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New York Post
25-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Phia's Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni are creating a new kind of founder
The fashion industry is the world's second largest producer of greenhouse gases and environmental pollutants, behind only the oil and gas industry. It's also rife with waste and excess, having already produced enough apparel to clothe the next six generations. Now, two recent Stanford graduates are trying to make fashion more sustainable by improving the secondhand shopping experience. On Thursday, Phoebe Gates, 22, and Sophia Kianni, 23, launched Phia, an app and desktop tool that aggregates secondhand and retail shopping options from across the internet. 'It's like 'Google Flights' for fashion,' Kianni told me. 'Phia finds you the best price in one click … and allows you to really easily price compare.' 4 Phoebe Gates (left), 22, and Sophia Kianni, 23, are trying to make fashion more sustainable by improving the secondhand shopping experience. Brian Zak/NY Post She added, 'How do you know that you're not getting scammed? How do you know it's actually the best price possible? We built the tool that we wish had existed back when we were in college,' While the pair only recently graduated from Stanford, they already have more accolades than many people twice their age. Kianni is founder of the world's largest youth-led climate nonprofit, Climate Cardinals, and is the youngest United Nations advisor. Gates interned at British Vogue and has become a notable voice in reproductive rights — speaking at events such as Global Citizen and being named the Reproductive Freedom for All's Champion of the Year last year. She is also the daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates. While Phia is their first priority — they were up with their team until 3 a.m. working out bugs the night before our interview — they're not just trying to change the way people shop, they're also trying to be more transparent about the founder experience. In early April, they launched 'The Burnouts,' a podcast on 'Call Her Daddy' founder Alex Cooper's Unwell Network that chronicles their entrepreneurial experiences. 4 In early April, they launched 'The Burnouts,' a podcast on 'Call Her Daddy' founder Alex Cooper's Unwell Network that chronicles their entrepreneurial experiences. Getty Images for Roc Nation 'We really felt that there was a huge white space in the market … When you look at Founder Podcasts, it's always experts who've sold their companies, who've achieved all this,' Gates told me. 'But I wanted someone who was just starting out, who was a noob, asking all the questions that everyone else felt were too dumb to ask.' She added, 'One thing for us that's been really important is shedding some light on what the founder experience is actually like.' Listening to episodes of 'The Burnouts' (a title many of us can relate to) is less 'How I Built This' and more how in the world do I build this?! In the first episode, Gates and Kianni tell guest Kris Jenner about some of their failed business ideas, including a bluetooth tampon, and some of their hacks, such as creating a fake assistant to give them more credibility. 4 In the first episode, Gates and Kianni tell guest Kris Jenner about some of their failed business ideas, including a bluetooth tampon, and some of their hacks, such as creating a fake assistant to give them more credibility. Bre Johnson/ While the podcast reveals the challenges and realities of starting something new, it's also been launched on a platform with over 34 million listeners — many of whom are young women in Phia's target demographic. Talking about themselves is good promotion for the fashion app. 'A really critical piece of marketing is this founder-led growth and pulling back the curtain on what it's like to be a founder and to learn,' Gates said. Understanding what they're best suited for, has been key. 'We had all these ideas in these different industries that are fascinating, but it really was this question of are we the right people to build this thing? I remember one thing we discussed was electric cruise ships for shipping … But are we the right people to build that?,' Gates said. 4 Phoebe Gates said her father, Bill Gates, has advised her but she hasn't looked to him for Phia funding. AFP via Getty Images She added, 'This entire industry of fashion tech is fascinating to me. Women are spending a huge amount of money on shopping, and the fact we're not delivering a personalized experience to them that's good for their wallets and the world is crazy to me.' While Gates has nothing but appreciation for her family, she is focused on making her own name in the tech world — and far more eager to talk about her own work than her family's. This story is part of NYNext, an indispensable insider insight into the innovations, moonshots and political chess moves that matter most to NYC's power players (and those who aspire to be). When raising funding for Phia, she didn't look to her parents. (The cap table is private, but Kris Jenner revealed she is on it). 'We don't want this to be something that's funded by my family — we want this to be a real company,' Gates told me. 'That's really important for us … while I have a ton of privilege coming from my family, it's about having a product that stands on its own.' Growing up, it was always clear that she would make her own way. 'Seeing the example that my parents led with the foundation and their own work has been an incredible example to me,' she said. 'There was never an expectation that we were gonna not work the rest of our lives.' Earlier this month, her father very pointedly said that he isn't trying to turn his family into a dynasty. Perhaps that is why Gates and Kianni are seeking to build theirs. Send NYNext a tip: nynextlydia@
CBS News
05-02-2025
- CBS News
Avoiding these 3 mistakes could save you money when booking spring break travel
From arriving at the airport too late to forgetting your passport, we've all made our fair share of mistakes while traveling. But as many start to plan their spring break warm-weather getaways, experts say some mistakes could cost you more than others. Now is a great time to start planning a spring break trip, but depending on where you're looking to go, the window is quickly closing, according to travel app Hopper. It's advised to book international trips at least eight to 10 weeks before departure, while it's typically three to six weeks for domestic flights. The most popular destinations this year include Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Cancun, San Juan and Punta Cana, according to Hopper's data, which also forecasts a 12% increase in airfare to those destinations compared to last year. Experts say three common mistakes could cost you even more. Being inflexible Generally, flexibility can go a long way when planning a trip and can often lead to significant savings, Clint Henderson with the travel website says. Traveling midweek can unlock deals. "If you're traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday, prices are going to be cheaper," he said. "If you can add flexibility to location or time of arrival window of two or three days on either side, you're going to unlock a lot of deals, not just with points, but with cash fares, too." Using Google Flights' "Explore" tool, you can easily find flexible dates. Just enter your departure city, price range and desired trip length. Not checking your passport This mistake could ruin your vacation. Don't assume you're in the clear just because your passport isn't expired, Henderson warns. A traveler went viral on TikTok when they were turned away at the airport because their passport was due to expire in five months. The fact is, many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond the dates of your trip, according to the U.S. Department of State. "That includes a lot of countries that you want to go to, most likely," Henderson said. "The good news is Canada and Mexico are a little more loose. It just has to expire after you get back from your trip, but that's a big one for people." Forgetting your rights to a refund While a flight delay or cancelation can derail a trip, new federal refund regulations in effect for U.S. airlines should make getting a refund easier and faster. Passengers who opt not to rebook are now entitled to an automatic refund if their flight is significantly delayed or canceled. The Department of Transportation rule requiring airlines to issue refunds — not vouchers — went into effect in October. The new rule mandates airlines issue refunds without passengers needing to ask. Refunds must be issued within seven business days if the passenger paid by credit card and within 20 calendar days for other forms of payment. The new refund rules also apply to ticket upgrades, baggage fees, or other extras like Wi-Fi.
