soko Glam and founder of Then I Met You. Cho sees many ways for her industry—and all industries—to help in this moment: “Create a culture where hate against Asian Americans is nonexistent and AAPI representation is plentiful,” she says, adding that everyone should give “credit where credit is due, by acknowledging the impact of Asian-inspired trends, whenever they are taking inspiration from it.” 

Cho is right. But it shouldn’t fall only on the shoulders of the AAPI community to call out and work against anti-Asian hate; it’s on all of us. You can get involved by taking a bystander intervention training, educating yourself, or donating time or money to a cause that supports Asian Americans. A good list of resources is here.

Take care of yourselves,
Maggie

ICYMI: Stories From The Week

From Beyonce’s historic night at the Grammys Sunday (she became the most decorated female artist ever) to Nomadland director Chloe Zhao’s history-making Oscar nominations Monday morning, this week began on a good note for women in entertainment.

Economist Cecilia Rouse was sworn in as the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, becoming the first Black person to hold the role. 

Marie Langer took charge of her billionaire family’s 3-D printing firm months before Covid-19 struck. She recently opened up to Forbes about navigating the downturn (“After half a year, I learned what ‘crisis management’ means,” she said) and what comes next.

WeWoreWhat founder Danielle Bernstein has been embroiled in allegations surrounding the origin of some of her designs. Bernstein admitted to Forbes that her sponsorship deals have dried up in the wake of the allegations. But she says okay with that—and claims that some of her most profitable days ever occurred after the controversy began.

Goldman Sachs said it will commit $10 billion in direct capital investment and $100 million in philanthropic giving to address the disproportionate racial and gender biases facing Black women. Here are some of the female entrepreneurs who stand to benefit from the program.

March has been a strong month for female CIOs: On March 1, IBM announced that Kathryn Guarini would become its new CIO, and Macy’s named Laura Miller as its new technology leader. Last week, President Joe Biden appointed Clare Martorana as federal CIO--but for all these appointments, women are still underrepresented in the role.

Check List

#1: Foster a culture of autonomy. If late-stage pandemic stress is affecting your team’s mental health, make sure each person you oversee feels ownership of their work. Having a sense of control can help combat feelings of burnout.

#2: Do your research. Shereen Campbell took a $3,400 tax refund and turned it into a successful side-hustle generating $12,000 per month. Her journey started with some serious research and budgeting.

#3: Jettison the notion that networking is shallow. Networking (and especially networking during Covid) can feel transactional, but there are ways to foster authentic connections that lead to lasting professional relationships and help your career.

Across Forbes