Entrepreneurs
Headspace’s CEO on what industry is overlooking by formula of psychological health

Published
2 years agoon

On this week’s episode of Fortune‘s Leadership Next podcast, co-host Michal Lev-Ram talks with Headspace Smartly being CEO Russ Glass about what industry is presently getting coarse about psychological health, how leaders can handiest enhance their workers while taking care of themselves, and the contrivance meditation changed his lifestyles. Co-host Alan Murray, who became now not fraction of the interview this week, joins Lev-Ram for the pre-interview chat.
Hear to the episode or read the fleshy transcript below.
Transcript:
Alan Murray: Leadership Next is powered by the folks at Deloitte, who, cherish me, are exploring the altering principles of industry leadership and the contrivance CEOs are navigating this swap.
Welcome to Leadership Next, the podcast about the altering principles of industry leadership. I’m Alan Murray.
Michal Lev-Ram: And I’m Michal Lev-Ram. Alan, ever since the pandemic, I actually feel cherish there are a handful of issues that CEOs—and industry journalists—withhold returning to repeatedly and again. In truth, it became the realm of our newest episode with Howard Lerman of Run—tech innovation spurred by lockdowns and work from the home, the return-to-work debate, and the significance of worker psychological health.
Murray: Yeah, and I judge one in every of the causes we withhold talking about that ultimate one, about worker psychological health, is that companies aren’t slightly particular in the event that they’re doing a real job. We know that there are loads of considerations obtainable, and it’s actually exploded as a workplace philosophize. Everyone now appears to be like to agree it’s fundamental, but they don’t know the final phrase formula to enhance their crew.
Lev-Ram: Smartly, our visitor as of late desires to aid with that! He’s Russ Glass, the CEO of Headspace Smartly being—which is a stamp that doubtlessly loads of of us are accustomed to. It’s a meditation app, or actually that’s what it became is named for years. However they’re going to now not realize that just a few years ago, Headspace merged with an organization called Ginger, which ran an enterprise industry, providing workers coaching, therapy, and psychiatry services and products. The mixed company is named Headspace Smartly being, and the aim became to bring all of these sources under one platform.
Murray: Yeah, and a actually luminous stride to motivate enterprise companies, as there might per chance be loads of keep a question to for it. The company says it now serves 4,000 employers all the contrivance through 200 countries, and that quite a lot of million of us actively exhaust the Headspace app each month.
Lev-Ram: Yea, Alan, I’ll explain you one thing I learned in the interview that in actuality taken aback me—in step with a Headspace Smartly being detect, 49 p.c of workers explain they actually feel a sense of dread at work now not lower than as soon as a week—and that number rises to 59 p.c for CEOs! I hope you’re now not feeling any dread lawful now, Alan! However what stop you have confidence about that?
Murray: Never any dread about becoming a member of you for a Leadership Next podcast. However sadly, I did dread the truth I wasn’t able to hitch you for this one, on account of right here’s one in every of my popular issues.
Lev-Ram: We omitted you. I do know right here’s a topic that is near and expensive to your heart. By the formula, we also had an extended dialog, Russ and I, about elevating daughters—something we are all residing through and fill lived through and we can issue to—the three of us. Russ is de facto one in every of the few leaders we’ve spoken to on this podcast who stepped aid from his occupation to lift his formative years. Sooner than becoming a member of Headspace, he became a fleshy time dad for 18 months, and he talked about it and what an unimaginable, amazing replacement it became for him.
Murray: Wow, but let’s now not discuss him, let’s check with him. Let’s secure lawful to as of late’s interview. Here’s Michal’s interview with Headspace Smartly being CEO, Russ Glass.
[Music]
Lev-Ram: Ok. So, Russ, sooner than we dive into the real industry right here, real slightly little bit of context right here, about you. So earlier than becoming a member of Ginger as CEO, you’d started a sequence of companies. Here’s now not your first gig right here. A range of tech-targeted companies, obviously. This appears to be like cherish slightly little bit of a jump coming into a longtime company in the psychological health rental. How did this near about?
Russ Glass: Yeah, it is a ways a jump. This if truth be told is my first health care company. All of my prior entrepreneurial endeavors and startups and whatnot, were in thoroughly different kinds of tech, whether media or recordsdata or enterprise software. And as soon as I left LinkedIn, I actually didn’t fill any roughly newest tips or desire, and I real wished to be a dad. So, I’ve received three daughters, and I spent the final phrase 9 years targeted on the corporate, and I actually wished to exhaust time with them. So I left. And after about 18 months, I made up my mind that, okay, I wasn’t ready to be retired forever. And I needed to return and stop something. However if I became going to head away them daily, it indispensable to be for something that became impactful, something that the world actually indispensable. And I discovered Ginger, I diagnosed real how fundamental the psychological health disaster became, and the offer-keep a question to imbalance that existed. I felt cherish I might per chance exhaust the comfort of my occupation targeted on it.
Lev-Ram: Ok, so, I’m gonna aid up for a 2nd. We’ve interviewed loads of leaders on this podcast, female and male, I don’t judge we’ve ever had somebody discuss over with us about, you know, stepping apart to lift their daughters. So I’m unparalleled to hear real slightly bit extra about that. I mean, became that a noteworthy willpower to get? What reactions did you secure even as you happen to told of us?
Glass: You understand, I mean, keep in mind, my first daughter became born about three months after I started this company, Bizo, that I finally supplied to LinkedIn. My third daughter became born about a week sooner than I supplied the corporate. And so as that total six years of constructing an organization became on the the same time that I became elevating these shrimp folk, you know, and then I went to LinkedIn. And that became an intense three years. So as that became 9 years of me now not placing them first. And I form of diagnosed that you can by no formula secure this time aid. And I felt cherish I became, you know, actually privileged enough to fill the sources to lift time away. And my companion also has a actually a success occupation. And so I took a step aid, and also you know, literally to on the present time, I fill relationships with them that I wouldn’t fill had in any other case, you know, and so it became one in every of the final phrase choices I’ve made in my occupation.
Lev-Ram: Smartly, one thing the three of us right here fill in fundamental, the two of us and Alan, is we all fill gotten to lift ladies and soundless secure to total it. So I commend you for that.
Glass: We’re lucky, we’re all lucky.
Lev-Ram: Fully, absolutely. So I are looking to return to Ginger and Headspace. And I judge, you know, perchance now not all individuals’s accustomed to the merger that came about. And so give us slightly little bit of a sense of real what became Ginger, what became Headspace? And what are they mixed?
Glass: Ginger became actually a class creator in digital psychological health. So Ginger diagnosed this mountainous offer-keep a question to imbalance that exists on this planet. The World Smartly being Group estimates about a billion of us who fill a identified psychological health situation, and 60% of them aren’t getting enhance. And an tall fraction of that is on account of there aren’t enough suppliers obtainable, there aren’t alternatives obtainable to scale secure entry to. So Ginger became targeted on that philosophize. On the opposite facet, Headspace, again, is roughly a class creator. It became founded by literally a Buddhist monk, Andy Puddicombe, and he went to see meditation and mindfulness in Tibet, and undercover agent the mountainous vitality of mindfulness to clear up just a few of the psychological health wants in standard humanity. And, you know, loads of the world has diagnosed this for hundreds of years and has by no formula lost it in Eastern cultures. However in quite a lot of the Western society, we’ve form of lost the working out of the vitality of mindfulness and meditation. So Headspace introduced that to the world, and created a scalable formula to coach of us fabricate mindfulness and exhaust that to clear up these kinds of psychological health wants now we fill. Bringing both companies together, the concept is to develop the most comprehensive, most scalable approach to clear up this psychological health need of the world. And the combination of these implausible experiences and the actual person interfaces, that Headspace is constructed to coach and aid of us follow it this meditation direction. And then Ginger, the on-keep a question to psychological health system. In the event you bring both of this stuff together, you now stay wide awake with something slightly noteworthy, which is having the flexibility to attain the keep of us are in their psychological gallop, info them to the lawful alternatives for the wants and be their lifelong info to psychological health enhance .
Lev-Ram: So can you discuss slightly bit extra about real what the breakdown is income wise, at this point, of what’s coming from the actual person rental, Headspace, and what proportion is coming from the enterprise, industry facet, at this point.
Glass: At this point, the income is coming, for the most fraction, from the enterprise facet of the industry. We’ve considered slightly important verbalize, I judge, a little bit of driven by the pandemic and the recognition of real how fundamental right here’s, roughly accelerated consciousness of heart of attention on psychological health. And now we witness that enterprise’s top three heart of attention areas slightly continuously, is psychological health and making particular that workers fill secure entry to, and workers are given the instruments they ought to soundless be a success. And an increasing number of we’re seeing health plans also impress that funding in psychological health is a mandatory fraction of total particular person health, and making particular that you defend a wholesome population and prick health care costs downstream. And so as that’s been a real verbalize driver of the organization actually, since the merger.
Lev-Ram: Are you concerned the least bit that just a few of that pandemic generation verbalize is slowing down? Or that this isn’t going to be sticky enough? Esteem if the recession does hit if, you know, there are extra layoffs? Esteem we’ve considered? Are these packages that anyone’s slicing? Or are they sticking?
Glass: You understand, it’s silly, we weren’t particular, you know, popping out of the pandemic, what we would witness. We weren’t particular at a recessionary duration if we’d witness pullback. And I would explain, for the most fraction, at this point, we’re slightly convinced that we’re now not seeing a publish pandemic pullback as a starting point. I judge the pandemic absolutely accelerated the consciousness in the need. However publish-pandemic, we haven’t considered any form of retrenchment in need. The elevated psychological health concerns fill remained. We witness stats, cherish 90% of workers are feeling either a little bit of or very wired on a weekly foundation, we’re seeing 49% of workers feeling dread at work on a weekly foundation. So these are the roughly stats that companies are having to take care of lawful now. And in express that they’ve maintained a heart of attention on it.
Lev-Ram: I are looking to interrupt you real on the dread portion, cherish, did you secure any readability in that see on what which formula to of us? Fright is now not associated with something real, for particular. However what does that in actuality mean that folks are feeling dread at work?
Glass: Yeah, this came from our Team of workers Attitudes document. We’ve completed this now for five years working, right here’s from our 2023 see. And as we dug into it, there were three fundamental areas. One became financial instability, so being concerned about having a job and asserting that. Two became productiveness pressures, so you know, how somebody is showing up at work feeling cherish they’ve to secure a sequence of things completed. And in the event that they don’t, are they gonna lose their job, lawful? And then three is correct extra rising expectations, the level of quality that the replacement for others to roughly near in and lift these roles. I judge there’s also a a ways away ingredient in all of this as correctly. I judge there is a loneliness ingredient. I judge there might per chance be now not doubtless attending to know your colleagues as correctly even as you happen to’re now not working as closely with them. So, there’s loads of things tied up on this. And I judge we’re in the very early days of working out it. However within that is, of us are of us who’re soundless suffering. And companies are recognizing that, they customarily’ve maintained a heart of attention that psychological health is an rental they’ve to put money into. I would explain the final phrase rental we’re seeing some recessionary shift is in form of miniature to medium industry. We’re seeing that just a few of these funding choices are taking longer. We’re seeing that they’re extra targeted on return on funding, so the selections are going into the CFO’s status of job bigger than they were sooner than. So, slightly little bit of a shift there. However for the most fraction, we’ve considered a continuation of the pandemic traits of this being severe to the enterprise.
[Music starts]
Murray: Jason Girzadas, the CEO of Deloitte US, is the sponsor of this podcast and joins me as of late. Welcome, Jason.
Jason Girzadas: Thanks, Alan. It’s tall to be right here.
Murray: Jason, we dwell in an generation of disruption, know-how disruption, geopolitical disruption, workplace disruption. And it makes real predictions about what’s going to happen in due course extra hard than it has ever been. Yet the polls that we stop together, with you, indicate that nearly all industry leaders largely remain optimistic. Why stop you have confidence that is?
Girzadas: I judge optimism is a outcome of the truth that we’ve been through an extremely tumultuous three years. And so I judge industry leaders realize that they’ve constructed resiliency into their organizations. The prospect of even extra disruption isn’t as international of a thought. And I judge there’s extra self belief in their skill to adapt and to be agile. Secondarily, there’s been mountainous funding in know-how and unusual capabilities that client organizations, and executives broadly are optimistic about these increasing extra price and extra replacement. So, it’s a characteristic of what we’ve been through, as well to the investments which fill been made, that give a sense of optimism despite just a few of the headwinds.
Murray: And what’s your advice to companies which would be combating the functionality disruption in due course?
Girzadas: Smartly, disruption is the unusual customary. I don’t judge there’s any placid water on the horizon or calmness that we can predict. So, it’s a characteristic of getting accustomed to the discontinuities which would be sooner than us. Whether or now not it’s around know-how or geopolitical swap, or workplace adjustments associated with the contrivance forward for labor or the requires of the flexibility workforce, swap is the unusual customary. Which skill that, it is requiring executive teams to in point of fact keep in mind holistically at these challenges, be facile with doing scenario planning, and being searching for the keep and capitalize on disruption, versus being concerned by it, or considered as a barrier to their success.
Murray: Jason, thanks in your viewpoint, and thanks for sponsoring Leadership Next. Thanks.
[Music ends]
Lev-Ram: What stop you might per chance presumably be feeling cherish companies are getting lawful, and what are they getting coarse, about psychological health? I mean, there’s no doubt, you know, we’ve lined so many replacement initiatives and consciousness and services and products and coverage for rising coverage for psychological health. However the companies which would be getting it lawful, what are they doing?
Glass: It’s a tall question. I’d explain there are two things that the companies who’re doing actually correctly are doing, that now not all companies are doing. One is, they’re specializing in custom swap. And in express that they’re specializing in normalizing psychological health conversations. And generally, which formula they’ve executives on the organization, or of us in positions of leadership, which would be openly talking about psychological health. And that normalization is mountainous fundamental, on account of it enables all individuals in the corporate to in point of fact feel cherish they’ll elevate their hand and fragment that they might per chance presumably fill some enhance, or they might per chance presumably fill some aid. And that’s one. Two, then, is a heart of attention on prevention. I judge loads of companies are eager about how they keep sources in status to aid enhance secure entry to. They’re finding that their health plans, you know, the networks are insufficient, so of us aren’t able to hunt down therapists or, or psychiatrists that lift insurance that, you know, don’t require these mountainous out-of-pocket costs. However until you heart of attention on prevention, you’re missing an tall proportion of the population that’s quietly suffering, that you know, are either dealing with dread, on a slightly consistent foundation, or are seeing elevated stress levels that in the waste will lead to burnout until these of us are getting the instruments that they’ve to prick stress.
Lev-Ram: And it’s attention-grabbing, on account of you introduced up the a ways away component, and that, now not lower than in some cases, and for some of us, it’s contributing to considerations, lawful, and loneliness, feeling disconnected. Then on the the same time, you know, we’re seeing loads of pushback on the return-to-status of job mandates. As a CEO, your self, also, how stop you navigate that? What advice stop you give for leaders in form of, you know, balancing that? Resulting from it’ll very correctly, we’ve considered recordsdata that shows it’s real for productiveness to secure of us aid, now not lower than in some skill, it’ll even be real for his or her psychological health. And but loads of workers also care deeply about asserting some level of flexibility.
Glass: You understand, I judge you’re naming one in every of the most attention-grabbing and complex challenges of our time as leaders lawful now, lawful, the time that we’re all finding ourselves. And the predominant thing I’d explain is, there’s nobody-dimension-suits-all, you know. Each and every company, each industry has very thoroughly different wants in phrases of a ways away versus in-particular person. On one facet of the equation, there are some operations that totally require in-particular person workforces. Surgical blueprint, actually fundamental that somebody that is in-particular person, lawful? In the event you’re working a producing line, it is a ways extremely fundamental fill of us in-particular person. I judge it’s fundamental to undercover agent that it’s now not one-dimension-suits-all. I judge the 2nd thing that’s fundamental to undercover agent is, there are very real wants on either side of this. So I don’t judge there’s any doubt that there’s loneliness that’s being created, particularly for the younger populations which would be at home the total time, in a a ways away context. You understand, for hundreds of years, literally since the invention of agriculture, humanity has been making their handiest guests at work. And we are a social creature, we are a creature that wants these interactions. And so when that’s pulled a ways flung from us, there’s, unnecessary to explain, there’s going to be loneliness, lawful, unnecessary to explain, you’re going to fill of us who’re suffering. So as that’s one. And two, there’s clearly a longitudinal price to now not having in-particular person interactions at work. We’ve considered some recordsdata, both internally and externally, that shows that folks who’re now not showing up at locations of work are much less at risk of be promoted. We’ve considered recordsdata that shows (nevertheless it’s very early days and all of this) there’s loads of see that soundless desires to be completed. However there’s some recordsdata that shows that folks who’re now not getting these in particular person interactions aren’t going to progress in their careers as hasty as of us who’re. And so as that’s one in every of the spectrums that it’s particular that there’s price to in-particular person interaction, both to the person as well to to the productiveness in sure cases, lawful. However on the opposite facet of that, you absolutely fill a workforce that loves the flexibility, and in some cases wants the flexibility. In the event you might per chance presumably be a single father or mother, lawful, and also you wish with a thought to design while elevating a household. So it’s fundamental as leaders to undercover agent either side of this, and work in the direction of increasing opportunities. And serving to of us undercover agent that going to the status of job is de facto going to be treasured for you and the organization.
Lev-Ram: Ok, I are looking to position a question to you, real rapidly, real on the aggressive landscape, and obviously, as keep a question to grew, someday of the pandemic, for services and products, cherish Headspace, and Ginger, and what you guys offer, so did the sequence of apps and services and products that offer psychological health, whether it’s purely digital or now not. In gentle of this proliferation, how stop you keep in mind at what you’re providing, as you’re early on, obviously, and also you established your stamp, both of the manufacturers, but how stop you be particular you defend differentiated, that you withhold innovating, as the market has evolved slightly a lot?
Glass: Smartly, you know, first, I judge, one in every of the causes that we did the merger in the predominant status, is on account of we diagnosed that there’s an tall spectrum of psychological health need and even as you happen to measure, and also you stop a real job of working out the keep somebody is, what you undercover agent is that incessantly the status they’ve to head, whether it be real self-care, roughly mindfulness, meditation, respiratory, thoroughly different, better sleep habits, or behavioral health coaching, subclinical sources that aid of us fabricate a conception and stop an even bigger job of lifestyle swap or stop an even bigger job of managing your psychological situation, the total formula to therapy and psychiatry. Most of us don’t fill any thought what they need, most of us real know they’re now not feeling tall. And what we diagnosed became if we might per chance aid destigmatize, which is loads of what the Headspace stamp does, it real makes it easy to initiate, and we can measure and aid info of us to the lawful status, we clear up loads of the psychological health wants. Resulting from we secure of us in earlier, we secure them working out what these wants are, and we cheaply bringing them to secure entry to. So we’re solving loads of the need by bringing these items together. And what we saw became loads of point alternatives obtainable. We saw loads of thoroughly different apps and thoroughly different experiences that were selecting off very miniature ingredients of the philosophize. However on the head of the day, the trick with that, one, is that companies they’re drained of the total supplier fatigue, lawful from the total thoroughly different distributors, particularly in the pandemic. Everyone sold loads of stuff and realized that if truth be told wasn’t getting ancient and that there became real fatigue there. However secondly, if somebody doesn’t know what they need, it’s very hard to kind through the hundreds of thoroughly different apps and experiences and things which would be being constructed. And we actually wished to lift that on, we wished to aid of us impress and then present the lion’s fragment of enhance that they might per chance presumably fill. And that’s why we are asserting, you know, we actually judge Headspace is the most comprehensive psychological health platform obtainable lawful now on account of we introduced these items together in a formula that is real much less friction stuffed for somebody to secure entry to.
Lev-Ram: Ok, and one extra question extra on the private facet for you, I do know you might per chance presumably be now not the Buddhist monk on the corporate that became the founder. However you seem slightly grounded, and, you know, balanced and a bit Zen. So I’m wondering, what advice stop you’ve for busy leaders who fill to prick out that point? And what stop you stop individually, to make particular you’re taking care of your self? And that you can’t real explain Headspace!
Glass: No, I promise, I received’t! However I will explain that, you know, as soon as I supplied my ultimate company, that became an organization that I supplied to LinkedIn, and I had real had my third child, and I received into the unusual company, and I became, I became struggling. I wasn’t sleeping correctly, I had an toddler at home, I became combating some imposter syndrome. I went from a couple 100-particular person company to a 6,000-particular person company. I had by no formula labored at any status that tall. And I actually didn’t know if I became decrease out for it. I mean, I began to doubt myself. And Jeff Weiner, the then CEO, introduced Andy Puddicombe, the CEO of Headspace, in to discuss over with LinkedIn, as an organization. And I downloaded the app someday of the discuss. And I started doing meditation note. And it’s silly, cherish it didn’t stop something in the predominant week, it didn’t stop something for two weeks, but I became dedicated to it reason I’d heard tall things about it, and I’d heard Andy discuss and all that real stuff. In the third week, I became in a assembly. And all of a surprising it clicked, this comment that became made that can fill resulted in my fright, would fill resulted in my stress response. I celebrated it. And I real roughly let it stride. It hit me what mindfulness is all about. It’s now not about altering something about, you know, the world. Feelings soundless happen, fright soundless occurs, nevertheless it’s about your response to it, it’s about having the flexibility to undercover agent it, let it stride, and fill a thoroughly different response to those triggers and fill a thoroughly different response to those anxieties. And that has been a game changer for me, now not handiest from a leadership standpoint, but from a martial standpoint, from being a father standpoint. So as that is mandatory. I would explain just a few other things, even though. One is sleep. I secure now not lower than seven hours of sleep. And if I don’t, I actually feel it. I don’t fill the endurance, I don’t fill the flexibility to administer the U.S. of americaand downs that happen In an atmosphere cherish this, without real sleep. I stop a actually real job of taking breaks. Regarded as among the things I’ve completed for years is block Friday afternoons, the keep I don’t lift any conferences. And I exhaust that point to catch up. And I do know for the length of the week, it helps my psychological health on account of even on Wednesday, if I’m real slammed, I do know I fill that block increasing, so I don’t secure as wired in the 2nd, I fill that Friday afternoon. If I secure to Friday afternoon, and I’m feeling slightly real about the weekend, and I’m going to be newest with my household on account of I don’t fill noteworthy catching up to total, I’d stop something for myself that afternoon. I’d stride play golf, I’d stride on a hike, or something cherish that. I are trying and total that for the length of the week. I fill very conscious schedules, so as that I will stretch, half my one on ones I stop outdoors so I will stroll. So these items that allow me to embody, you know, physical and psychological health for the length of the week to allow me to defend sustainable and never burn myself out in what is, as I’m particular you’ve heard, a actually complex time to be a stir-setter.
Lev-Ram: And Headspace, lawful?
Glass: And Headspace, that’s lawful.
Lev-Ram: Smartly, I cherish ending on real some tactical takeaways. So thanks so noteworthy for becoming a member of us, Russ, and sharing with us about Headspace and leadership on this actually soundless slightly crazy time. Devour it.
Glass: Devour you, Michal, taking the time.
[Music starts]
Leadership Next is edited and produced by Alexis Haut. Our theme is by Jason Snell. Our executive producer is Megan Arnold. Leadership Next is a product of Fortune Media.
Leadership Next episodes are produced by Fortune‘s editorial crew. The views and opinions expressed by podcast audio system and company are thoroughly their fill and stop now not replicate the opinions of Deloitte or its personnel. Nor does Deloitte recommend or endorse any individuals or entities featured on the episodes.

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June 3, 2025
In a quiet corner of Alabama, a startup-minded medical alliance is quietly flipping the script on trauma care. Huntsville, better known for its space heritage, is now emerging as an unexpected epicenter for a new kind of healthcare disruption, one that treats trauma not just as an emotional or psychological condition, but as a biological injury that can be identified, targeted, and healed.
At the heart of this movement is a groundbreaking partnership between trauma researchers, bioengineers, and entrepreneurial clinicians, blending neuroscience with biotech to challenge a deeply entrenched belief: that trauma is invisible, subjective, and largely untreatable. They’re betting on the opposite. And they’re turning that bet into one of the most quietly ambitious trauma interventions the U.S. has seen in years.
The core premise is as revolutionary as it is practical, that trauma, like a sprained ankle or a broken arm, leaves measurable biological traces. Changes in cortisol, inflammation markers, brainwave activity, and nervous system function can all be tracked, decoded, and eventually rebalanced. This isn’t therapy in the traditional sense. It’s trauma treatment as diagnostics plus repair.
Huntsville’s new wave of practitioners are building systems that lean heavily on hardware: wearable tech that reads nervous system strain, brain imaging tools that map real-time neural trauma signatures, and biofeedback platforms designed to reset the body’s stress response. But what makes this more than just a wellness trend is the entrepreneurial model underneath. These aren’t nonprofit research pilots. They’re for-profit ventures, agile, scalable, and deeply focused on data.
Founders behind these tools are building with the mindset of biomedical startups, not just health providers. They want to prove outcomes, file patents, get FDA clearance, and license tech to larger systems. The goal isn’t just healing. It’s creating a new category of care that lives between psychiatry and neurology, and becomes a national export from Huntsville.
In many ways, the movement echoes what Silicon Valley did to wellness. But this time, it’s not meditation apps or mood tracking. It’s about treating PTSD the way you treat a concussion — with real-time scans, objective metrics, and a clinical roadmap. And for the 50 million Americans currently navigating unresolved trauma, that could mean an entirely new healthcare path.
The science is backing them up. Studies from institutions around the country have shown how trauma reshapes the brain, shrinking the hippocampus, altering the amygdala, and throwing the prefrontal cortex off balance. These are not abstract experiences. They are physical imprints. And that’s where the Huntsville model starts: trauma is not just a feeling. It’s a wound.
The big innovation? Local startups are using that idea to build diagnostics that quantify trauma, not just through self-reporting or behavioral observation, but through bio-signals and brainwaves. One approach uses EEGs to scan for trauma-related brainwave patterns. Another links galvanic skin response with emotional triggers to measure how the body “remembers” stress. The data isn’t just for show. It informs personalized repair protocols that use neurostimulation, vagus nerve training, and targeted cognitive rebalancing to speed up recovery.
For entrepreneurs in this space, the opportunity is massive. Mental health tech has already crossed $16 billion in funding globally. But trauma-specific treatment remains a wide-open frontier. Insurance providers are eager for scalable solutions with measurable outcomes. Veterans groups, school systems, and law enforcement agencies are all exploring partnerships for trauma support that goes beyond therapy and into physical re-regulation.
What makes Huntsville unique is its ecosystem, a mix of defense tech, biosciences, and a growing number of ex-military founders who understand trauma not as theory, but as lived experience. These are entrepreneurs building products they wish existed for their comrades, children, or even themselves.
And while Silicon Valley builds for clicks, Huntsville is quietly building for clinical validation. This gives the city an edge. Startups here aren’t optimizing for dopamine loops or engagement metrics. They’re going after FDA-backed solutions that could plug directly into hospital networks, veteran affairs programs, and first responder systems. In short, they’re building not for hype, but for healthcare infrastructure.
Still, there are hurdles. Trauma’s deeply individual nature means one-size-fits-all solutions won’t cut it. And the ethics of monetizing trauma treatment raise serious questions. But the founders here argue that cost shouldn’t deter innovation. In fact, without scalable solutions, trauma care will remain stuck in elite clinics and underfunded nonprofits. Their pitch is simple: treating trauma as a biological injury makes healing measurable, and therefore, fundable.
Already, whispers from investors are getting louder. Angel networks from Texas and Tennessee are scouting Huntsville’s new neuro-health ventures. A few stealth-mode startups are reportedly nearing Series A rounds. And biofeedback hardware companies from the coasts are eyeing joint ventures to access Huntsville’s unique trauma-informed datasets.
It’s early, but not experimental. The metrics are real. The tools are already being piloted in schools, trauma recovery clinics, and even court diversion programs. And unlike vague mental health platforms that rely on self-reporting and loose engagement metrics, this model is tightly linked to quantitative change: nervous system downregulation, brainwave balance, cortisol normalization. That’s not just mental health. That’s biology.
And biology is the most scalable product there is.
Level Up Insight
Huntsville’s trauma tech movement isn’t just redefining how we treat pain, it’s creating a new category of entrepreneurial healthcare. One that blends deep science, real metrics, and startup agility to tackle one of society’s oldest wounds with the precision of modern medicine. As founders across America hunt for the next breakout sector, this quiet revolution in Alabama might just be the next billion-dollar idea, not because it promises comfort, but because it promises cure.
Entrepreneurs
Soap-Free Skincare: A $10M Startup Disrupts Sensitive Skin Care

Published
2 weeks agoon
May 30, 2025
For years, the skincare industry promised that clean meant foamy, bubbly, and fragrant. But for millions of Americans with sensitive skin, that promise backfired, leaving behind redness, rashes, and long-term irritation. What if the solution wasn’t adding more chemicals, but removing the very thing we all assumed was essential?
That’s the bet a wave of new American skincare founders are making. Their approach is radical in its simplicity: ditch the soap entirely. These entrepreneurs believe that removing harsh surfactants, the core cleansing agents in most soaps, can unlock healthier skin, and maybe even reshape the $160 billion global skincare market.
Let’s dive into the five standout brands leading the soap-free skincare revolution, and the business models behind their breakout success.
1. Nura Skin: The $10M Disruptor Born From Eczema
Founded in 2021 by a former nurse who suffered from chronic eczema, Nura Skin didn’t begin in a lab. It began in a kitchen, mixing colloidal oats and fermented rice water in small batches. Her goal was personal: find something gentle enough for her own hypersensitive skin.
By 2024, Nura Skin had become a $10 million brand with a cult following and a product line that proudly excludes soap, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances. Their signature cleansing milk, made from oil-in-water emulsions, cleanses without disrupting the skin barrier. No foam, no burn, no compromise.
Their growth came not from influencers, but from glowing reviews in online forums and dermatology communities. The company credits its success to word-of-mouth marketing and transparency, refusing venture capital and instead focusing on slow, steady scale.
2. Bare Method: The Tech-Backed Cleanser Startup
Started by two MIT grads with backgrounds in chemical engineering, Bare Method’s soap-free innovation uses bio-compatible cleansing agents designed to mimic the skin’s natural lipid balance. The result? A cleansing bar that looks like soap but acts like a moisturizer in disguise.
Bare Method recently closed a $3.2M seed round and is now partnering with dermatologists to study how their formulations perform against traditional soap-based cleansers in clinical trials. Their goal is to position soap-free as not just a lifestyle choice, but a science-backed standard for those with reactive skin.
They’ve also adopted a direct-to-consumer model with subscription options that include skin health tracking via their mobile app, bringing tech into the clean beauty world in a way that feels deeply personal.
3. Plūma Organics: The Minimalist’s Answer to Over-Cleansing
Plūma’s rise began on TikTok, but it’s their philosophy, not their marketing, that’s gained them a devoted following: “Skin is smart. Let it breathe.”
Their hero product, a soap-free micro-emulsion cleanser, contains fewer than eight ingredients and focuses on preservation of the skin’s natural pH. While other brands chase complexity, Plūma strips skincare down to its essentials. Their minimal branding, eco-friendly packaging, and refillable pouches have attracted Gen Z consumers looking for both skin safety and environmental responsibility.
The brand currently ships to over 20,000 subscribers monthly and recently launched an in-store pilot with a national wellness retailer.
4. DermaFiend: The Dermatologist-Driven Alternative
Created by a board-certified dermatologist in California, DermaFiend was born out of frustration with existing sensitive-skin solutions that were either too weak or too harsh. Their patented “Soap-Free Complex” is a blend of amino acid cleansers and fermented botanicals, specifically formulated for post-treatment skin recovery (think microneedling, laser, or peels).
It’s not just consumers flocking to DermaFiend. Med spas and clinics are adopting it as their post-procedure cleanser of choice. That medical credibility is turning into commercial success, with B2B contracts making up 40% of the brand’s revenue. It’s a different route to market, but one that’s working.
5. Quiet Water Co.: The Boutique Brand Winning at Word-of-Mouth
With zero paid advertising and only one product, Quiet Water Co. might seem like the underdog, but their soap-free gel cleanser has become a low-key favorite in niche skincare circles.
Launched by a mother-daughter duo out of Portland, this brand emphasizes simplicity and ritual. Each product comes with a handwritten note and small-batch batch number, emphasizing craftsmanship over scale. Their customer retention rate is over 80%, unheard of in the skincare world.
They credit their growth to two things: community and trust. Their story reminds us that you don’t need flashy branding to build something meaningful, just something that works, especially when no one else is doing it.
Why Soap-Free Is More Than a Trend
What all these brands have in common isn’t just formulation, it’s philosophy. Each one views sensitive skin not as a niche, but as a neglected majority. They’re rejecting the one-size-fits-all approach of mainstream skincare and instead focusing on personalized, science-backed, barrier-friendly solutions.
They’re also bootstrapping, slow scaling, and putting education before virality. In a world obsessed with TikTok hacks and overnight results, soap-free skincare is choosing to be boring, and it’s working.
And with more Americans reporting sensitive or sensitized skin than ever before (a trend linked to pollution, over-exfoliation, and stress), the timing couldn’t be better.
Level Up Insight:
Sometimes disruption doesn’t mean adding something new, it means taking something away. The founders behind these soap-free skincare brands didn’t reinvent the wheel. They just removed the suds. And in doing so, they tapped into a growing movement of health-conscious, ingredient-aware, and irritation-weary consumers who were tired of being overlooked. In the process, they’ve shown that softness, both in skin and in business, is a strength, not a weakness.
Entrepreneurs
How America’s 5–9 Hustlers Are Building Real Brands

Published
2 weeks agoon
May 29, 2025
It’s 7:30 PM. Laptop opens. Ring light flickers on. Door shuts quietly behind. And just like that, another American creator goes to work, after work.
This is the new era of entrepreneurship in America, where the day job pays the bills, but the night job builds the dream. From solo podcasters to Notion template sellers, a quiet but explosive shift is underway: the 5-9 hustle is no longer a side story, it’s the main event.
Unlike the traditional startup fantasy of quitting your job and raising capital, this generation is building real brands with zero investors, zero employees, and zero permission. They’re armed with audience-first strategies, automation tools, and clarity of purpose. The grind hasn’t disappeared, it’s just been repackaged with freedom.
The Rise of the After-Hours Entrepreneur
For decades, the American dream centered on climbing a ladder. But Gen Z and Millennials are choosing to build elevators instead. Why wait for a promotion when you can sell a digital product tonight and make more than your monthly bonus?
These aren’t hobbyists. They’re founders, operating with intent, creativity, and a clear exit strategy: ownership. What starts as a passion project on Instagram quickly becomes a coaching funnel, a newsletter, or a full-fledged product ecosystem.
The beauty of the 5-9 hustle? It’s low-risk, high-reward. You don’t need to burn bridges to start. You need consistency, curiosity, and the courage to create publicly.
From Content to Capital
Attention is the new currency. And these creators know how to mint it.
A former teacher sells parenting guides. A runner shares fitness programs. A gamer drops digital collectibles. In every case, content is the top of the funnel, and authenticity is the conversion mechanism.
These aren’t just creators, they’re businesses. They learn analytics. Test offers. Build in public. The line between side hustle and scalable business is getting thinner every night.
And while the 9-5 paycheck pays rent, the 5-9 hustle builds wealth. For many, it’s not about quitting the job, it’s about giving themselves the option to quit.
When Side Hustles Outgrow the 9-5
For some, the goal isn’t to quit the job. It’s to redefine its place in life. The 9, 5 becomes the investor, funding ads, tools, and experiments. The 5, 9 becomes the incubator, where purpose, passion, and ownership collide.
But here’s the twist: what starts as “just a side thing” often gains traction quickly. Within months, creators are making more from their digital product or community than their salary. The shift happens quietly. First, it’s gas money. Then rent. Then it replaces the job.
The creator doesn’t announce their resignation. They simply stop showing up, online, they’ve already arrived.
The Tools Behind the Movement
One reason this revolution is possible: the rise of no-code tools and AI automation. You no longer need a team to build. You need a template and a clear offer.
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Canva replaces a designer.
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ConvertKit replaces a full marketing team.
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Gumroad becomes your e-commerce backend.
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ChatGPT becomes your assistant, strategist, and copywriter, all in one.
With these tools, creators can do in two hours what startups used to take weeks to achieve. It’s not just about working harder, it’s about working sharper.
Why This Is More Than Just a Trend
The 5-9 hustle isn’t a Gen Z gimmick or a post-pandemic phase. It’s a foundational shift in how Americans view income, identity, and opportunity.
Where older generations saw side hustles as backups, today’s creators see them as launchpads. Building something of your own is no longer a rebellion, it’s a rite of passage.
This isn’t hustle culture. It’s ownership culture. And the creators who show up after dark aren’t just chasing dollars, they’re building digital legacies.
Level Up Insight
In 2025, America’s most important businesses aren’t being born in incubators, they’re being born at night, by creators who understand one truth: the future doesn’t belong to the loudest, the richest, or the fastest, it belongs to those who keep building quietly until they can’t be ignored.
The 5-9 hustle isn’t the side show anymore. It’s the main event, and it’s time the world took it seriously.
Entrepreneurs
Startups Scaling Without Chaos: Nathalie El Barche Antonios’ Guide

Published
3 weeks agoon
May 28, 2025
Scaling a startup is a thrilling but often chaotic journey. The rapid pace of growth, pressure to deliver, and juggling countless priorities can quickly spiral into disarray. Nathalie El Barche Antonios, a seasoned entrepreneur and startup advisor, has seen it all, and she believes there’s a way to scale sustainably without losing control.
Her message to founders is clear: scaling startups doesn’t have to mean chaos. Instead, it’s about building the right systems, culture, and mindset from day one to handle growth gracefully.
The Scaling Struggle
Most startups start small and nimble. But as they grow, complexity grows exponentially. New hires, expanding markets, evolving products, and increasing customer demands create tangled webs of communication and processes. This often results in missed deadlines, burnout, and quality dips.
Nathalie points out that many startups fall into the trap of “growth at all costs,” sacrificing clarity and organization in favor of speed. “It’s like trying to drive a car faster and faster without ever upgrading the engine or brakes,” she says.
Systems Over Hustle
One of Nathalie’s core principles is that systems and processes aren’t bureaucracy, they’re enablers of growth. She encourages startups to invest early in scalable workflows and automation tools that reduce manual tasks and human error.
For example, customer support teams should use ticketing systems that prioritize issues and track response times rather than relying on ad hoc emails or Slack messages. Sales teams need CRM tools that not only capture leads but analyze patterns and forecast pipeline.
Culture Is the Glue
No system can replace a strong culture, says Nathalie. Culture is what keeps teams aligned and motivated during periods of rapid change. She advises founders to foster transparency, psychological safety, and clear communication channels.
“A culture where people feel safe to speak up, ask for help, and challenge ideas creates a self-correcting system,” she explains. This reduces chaos by catching problems early and encouraging collaborative solutions.
Prioritization and Focus
Startups often get pulled in too many directions, new features, new markets, fundraising, hiring, and more. Nathalie stresses the importance of prioritization to prevent overload.
She recommends using frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix to separate urgent tasks from important ones, ensuring teams focus on what truly drives progress. “Chaos thrives when everything feels urgent. Leaders need to decide what actually matters,” she says.
Leadership Mindset
Scaling without chaos also requires a shift in leadership. Founders must transition from doing everything themselves to empowering others. This means delegating effectively and trusting managers to own parts of the business.
Nathalie emphasizes that leadership is about enabling people, not controlling every detail. “When you trust your team and give them clarity, you create a force multiplier that handles complexity better than any founder could alone.”
Real-World Example
Nathalie shares a story from her own experience working with a SaaS startup that grew from 10 to 100 employees in under two years. Early on, the company ignored process in the rush to hire and ship features.
As a result, internal confusion grew: product teams duplicated work, customer support was overwhelmed, and morale dipped. When Nathalie stepped in, she helped implement simple systems, weekly cross-team syncs, project management tools, and clear role definitions.
Within six months, the startup regained control and accelerated growth without the usual burnout or chaos. The key was building infrastructure alongside scaling headcount and revenue.
The Role of Technology
Technology plays a vital role in scaling efficiently. Nathalie encourages startups to embrace tools that automate routine tasks, track key metrics, and provide data-driven insights.
But she warns against over-reliance on technology as a silver bullet. “Tools are only as good as the processes and people behind them. The right tech amplifies good habits, it doesn’t replace them.”
Scaling for the Long Term
Nathalie stresses that sustainable scaling is a marathon, not a sprint. Quick growth might feel good initially but can create lasting damage if not managed properly.
Her advice? Build with intention, invest in people, and constantly revisit systems and culture. “Chaos is a symptom of mismatch, between ambition and capacity, vision and reality. Fix those, and scaling becomes an exciting, manageable journey.”
Level Up Insight
Scaling a startup without chaos isn’t luck, it’s strategy. By focusing on strong systems, a healthy culture, disciplined prioritization, and empowered leadership, startups can grow fast and smart. As Nathalie El Barche Antonios shows, scaling is less about speed and more about control.
Entrepreneurs
Kaua‘i’s $39M Land Deal: Hawaii’s Boldest Bet on Its Future

Published
3 weeks agoon
May 27, 2025
A quiet but powerful land deal is unfolding on the lush island of Kaua‘i, and it could redefine Hawaii’s agricultural future. A tech billionaire is offering to sell nearly 1,000 acres of prime farmland for $39 million. The potential buyer? Not a luxury developer or commercial giant, but the state of Hawaii itself.
This isn’t just a property transaction, it’s a pivotal moment for an island state grappling with generational questions about land, food, and identity. Hawaii, long romanticized as a tropical paradise, has also become a battleground between native stewardship and external ownership. Now, the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC), a state agency, is stepping up with a plan that could reclaim not just acreage, but autonomy.
The land, part of the historic Grove Farm estate, holds deep significance. For generations, it sustained sugarcane, diversified agriculture, and local livelihoods. But like much of Hawaii, this farmland has been under threat from luxury developers, foreign buyers, and rising land costs that leave local farmers priced out. This state bid offers a rare alternative, one where the government intervenes not to exploit, but to protect.
At $39,000 per acre, the deal is steep. But in Hawaii’s fractured food economy, it may be a necessary investment. The state currently imports roughly 85% of its food, leaving it vulnerable to global disruptions and supply shocks. Buying this land could mark a turning point: moving from imported dependence to local abundance.
Farmers see the land’s value beyond numbers. “This isn’t just about crops,” one local said. “It’s about feeding our own people. It’s about land security, about passing something down that can’t be outsourced.” In Hawaii, where farming has historically been linked with cultural roots, this deal hits deeper than economics, it speaks to dignity, heritage, and homegrown resilience.
What makes this opportunity even more compelling is the seller’s apparent willingness to prioritize the public good over profit maximization. The billionaire behind the offer isn’t pushing the land into the hands of developers or turning it into a private estate. Instead, there seems to be a quiet alignment: a recognition that this land, this history, this soil, should stay rooted in the hands of those who will nurture it.
And Hawaii is listening.
The ADC has already started evaluating the land’s long-term potential. Early reviews point to its high-quality soil, access to irrigation, and adaptability for a variety of crops, from traditional taro and sweet potatoes to more scalable outputs like tropical fruit and livestock feed. But the true test lies ahead: public feedback, budget approvals, and navigating the state’s typically slow acquisition process.
There’s urgency in the air. Land politics in Hawaii rarely favor patience. Developers move quickly. And when prime land goes up for sale, the window to protect it is fleeting. The fear is simple: delay too long, and the deal disappears. In its place comes another resort, another row of condos, another lost chance to nourish local futures.
What’s at stake isn’t just farmland, it’s a vision.
Hawaii has long struggled with the paradox of being agriculturally rich and food-insecure. The islands produce coffee, macadamia nuts, and sugarcane for export, yet rely on imports for basic staples. Reviving local agriculture isn’t just about growing food; it’s about realigning priorities. Giving young farmers access to land. Reducing dependency. Rebuilding trust between people and place.
On Kaua‘i, community organizations, farming cooperatives, and environmental advocates are coalescing in support. Their message is clear: this land needs to remain in farming, not for nostalgia, but for necessity. The state’s economy may be fueled by tourism, but its future may rest on the soil, literally.
“This isn’t just a land deal,” said one community organizer. “It’s a chance to course-correct. To say: our land is not a commodity. It’s our compass.”
Still, the proposal isn’t without challenges. The state budget is tight. Political consensus is fragile. And competing interests, especially in real estate, are always circling. But for once, momentum appears to favor conservation over commercialization. And that, in Hawaii, is rare.
If this deal is completed, it could set a precedent for how states, not just in Hawaii but across the U.S., can reclaim land for public interest. Not through condemnation, but through commitment. Not as charity, but as strategy.
In a time when billionaire land grabs dominate headlines, this story flips the narrative. A billionaire wants to sell, and the state, on behalf of its people, wants to buy. That reversal isn’t just symbolic. It’s seismic.
And it’s not just Kaua‘i watching. Across the islands, and even beyond, policymakers and land activists are asking: What if this works? What if Hawaii buys the land, supports small farmers, restores ecosystems, and grows its own food? What if a legacy of exploitation turns into a legacy of renewal?
That’s the bet. One worth taking.
Level Up Insight
Hawaii’s opportunity to acquire nearly 1,000 acres of farmland on Kaua‘i isn’t merely a strategic land purchase, it’s a cultural and economic inflection point. In a state haunted by land loss and rising costs, this deal offers something radical: a future rooted in sustainability, sovereignty, and self-reliance. In a world of fleeting investments, this is one Hawaii can’t afford to miss.

Before the world wakes up, Emma Grede is already on her second victory. The British-born entrepreneur and CEO of Skims, the billion-dollar shapewear brand co-founded with Kim Kardashian, doesn’t just lead a company, she runs it like a military operation. And that includes her household.
“I run my house like a military operation,” Grede recently said, with the kind of no-nonsense tone that makes it clear she’s not exaggerating. She’s not trying to sound dramatic, just disciplined. In a world of messy hustle and aesthetic chaos, Grede’s rise is proof that precision still wins.
What does it actually look like when a billion-dollar brand is being built by someone who plans her day to the minute? It looks like early alarms, structured parenting, tightly managed meetings, and a relentless rhythm that’s anything but chaotic. Her personal life isn’t a reaction to her business, it’s a reflection of it. Clean. Efficient. Effective.
The 5:30 A.M. Rule: Discipline Before Sunrise
Emma Grede doesn’t hit snooze. She wakes up at 5:30 a.m. every single day. And it’s not for a wellness flex. It’s because, according to her, this is the only time the day truly belongs to her. Before the Slack messages, before the meetings, before the brand demands her leadership, she wins back a slice of stillness. That discipline gives her clarity. That clarity powers strategy.
It’s not about fitting into a mold of “morning routine success,” but about owning her energy before it gets fragmented. When she hits her desk, she’s not waking up. She’s already activated.
From Home to HQ: Systems, Not Chaos
Grede’s home, like her boardroom, is a place of structure. School runs? Timed. Meals? Prepped. Kids? Briefed. There’s no guessing game on what happens when. It’s all pre-programmed like a mission briefing. And she likes it that way.
She doesn’t believe in winging it. That’s for people who don’t have a billion-dollar valuation on the line. Every decision, from how her kids’ uniforms are handled to how investor calls are sequenced, flows from one core value: operational clarity.
That’s not cold. It’s freeing. When decisions are pre-made, energy is saved for what matters. That’s the game Grede is really playing.
The Skims Formula: Creative + Combat-Ready
What makes Grede different from the cliché “girlboss” founder archetype is her duality. She’s not just creative, she’s combat-ready. Skims isn’t just a brand with cultural clout; it’s a logistics beast. Selling stretchable shapewear at mass scale takes brutal attention to detail: inventory, sizing, restocks, customer service, celebrity collaborations, every piece needs to lock into place.
And Grede doesn’t just float on top of that structure, she built it.
Her meetings aren’t loose brainstorms. They’re laser sessions. Her team isn’t just talented, they’re trained. She expects rigor, not randomness. The reason Skims can drop a collection, sell out in minutes, and then restock without imploding? That’s Emma. That’s the system.
Family Is Not a Side Project — It’s a Parallel Operation
Grede’s “military mindset” doesn’t stop at the company door. It extends into how she parents. But not in a boot-camp way, in a proactive one. Her kids know what’s coming. The schedule is predictable. Expectations are set early. And above all, she’s present, not frazzled.
This is the opposite of hustle-parenting, where success is built at the cost of family. Grede doesn’t believe in trade-offs. She believes in systems that allow for both. The same clarity she demands from her team, she builds into her home life. That’s how she scales both roles: CEO and mom.
She doesn’t collapse under the weight of it all. She just runs it like an operation.
No Time for Chaos: Why Structure Is a Feminist Power Move
Let’s talk about what Grede is actually modeling here, not just a CEO routine, but a woman who’s using structure as a form of power.
In a world that expects women to either nurture or dominate, Grede does both, strategically. She doesn’t leave things to chance. She doesn’t glamorize burnout. She doesn’t pretend to “do it all” through chaos. She engineers her life like a mission: with targets, timelines, and tactical flexibility.
This isn’t hustle culture. This is high-performance feminism.
Grede’s discipline isn’t a reaction to pressure. It’s a rejection of mess. It’s her way of taking full ownership of the outcomes in both her company and her household.
And it’s working.
From London Streets to L.A. Power Moves
Emma Grede grew up in East London, and she didn’t come from luxury. That makes her rise even more precise. Her hunger wasn’t born in boardrooms, it was born in survival, ambition, and a deep belief that if she created structure, she could rewrite her reality.
Fast-forward to today, and she’s not just building Skims. She’s shaping a new kind of archetype: the operationally obsessed, emotionally grounded founder who scales empires and doesn’t lose her soul.
Grede is clear: her daily routine isn’t about being robotic. It’s about being ready.
Level Up Insight
Emma Grede’s secret isn’t luck, celebrity access, or chaos. It’s operations. She doesn’t live by vibes, she lives by mission. In a world drunk on spontaneity, Grede proves that structured living is still the sharpest tool in the success toolbox. She doesn’t chase balance. She builds systems that make balance inevitable.
Entrepreneurs
Data Security Innovator Secures Substantial Funding

Published
3 weeks agoon
May 22, 2025
The dynamic world of digital protection has seen a significant boost recently, as a burgeoning data security startup, Theom, successfully closed a substantial funding round. This pivotal investment, amounting to $20 million in a Series A round, underscores the escalating importance of robust data safeguards in today’s increasingly interconnected digital landscape.
The backing from industry giants like Snowflake and Databricks not only injects crucial capital but also provides a powerful validation of the startup’s innovative approach to protecting sensitive information, signaling a strong vote of confidence from established players in the data ecosystem. This infusion of funds is set to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced security solutions, addressing the ever-evolving complexities of data breaches and cyber threats that businesses face globally.
In an era where data is often described as the new oil, its security has become paramount. Organizations across every sector are grappling with the immense challenge of safeguarding vast quantities of sensitive information, ranging from personal customer details to proprietary corporate strategies. The recent funding secured by Theom reflects this urgent need. The investment was not merely a financial transaction but a strategic endorsement from entities deeply embedded within the data infrastructure.
This kind of collaborative backing highlights a growing trend where established technology leaders are actively investing in next-generation security solutions, recognizing that their own ecosystems thrive only when data integrity and privacy are uncompromised. The funding is poised to propel Theom into a new phase of growth, enabling it to scale operations, expand its research and development capabilities, and ultimately deliver more sophisticated tools to combat sophisticated cyber adversaries.
Theom’s success in attracting such significant investment can be attributed to its unique proposition in a crowded market. Unlike traditional security models that often rely on perimeter defenses or reactive measures, Theom’s approach centers on a more intrinsic understanding of data itself. Its platform aims to identify, classify, and protect data at its core, irrespective of where it resides – be it in cloud environments, on-premise servers, or distributed databases.
This granular level of control and visibility is increasingly critical as enterprises embrace multi-cloud strategies and remote workforces, blurring the traditional boundaries of network security. The startup’s innovative use of advanced analytics and behavioral insights to detect anomalies and prevent unauthorized data access sets it apart, offering a proactive defense mechanism rather than merely responding to breaches after they occur.
The implications of this funding extend beyond just Theom’s immediate growth. It signals a broader market recognition that data security needs a paradigm shift. With data proliferation continuing unabated, and regulatory pressures for data privacy becoming stricter globally, businesses are urgently seeking solutions that offer comprehensive protection without hindering agility or innovation.
The traditional approach of relying on firewalls and basic access controls is proving insufficient against sophisticated cyber threats. The investment into a company like Theom suggests a collective move towards more intelligent, data-centric security frameworks that can adapt to dynamic IT environments and emerging threat vectors. This strategic alignment between the startup and its investors points towards a future where data protection is not an afterthought but an integrated, foundational layer of all digital operations.
The capital infusion will primarily be directed towards scaling Theom’s engineering and product development teams, accelerating the rollout of new features, and expanding its market reach. There is a clear emphasis on enhancing the platform’s capabilities to integrate seamlessly with diverse data environments and provide a unified security posture across an organization’s entire data footprint.
This involves investing in talent that can further refine artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that underpin Theom’s predictive analytics and threat detection mechanisms. Furthermore, a portion of the funds will likely be allocated to strengthening customer support and success initiatives, ensuring that deployed solutions are effectively utilized and continually optimized for maximum security efficacy. The goal is to build a robust and user-friendly platform that simplifies complex data security challenges for enterprises of all sizes.
The increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks have made robust data security a non-negotiable aspect of business continuity. From ransomware assaults to insider threats, the risks are manifold and constantly evolving. This recent funding highlights the industry’s commitment to fostering innovation that can keep pace with these challenges. It reflects a growing understanding that a piecemeal approach to security is no longer viable; instead, a holistic, data-centric strategy is essential.
Startups like Theom are at the forefront of this evolution, developing technologies that not only protect data but also provide actionable intelligence, allowing organizations to anticipate and neutralize threats before they materialize. The success of such ventures is crucial for maintaining trust in the digital economy and ensuring the integrity of critical information assets worldwide.
Level Up Insight:
The substantial investment in data security startups like Theom signals a critical turning point: data protection is no longer just an IT function, but a fundamental business imperative. For professionals and entrepreneurs, this means a growing demand for expertise in advanced security frameworks, particularly those focusing on proactive, data-centric defense.
The future belongs to those who understand that true innovation hinges on unwavering data integrity, making robust security a cornerstone of every successful venture.
Entrepreneurs
You Went Viral, Now What? Creators Who Cashed In

Published
4 weeks agoon
May 20, 2025
For most people chasing virality, that million-view video feels like the mountaintop. But for today’s most successful digital creators, that spike in attention is just the first checkpoint. What really matters is what comes next, how you turn all those eyes into income, and fleeting attention into a full-fledged business.
That’s where the next-gen creators are changing the game. One viral moment used to mean a short spotlight and maybe a few brand deals. Now, it can be the ignition switch for a profitable, scalable digital empire. These aren’t just influencers; they’re operators, product developers, and community builders. They know that visibility means little without a strategy to capitalize on it.
Take one example, a creator who began by posting short videos that made a dry skill entertaining. No studio budget. No major partnerships. Just knowledge packaged with personality. She didn’t wait for someone to tap her for sponsorship. She launched her own product. The results? Multiple six-figure days and a business that now spans a full digital course catalog. And she’s not alone.
A growing wave of creators is ditching brand dependency to launch their own products and services. Whether it’s a bite-sized podcast run by pre-teens or high-ticket courses by YouTubers-turned-entrepreneurs, one thing is clear: going viral is now just step one.
1. Virality = Proof of Product-Market Fit
Viral moments aren’t just vanity metrics, they’re signals. Signals that an audience is hungry for something you’re offering, even if it wasn’t packaged as a product yet.
The smartest creators are treating viral clips like rapid-fire A/B tests. Post ten videos. Watch what spikes. Then build around what works. It’s product-market fit, discovered publicly and iteratively.
In one such case, a creator’s sixth video took off. Within a few days, her follower count hit six figures. She could’ve paused and celebrated. Instead, she asked: What’s my next move?
That one viral video became the seed for her first product, a digital course. Not an affiliate deal. Not merch. A product that turned casual viewers into customers.
2. Stop Waiting for Sponsorships, Sell Something You Own
Brand deals are fickle. Audiences are forever, if you earn their trust. Creators today are skipping the middleman. They’re creating courses, templates, coaching packages, and digital tools that align with what their audience already wants.
One creator went from filming in her living room to launching an online course that replaced her corporate salary in just two months. The best part? She didn’t start perfect. She started with purpose.
Another group of young podcasters took the reverse route, long-form first, then clipped their content into short-form highlights. Over just three episodes, they sliced 170+ pieces of content and saw tens of millions of views across platforms. From podcast mic to viral snippet, they figured out how to milk one idea for maximum reach, and revenue.
3. Build A Funnel That Works In Your Sleep
What separates creators with audiences from creators with income? One word: funnels.
A strong content funnel moves strangers into superfans. It starts with free content on social. That drives to a lead magnet, often a free tool, resource, or newsletter. Then comes the conversion piece: a webinar, a product drop, a live class. The process looks casual from the outside, but behind the scenes it’s strategic and repeatable.
One creator built a funnel so simple it sounds too easy, free TikToks, email opt-in, a live Zoom class, and then a digital course. But it worked. Six-figure launch days became normal. And because the funnel was value-packed from the start, the audience didn’t just buy once, they came back.
4. Scale With Systems, Not Just Views
Growth isn’t just about going viral more often. It’s about building infrastructure behind the attention. That means expanding from one product to many. That means hiring a team, or automating enough that you don’t need one. That means understanding your audience well enough to keep solving their problems, over and over again.
One creator scaled from a solo course to a 10-product digital academy. Another used AI-powered tools to generate hundreds of clips from a few podcast episodes. The tech stack matters. The team matters. But the system matters most.
You can’t scale chaos. You can only scale structure.
5. Steal the Playbook from Proven Creators
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Some of the most profitable creator businesses today follow nearly identical blueprints. Content drives community. Community drives sales. Sales drive reinvestment into better content and better products. It loops.
One creator who left his full-time medical career built a newsletter, a YouTube presence, and a premium course. The course alone brought in over a quarter million dollars in its first run. His free content? Still his best sales driver. His monetization? All anchored in products he owns.
That’s the model.
6. For Small Creators, Here’s the Blueprint
You don’t need millions of views to make money. You don’t even need a product today. But if you want to turn content into income, you need a direction.
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Start by showing up: Consistency beats polish. One video a day beats one perfect video a month.
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Repurpose like a machine: Turn podcasts into TikToks. Turn YouTube videos into carousels. One piece of content should live ten lives.
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Build an email list: Social media is borrowed land. Own your audience.
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Launch simple: A PDF checklist, a one-hour workshop, or a 3-video mini course can be enough to start.
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Think long-term: Monetize with intention. Courses, coaching, templates, whatever fits your niche.
The game has changed. Today, creators don’t need permission to build real businesses. They just need a plan. Virality is just step one. Execution is what builds empires.
Level Up Insight:
In today’s digital world, attention is the new currency, but only if you learn how to invest it. Viral moments are great for visibility. But it’s systems, ownership, and smart product design that lead to real wealth. Creators who treat their audience like customers, and their content like assets, are the ones who don’t just go viral. They go pro.

In a city famous for pastel sunsets, Art Deco icons, and cultural mashups, something deeper is taking root, Miami’s design identity is entering a new chapter. It’s no longer just about visual spectacle or high-rise showmanship. The future belongs to spaces that tell stories. That feel personal. That connect. And in the heart of this quiet revolution stands a boutique design studio that’s rewriting the rules, not by going bigger, but by going deeper.
The studio’s origin wasn’t born from glitzy investor decks or oversized branding. It began with a simple idea: design should feel. Every material, every shadow, every line on a blueprint must move with meaning. And that belief has snowballed into one of the most exciting entrepreneurial stories shaping Miami’s luxury scene. Where others chase trends, this team crafts narratives. Where others follow aesthetics, they build emotion.
Miami has long been a magnet for the extravagant, from oceanfront penthouses to avant-garde hotels. But what this studio understood early is that true luxury in 2025 doesn’t scream. It whispers. Their approach to residential design is rooted in restraint. Projects tucked inside exclusive enclaves like Brickell and Key Biscayne aren’t about maximalism, they’re sanctuaries of modern stillness. Think natural light, tactile textures, and muted palettes that feel more like a gentle conversation than a loud announcement.
This isn’t just smart design, it’s strategic entrepreneurship. At a time when real estate developers and hospitality giants are scrambling to differentiate, the studio positions itself not as a vendor but as a creative partner. That shift in mindset, working from intention, not just instruction, has made them indispensable to a new wave of clients who crave more than just style. They want soul.
What’s even more compelling is how the studio has moved beyond private homes into cultural translation. Their recent work designing a flagship for a century-old European culinary brand wasn’t just about interiors. It was about time travel. They managed to distill generations of heritage into a space that feels both rooted and contemporary, a rare feat in retail where trends expire by the quarter. This blend of emotional branding and immersive space-making is turning heads in global design circles, and it signals something bigger: the rise of empathy-led entrepreneurship.
It’s a philosophy that’s gaining traction far beyond Florida. With projects now underway across the U.S., the studio is proving that its process is exportable. But it’s not scale for scale’s sake. Their team remains deliberately small, favoring high-touch collaboration over production-line speed. There are no ego-driven creative directors here, just a tight-knit group of thinkers, builders, and storytellers obsessed with getting the details right.
And that’s where the real lesson lies for creative entrepreneurs. In a landscape addicted to speed and scale, this studio’s rise is a masterclass in intentional growth. By focusing on depth over width, on relationships over reach, they’ve built something that’s not just profitable, but personal. Their success isn’t defined by how many square feet they touch, but by how deeply they touch the people who experience them.
Of course, none of this is easy. The design world, like any creative industry, is saturated. What separates enduring brands from the forgettable is clarity. This studio doesn’t market through aggressive sales funnels or viral gimmicks. Their work speaks. Their spaces circulate word-of-mouth like prized secrets. In an era where algorithms dominate, they’ve built something refreshingly analog, reputation.
The rise of this Miami studio mirrors a broader trend we’re seeing across the entrepreneurial landscape in America: a pivot from surface to substance. Whether it’s solopreneurs building micro-agencies or makers crafting limited-run product lines, the new wave of success stories all share one trait, purposeful design thinking. It’s not just about what you create, but why and for whom.
Miami is a city always in motion. But in this flurry of change, there’s a rare opportunity to shape identity. To not just design buildings, but to define what the city feels like tomorrow. And that’s exactly what this studio is doing, quietly, confidently, beautifully.
They’re not just riding the wave of Miami’s creative renaissance. They’re designing it.
LEVEL UP INSIGHT
In a world obsessed with viral visuals and “bigger, faster, now,” true design entrepreneurs are carving a new lane, one defined by emotion, craft, and cultural intelligence. The firms shaping the next decade of space-making aren’t following trends. They’re creating resonance. That’s where the future of design, and business, is headed.
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