The Curvy Pod

Amanda Blank, Founder of Bratadah, "Effort Equals Results"

Amanda Blank is a determined entrepreneur who dropped her finance career to improve the online bra shopping experience—all with newborn twins in tow. After entering a startup competition with no prior entrepreneurial experience, she was amazed that her business idea was accepted to compete. Then, Amanda dove headfirst into founding Bratadah. The company’s goal was to solve a challenge that she and many other women face: buying a bra online that fits perfectly. While working to grow Bratadah, giving birth to her sons, and finishing her MBA at Chicago Booth, COVID-19 happened. Amanda has gone through the highs and lows of building an e-commerce marketplace during a pandemic. She can give advice on establishing brand partnerships, navigating feedback from VC firms, and developing retail tech for the evolving lingerie market.

Karima Renee, The Philly Bra Lady

Karima's Renee career started backward. If you ask her about her journey in becoming a personal stylist and The Philly Bra Lady, that's what she would say. It began on a hot summer day in 2007 with an internship with celebrity stylist June Ambrose. Since then, she has focused on women's style, imaging their bra's top priority. Karima Renee has positioned herself and her brand The Philly Bra Lady(formerly, Skinny Minority)as the go-to brand for intimate apparel expertise in Philadelphia. For the majority of the past decade, Karima Renee has worked in both the New York and Philadelphia fashion markets honing her skills and sharing her expertise with brands like Macy's, H&M, Lane Bryant, Tallutos, Indique, No Nonsense and Simon Malls. Today, her mission is the same as when she first started, to help professional women feel confident and comfortable in their clothing and bras.

Beverly Franklin and Gail Williams, "Feel good about the skin your in" - Measured to Fit.

Beverly Franklin and Gail Williams are Certified Bra Fitters! They have been connected through their strong faith and interest in helping others for many years. They have experience, passion and are committed to the beauty, confidence and comfort of all women. Their goal is to increase women’s self-esteem, their confidence and the perception of their own beauty. Beverly Franklin spent 30 years in corporate administrative services, working with many high-ranking professionals. Beverly has always believed that it was her job to help others look good, and today she’s leveraging her extensive experience, to support women in her community in a direct way. Gail Williams worked as an administrator providing support services for over 20 years, and later worked in direct sales for 10 years. Gail has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a heart for serving others. Beverly & Gail’s own bra-fitting experience inspired them to bring that to other women and thus, Measured To Fit LLC was formed. Measured To Fit’s mission is to enlighten and empower women by knowing what the right fit feels like and how to achieve it. “It’s a blessing to be a blessing in the lives of women with a properly fitted undergarment, Because One Size Does Not Fit All!” https://measuredtofit.com/

Kaarin Von - "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work!"

Kaarin Von founded the eponymous Von Bar in 1995. (@vonbarnyc Currently open for delicious to-go cocktails!) It started as an antique shop with coffee service, but guided by friends and the small matter of high rent, transformed into a trend-setting nightspot, and ultimately into the “neighborhood fixture” it is today. As it grew, Von helped to reinvigorate the neighborhood and will always be remembered as a pioneering Noho-Bowery business.  Married to an Italian “Count” for 12 years, Kaarin and her family regularly travel throughout Europe seeking the best coffee and cake that can be found. She can converse in Italian and rusty French and German. She holds a Master’s Degree in Medieval Literature and is an amateur writer and historian (skills used mostly to answer late night bar disputes about Chaucer or the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Federico II—since there are many such disputes at the Von, believe it or not).  Kaarin is an elected official for Assembly District 66 of New York, serving as the Democratic Party’s County Committee Person. Active in community matters, Kaarin is also a member of the Noho-Bowery Stake Holders, the Noho Alliance and a sponsor of ACE for the Homeless. Kaarin has coordinated innumerable fundraising events at Von for Not-For-Profit organizations such as Project Pet, Japan Society, Unicef, Solar Salon, STEPS to end family violence, Move-On, and the New Amsterdam School among others. In her non-professional life, she has continued the community building activities that define her role at Von, serving on the board of the Grace Church Choral Society, a choir in which she has sung for the past twelve years, and helping to spearhead fundraising efforts at the New Amsterdam School, where she co-chairs the resource development committee and the craft cooperative, and where she also pursues studies in anthroposophy. She also, incidentally, made Vogue’s best-dressed list a few years back (but since then she hardly dresses up at all, preferring the simpler art of sweatpants).

Kimmay Caldwell "Show up and be nice!"

Kimmay Caldwell is a self-love coach and Undergarment educator who supports people to say hurray inside, outside, and underneath™. She is an expert bra fitter with over 15 years of experience of getting intimate with people from cup sizes A to N. Previously based in NYC, she made a dramatic move to rural Oklahoma, and travels around the world to spread her empowering message of self-love, and how to use the everyday ritual of putting on a bra to uncover your confidence, stand in your power, and learn to love yourself. You may have seen her in one of over 100 press outlets, including The Martha Stewart Show, The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and more. Or perhaps you caught her teaching bra fitting workshops at the largest lingerie expo in the world. You can connect with Kimmay @Hurraykimmay, and always find her at www.HurrayKimmay.com [http://www.hurraykimmay.com/]