Emma Grede

Grede was born and raised in the Plaistow neighborhood of East London, England. She is the daughter of Jenny-Lee Findlay, an English mother who worked for Morgan Stanley. Her father is Trinidadian, but she was raised by her Jamaican step-father. Starting as a teenager, Emma began working at a number of odd jobs, including delivering newspapers, which she credits for teaching her perseverance and discipline. She regularly saved her earnings to purchase magazines like Elle and Vogue and has noted that the fashion industry was a form of escapism for her. At age 16, Grede enrolled at the London College of Fashion, where she also secured internships at places like Gucci. However, in order to pursue her career, she withdrew from school before completing her degree, noting that "It was the right decision for me." ==Career==

Entrepreneurship After leaving college, Grede worked for Quintessentially, a concierge company, before joining Inca Productions as a fashion show and events producer. Around 2015, Grede proposed an idea for a denim company to Kris Jenner, whom she met during Paris Fashion Week, explaining that she wanted to partner with Jenner's daughter, Khloé Kardashian. Grede and Kardashian launched Good American in 2016, as a women's clothing company focused on size inclusivity and body positivity with Grede as CEO. Emma conceived of the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she desired products that would be safe for her own family. To that end, Safely's mission is "to rid American homes of harsh toxins with plant-powered products". to launch apparel brand Off Season in collaboration with the NFL and Fanatics. With an estimated net worth of more than $300 million, Grede has 8% stake in Skims, 23% stake in Good American, and 22% stake in Safely. Guests have included CEO of Saie, Laney Crowell, founder of Jone's Road, Bobbi Brown, and founder of Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow. In April 2026, Grede published her first book, Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life, a business memoir. Philanthropy Emma Grede regularly addresses the need for more diverse representation amongst CEOs and entrepreneurs and has used her influence to create opportunities for people of color, specifically. Grede is a guest shark on the first episode of season 13 and the fourteenth episode of season 14 of the reality television series Shark Tank. She is the first mixed race woman investor on the show. In 2024, she became a guest dragon on the 21st series of ''Dragons' Den''. Grede also is chairwoman of the 15 Percent Pledge, an initiative for retailers to reserve 15% of their shelf space for black-owned businesses. By 2022, the nonprofit helped black business owners generate $10 billion in revenue. == Recognition ==

In November 2022, Emma, husband Jens Grede, and Kim Kardashian won the first Innovation Award presented by Amazon Fashion for Skims at the CFDA Awards in New York. With an estimated net worth of $320 million by 2023, Forbes magazine identified Grede as one of the Richest Self-Made Women in America. == Personal life ==

Grede is married to Jens Grede, the Swedish co-founder of Skims and the denim brand Frame. The couple moved to Bel Air, Los Angeles in 2017, and they have four children together. In her mid-twenties, Grede learned that she is "super-dyslexic". == References ==