From working as a fashion assistant to being a pivotal part of the Kar-Jenner portfolio of brands, Emma Grede is an entrepreneurial force with an eye for what’s needed. “I never actually set out to be an entrepreneur if I’m really honest. I always really set out to solve a problem,” she says. Grede is the cofounder and CEO of Khloé Kardashian‘s Good American, which focuses on size-inclusive jeans and wardrobe staples. She is also the founding partner of Kim Kardashian‘s shapewear and loungewear company, Skims. Grede partnered with Kris Jenner in founding Safely, a plant-based home-care brand. She’s also behind Kylie Jenner’s Khy. Each of these brands sets out to provide solutions to everyday problems that people are facing, whether it’s ill-fitting jeans, uncomfortable and unflattering shapewear, or affordable and nontoxic cleaning products.
“When I think about investing, it really is thinking about my own starting point in business, like how I got my start, how I got my initial investment. I’m really thinking about how hard it is for women to get their ideas invested in it,” she says. Currently, she is chairperson of the 15 Percent Pledge, a campaign aimed at reserving 15 percent of shelf space for Black-owned businesses. “I think my thesis is really about doing what would have helped me at the beginning of my career, and really thinking about how I can take what I’ve learned, where I’ve been successful, and how I’ll be able to help other people.”
With this roster and being a guest shark on “Shark Tank,” Grede has plenty of intel on what makes a product a must have. Ahead, we asked Grede about her current favorite products, plus her personal recommendations from Good American, Skims, and Safely. From the editor-backed “The Five Minute Journal” to the versatile Dyson Airwrap, these are Grede’s must-have products.
