What is Empowered by You?
- Empowered By You is a lingerie brand that sells seamless thong and brief panties in a variety of styles and colors. It also donates 20% of net profits to Seven Bar Foundation, a nonprofit organization that allocates its funds to carefully chosen Microfinance Institutions. These funds are then distributed as loans to women across the globe. Overall, the goal is to take women entrepreneurs and small business owners from poverty to self-sufficiency through microfinance.
How did you get interested in the organization?
- My boss and CEO, Renata Black, met my dad while she was an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina. She was applying for an internship at Viacom, the company my dad works for. Having graduated from UNC himself, the two of them immediately hit it off. My dad finally introduced us last year, and I was fortunate enough to intern for Empowered By You and Seven Bar Foundation this past summer.
Give us some history on Empowered By You and Seven Bar Foundation
- After Renata completed her internship at Viacom, she decided to travel to India before permanently settling down in New York City. While in India, a woman approached her and said, “I know you have money and I don’t want it, but why don’t you teach me how to make it myself?” It was at that point that Renata found her passion for microfinance, and thus established the non-profit organization, Seven Bar Foundation. In order to ensure that a steady inflow of funds were being donated to Seven Bar Foundation, Renata launched the for-profit lingerie brand, Empowered By You.
How does this company use lingerie to shift the traditional view of it as a seduction tool and instead redirect that energy to empower women?
· Seven Bar Foundation aims to ignite paradigm shifts and inspire women to see things differently. The company uses the luxury lingerie business as a platform for their campaigns and aims to redirect the power of the industry, which is traditionally seen a benefit for men, into an empowerment tool for women. The vast majority of the time, women buy underwear for themselves, which is why the company strives to focus on advertising campaigns that reinforce this fact over anything or anyone else.
What inspired you to bring this organization to SMU?
· Last year, my sister successfully launched a brand ambassador program for Empowered By You at the University of Virginia. She and her co-director brought together an incredible group of girls who met bi-weekly and successfully sold out in the two trunk shows they hosted. I was so inspired by my sister’s success that I knew I had to bring this company and its message down to Texas.
What does it mean to be an “empowered woman?”
- An empowered woman holds herself with a vast amount of confidence and grace. She strives never to compete with other women, but rather, to always empower them. She is a leader and is proud to fight adversity, to accomplish her goals, and refuses to back down for what she believes in.
What do you do for it? What are the meetings like?
- With the help of my co-director, Emma Paye, the two of us have successfully launched an Empowered By You brand ambassador program at SMU. We hold bi-weekly meetings where we talk about inspiring women in the news today and discuss what empowers us as individuals. It is a really fun, open atmosphere. It has been incredible to have a space where everyone can share their unique stories. We inspire each other. I think the environment we create with these girls is awesome. It’s a brand ambassador program, but it has also become a support group and family. As of now, we have sixteen girls in the program; however, we are always more than happy to add members to the team!!
Rumor has it there will be a trunk show at Beyond Pedaling. Can you tell me a little about this? (Along with the address, date, etc.)
- Yes, we will be hosting a trunk show at Beyond Pedaling!! Individual panties will be sold in beige, pink, blue, red, black, purple, and white. We are proud that each seamless panty is made with high-tech patented silicone “flocking” technology and a side-seam fusion technique to prevent slippage, impart smoothness, and ensure steady wear.
- The show will be this Saturday, November 22nd from 10-1 and this Sunday, November 23rd from 12-3. Beyond Pedaling is located at 6814 Snider Plaza, Dallas, TX 75205. Be sure to come check it out!