Latest news with #SophiaKianni
Miami Herald
06-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Gold House and Garnier Announce Recipients of Gold Green Grant, Doubling the Fund Committed to Sustainability in Asian Pacific Impact
Press Releases Gold House and Garnier Announce Recipients of Gold Green Grant, Doubling the Fund Committed to Sustainability in Asian Pacific Impact Three changemakers from diverse fields receive a combined $60,000 to further their sustainability efforts Gold House, the leading Asian Pacific cultural ecosystem, and Garnier USA, a global leader in beauty and haircare, are thrilled to announce the recipients of the second annual Gold Green Grant - winners Climate Cardinals, Global Coralition, and Protect & Preserve Hawaiʻi. The grant will provide a combined $60,000 in funding, annual National Park passes, mentorship from Garnier's executive leadership, and invaluable amplification opportunities from Gold House to empower changemakers dedicated to sustainability and the Asian Pacific community. In today's increasingly complex global landscape, sustainability has become one of the most pressing challenges of our time. From environmental activists to creatives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, the critical need for all industries to advance sustainability has never been greater. In its second year, the Gold Green Grant expands its funding amount and eligible recipients to emphasize the importance of an all-encompassing approach to sustainability-one that integrates environmental stewardship, cultural inclusivity, and social responsibility. This year's three grant recipients represent leaders dedicated to preserving ecological biodiversity and mobilizing communities to take climate action. They receive a total of $60,000 in funding, mentorship from Garnier's executive leadership, and invaluable amplification opportunities to advance their work. The three recipients are: Climate Cardinals , focused on educating and empowering youth-led, grassroots climate action Global Coralition , focused on uniting art, science and communities to regenerate marine ecosystems across 50 reef sites Protect and Preserve Hawaiʻi, focused on protecting Hawaiʻi's native ecosystems and cultural heritage "We began as a small group of high school students - many of us Asian American children of immigrants - translating climate information for our families and communities. It's incredible that what started with $500, a Squarespace site, and Google Classroom accounts is now being recognized by Gold House and Garnier USA," said Sophia Kianni, Founder of Climate Cardinals. "We are so grateful for the support in our mission to revive marine ecosystems, build climate resilience for coastal communities and steward a globally sustainable future. This grant will allow us to document and scale our project in the Dominican Republic, where we have launched our sculpture Atabey, built a land-based coral farm, marine protected the area and planted 1.2 million mangroves across the island. This grant will also support us to seed this project in our next site, which we aim to be in the Asian-Pacific region of the world," said Angeline Chen, Founder of Global Coralition. "[T]his grant … reaffirms the power of community-driven solutions during uncertain times. This support not only fuels our efforts to restore Hawaiʻi's ecosystems through hands-on education and native species revitalization but also amplifies our work to empower the API community by instilling aloha ʻāina-a love for the land that bridges cultural heritage and environmental action. These funds will [also] help us expand youth mentorship programs and community partnerships, ensuring sustainability is rooted in both tradition and innovation," said Tyrone Montayre, founder of Protect and Preserve Hawai'i. "We're incredibly proud to partner with Gold House for the second year of the Gold Green Grant, furthering our commitment to supporting the AANHPI community," said Amy Whang, President of Garnier, Maybelline, and essie U.S. "At Garnier, sustainability and inclusivity are at the heart of everything we do, and this continued partnership allows us to make a tangible difference while championing both these vital values." "Climate Cardinals, Global Coralition, and Protect & Preserve Hawaiʻi represent the innovative spirit and deep commitment to collective impact that drives the Asian Pacific diaspora. We're grateful to partner with Garnier USA to nurture a future where cultural heritage and environmental stewardship go hand in hand," said Rose Yan, Head of Marketing for Gold House. An open call for applications was whittled down to ten finalists. A selection committee consisting of five cross-industry leaders in sustainability and a public voting process that garnered thousands of votes contributed to the final selection process. The other seven finalists include: For more information about the Gold Green Grant, visit SOURCE: Gold House press release
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zalando Grows Sales and Users in Q1, Named TikTok Shop's Logistics Partner in Key Markets
PARIS – Zalando's ecosystem strategy is paying off with a strong first quarter, rebounding from losses in 2024. In the three months to March 31, revenue at the German online shopping giant grew 7.9 percent to 2.4 billion euros. More from WWD Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni Launch Shopping Tool Phia to Answer Top Consumer Question: 'Should I Buy This?' Leopard Print Jeans, Faux Fur Coat, and Black Knee-High Boots Among Top Sellers in U.K., According to Shein Faherty Expands 'Second Wave' Resale Program With Mail-in Option 'Our ecosystem strategy is progressing well, and customers and partners are embracing our expanding offerings,' said co-chief executive officer David Schroeder. It has boosted sales, with consumer revenue hitting 2.18 billion euros in the quarter, up from 2.02 billion year-over-year. Consumer sales were driven by bargains at the end of the season, and the company added 2.9 million active users for an all-time high of 52.4 million customers in the quarter. Gross merchandise volume (GMV) was up 6.5 percent to 3.5 billion euros. The company launched a strategy to expand its offerings and move into lifestyle categories one year ago, including adding entertainment into its site to drive engagement and inspiration beyond the simple search-click-buy. That strategy included adding Pinterest-like curated boards, a functionality that has attracted more than 1 million users since it was rolled out to all markets. Zalando will continue to build out this function with users able to create their own boards and interact with other user-generated content to drive engagement. It's also working on creating its own content and livestream shopping channels to further keep shoppers in its ecosystem for entertainment purposes. For example, Gentz said, since the launch of lifestyle-related 'Stories' in 2023, Zalando has told 500 stories, utilizing 700 brands and 7,000 products. That kind of content has an impact on sales. Other key drivers have been the continued expansion of its loyalty program Zalando Plus, now available in 13 markets including Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands. Fifteen percent of its users in those markets have already enrolled. Zalando has sought out more upscale partnerships as well. Moves have included becoming the exclusive retail partner for Diane von Furstenberg in Europe, which was backed by a huge marketing campaign touting the platform's fashion credentials, as well as adding Marc Jacobs to its mix in the quarter. The company said it logged 'double-digit growth' in the designer category. The average basket bumped up to 61.1 euros per order, from 60.4 euros in the same period last year, with 58.5 million orders – 3.3 million more year-over-year. Zalando said it sees no signs of slowing down, despite choppy economic waters, with sales in the second quarter off to a 'promising start.' Behind the scenes, logistics and fulfilment arm ZEOS has continued to grow its reach. The company scored big when it was selected as TikTok Shop's preferred logistics partner for fashion and lifestyle in Germany, France and Italy. The first rollout was completed for Germany in the first quarter, as the company expands into social commerce support. Revenue in that category was up 11.6 percent in the first quarter to 240 million euros. 'In B2B, we are delighted to see a continuation of our double-digit growth trajectory as we are working to advance our ZEOS offering with a particular focus on logistics and software solutions this year,' Schroeder added. The company said it wouldd continue to roll out its platform to new markets such as Portugal, Greece and Bulgaria and sees a positive outlook 'despite the fast-changing geopolitical and macroeconomic environment.' Zalando confirmed its full-year guidance, anticipating revenue to ramp up between 4 and 9 percent over 2024, with adjusted EBIT at 530 million to 590 million euros. Best of WWD Harvey Nichols Sees Sales Dip, Losses Widen in Year Marred by Closures Nike Logs $1.3 Billion Profit, But Supply Chain Issues Persist Zegna Shares Start Trading on New York Stock Exchange
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Bill Gates reveals his 'worries' about nepo daughter Phoebe asking for money after cutting her inheritance
Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates has revealed that he was 'worried' youngest daughter Phoebe would ask for money to start her new business after cutting her inheritance. The 22-year-old Stanford University grad - along with her former roommate, Sophia Kianni - recently launched an e-commerce startup app called Phia. The platform, which went live on April 24, offers shoppers an easy way to compare the prices of new and used items across thousands of selling sites. Upon first hearing about her idea, Gates, 69, said, per The New York Times: 'Wow, a lot of people have tried, and there's some big guys in there.' He was also worried that the young entrepreneur would ask for money to fund the venture. 'I thought, "Oh boy, she's going to come and ask,"' he said. 'And then I would have kept her on a short leash and be doing business reviews, which I would have found tricky, and I probably would have been overly nice but wondered if it was the right thing to do? 'Luckily, it never happened.' The 22-year-old Stanford University grad (pictured) - along with her former roommate, Sophia Kianni - recently launched an e-commerce startup app called Phia The platform, which went live on April 24, offers shoppers an easy way to compare the prices of new and used items across thousands of selling sites 'When it comes to shopping, I'm not exactly the target audience,' the billionaire admitted, before adding that he did offer some advice but limited it to mostly personnel issues. His ex wife, Melinda Gates, encouraged Phoebe and Sophia to raise the capital to launch Phia on their own. 'She saw it as a real opportunity for me to, like, learn and fail,' Phoebe who branded her mom as her 'rock,' told the outlet. The pair started with $100,000 from Soma Capital and a Stanford grant of $250,000 from a social entrepreneurship program. Eventually, they received another $500,000 from angel investors. The launch of Phia has also been covered by Wealth which explained how the program works. 'Phia flashes real-time median prices so you know exactly when an item is worth buying new, and when it's a better deal secondhand,' per an Instagram post. The app is free to use and the company will be funded through purchases via affiliate links. Gates shares Jennifer, 30, Rory, 25, and Phoebe with ex-wife Melinda, 60. Earlier this year, he revealed that his children will inherit 'less than one percent' of his wealth - despite his $149 billion net worth, per Bloomberg. The Microsoft founder told the Raj Shamani podcast: 'My kids got a great upbringing and education, but less than one percent of the total wealth because I decided it wouldn't be a favor to them. 'It's not a dynasty, I'm not asking them to run Microsoft. I want to give them a chance to have their own earnings and success.' In 2011, the billionaire suggested to that he would be leaving his children around $10 million. 'It will be a minuscule portion of my wealth,' he said. 'It will mean they will have to be their own way.'
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bill Gates' daughter Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni launch free AI-powered online shopping app
Credit: Instagram/@phoebegates Phoebe Gates , daughter of Bill Gates, and her former Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni have officially launched Phia, a free AI-powered app designed to help users find the best prices on fashion items. As reported by People, the app is designed to make online shopping smarter, faster, and more affordable. How the Phia online shopping app created by Phoebe Gates works Phia uses AI to compare prices across 40,000+ retail and secondhand sites, offering instant insights on whether an item is fairly priced or overpriced. Users can tap the 'Should I Buy This?' button on the Phia browser extension to receive price checks and suggestions for better-priced alternatives. The app is available on iOS and as a Chrome browser extension, catering to both mobile and desktop shoppers. What Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni said about the app Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, both passionate about fashion, created Phia to address the challenges of endless scrolling and manual price comparisons. 'Shopping for the things you love shouldn't be hard, expensive, or a waste of time. That's why we built Phia—to make finding the best deal effortless,' the co-founders said in a statement to People. The app also promotes sustainability, leveraging a database of 250 million secondhand items from platforms like The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, and Poshmark. Users can save preferences, track prices, and build collections, making Phia a personalised shopping assistant. Phia has already secured investments from notable figures, including Kris Jenner and Desiree Gruber, highlighting its potential to disrupt the e-commerce space.
CNBC
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNBC
Phia co-founders on app launch: An intelligent shopping agent for women who want to shop better
Phia co-founders and 'The Burnouts' co-hosts Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni join 'Squawk Box' to discuss the launch of their digital shopping platform, the inspiration behind the app, the technology behind the app, launch of 'The Burnouts' podcast, and more.
