Trailblazers by Erica Wenger

This week we chat with culinary and business genius, Melissa Ben-Ishay .  Melissa Ben-Ishay is the founder of Baked by Melissa, the New York City-based dessert brand famous for its handcrafted, bite-size cupcakes in a wide variety of ever-changing flavors. The company ships nationwide, operates 14 stores and has sold over 150 million cupcakes. Every bite-size treat is still made by hand using only...

This week we chat with the woman on all things "DEI", Mariah Driver. DEI, or "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" is entering the workspace at rapid speed, and thankfully so! Mariah Driver was formerly the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Webflow, where she worked to design systems and experiences that enabled everyone to show up authentically and grow to their full potent...

This week we chat with the queen of the holistic beauty approach, Carolyn Yachanin .  Carolyn is the founder and CEO of Copina Co. , a plant-based boost blend line formulated by herbalists supporting the body’s natural collagen production and shifting the beauty industry from the inside out. Years of harsh acne medications left her skin dry and depleted with her gut health in shambles; here was th...

This week we’re bringing you the episode you’ve all been waiting for with our host, Erica Wenger!  The host of our favorite podcast is here to breakdown every element of the networking platform of our generation. Why podcasts? How do I start one? What are your favorites? This week Erica covers it all…  In this episode, Erica goes step by step into launching a podcast of your own and offers various...

This week we chat with the businesswoman of all things cannabis, Helene Servillon .  Helene Servillon is the Founding Partner of JourneyOne Ventures, a 100% woman and minority owned early stage cannabis fund that invests in founders with prior executive-level management experience in cannabis or tangential industries. She is also a Senior Advisor to Bowen's cannabis practice, a Boston based in...

This week we chat with the queen of personal branding, Jessica Zweig .  Jessica Zweig is the CEO of the Simply Be Agency , an internationally award winning personal branding firm with offices in Chicago and Nashville, serving clients across the globe.  She is the author of #1 best selling book, “ Be. - A No B.S. Guide to Increasing Your Self Worth and Net Worth by Simply Being Yourself. ” Facilita...

This week we chat with Justine Palefsky . Justine is the co-founder and CEO of Kindred, where she focuses on customer experience and brand. Before founding Kindred, Justine was part of the early team at Opendoor where she launched several markets, developed the home Trade-Up product, and scaled the company’s unique Self-Tour program. With years of business experience in her back pocket, Justine is...

This week we’re bringing you the first solo episode of September with our host, Erica Wenger!  The queen of social entrepreneurship herself is here to tell us all about what exactly this career entails while breaking down the ins and outs of her journey to success in her early twenties. In this episode, Erica offers concrete definitions and dives into the various elements that play into the world...

This week we chat with Irene Forte .  Irene is the founder and driving force behind Irene Forte Skincare , and a renowned leader in wellness. In 2018, Irene debuted her eponymous skincare line, which was initially launched into all Rocco Forte Spas and as hotel in-room amenities. In this episode, Irene takes us back to the start of her entrepreneurial journey touching on childhood dreams and ambit...

This week we chat with Ilana Dunn , often referred to as “the face of modern dating.” She hosts Seeing Other People , a Top 100 Apple Relationships podcast and Spotify Top 50 Viral Podcast dedicated to helping people feel less alone and more empowered in their dating lives. Formerly the Face of Hinge and the host of Hinge’s “Dating Sucks” podcast which debuted at #3 on the Apple Podcasts US Relati...

This week we chat with Karika Patel .  Karika is the CEO and ReFounder of Seed Phytonutrients, a family-run clean beauty brand on a mission to craft formulas that are trusted and trendy with minimal impact on the planet. From family vacations to the foothills of the Himalayas to source unique new raw materials to attending beauty trade shows as a little girl, Karika was practically raised by beaut...

This week calls for another solo episode featuring the host herself, Erica Wenger!  Whether it be desperation or curiosity, job transitions can be confusing and overwhelming. With several jobs beaming on her resume and having recently switched careers from her own startup business to venture capital, Erica is here to offer insight into the world of job transitioning.  In this episode, Erica reveal...

This week we chat with Erin Sharoni .  Erin Sharoni is the chief product officer (CPO) of FOXO Technologies Inc., a technology startup using the science of AI and epigenetics to reinvent the life insurance industry. Holding a master’s degree in biology from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree with honors in studio art from Wesleyan University, Erin now has more than 15 years of experience building pro...

This week we chat with Megan Roup, the queen of movement and fitness. Megan is known for her simplified dance cardio moves (that anyone at any level can feel successful doing), so she launched The Sculpt Society in 2017 by combining her passion for dance and love for fitness. Her programs include dance cardio and sculpting workouts that are designed to create long, lean, and strong bodies. Megan t...

This week we chat with Sheri Salata . Both professional storyteller and world class producer, Sheri is currently the founder & CEO of The Support System , a private membership group for women dedicated to creating real life transformation AND Salata + Co , her personal development company offering acclaimed courses and retreats around the world. Her memoir, The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of...

This week we’re back with another solo episode featuring the host herself, Erica Wenger!  At just twenty-four years old with startup businesses of her own in her back pocket, a podcast, and her new chapter in venture capital, Erica faces the daily challenge of what it means to strive for balance. Like most of us, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to tackle the workload, and how often...

This week we chat with Emma Bates . Emma Bates is the co-founder of new disruptive social media platform Diem, designed for women and non-binary people. Diem is a new social universe aiming to tackle the inequality that exists for women and non-binary folks IRL and on social media. Diem is providing a safe, alternative space for women & non-binary folks to share knowledge about the things we d...

This week we chat with Kim Johnson, evaluating the nature and relevance of Community itself and how it applies to the world of business and twentysomethings. Kim is the Head of Community at Geneva, an NYC based messaging app for groups, clubs, and communities of all shapes and sizes. Her work at Geneva focuses on helping brands, creators, and community leaders of all kinds build their communities...

This week we chat with Jessica Wenger McPhaul . Jessica is an Emmy-nominated costume designer and the founder of NAKED REBELLION, a nude lingerie brand offering products for every shade on Earth. Having graduated from FIDM and spent over ten years in the Costumers’ Union moving from set to set, Jessica found the inspiration for her brand when faced with challenges in finding undergarments designed...

This week we’re bringing you another solo episode with the host herself, Erica Wenger!  Erica received a masters degree from USC in social entrepreneurship where she gave a TEDx Talk, pitching the idea of just how social entrepreneurship will change the world. TED is a non-profit organization aiming to change the world one idea at a time in the form of short, powerful talks. TEDx was designed to p...

This week we chat with Courtney Claghorn . You probably know Courtney best as the Co-Founder of Sugared + Bronzed , everyone’s go-to sugaring hair removal and sunless tanning destination. Having revolutionized airbrush tanning with a proprietary solution and revived an all-natural, ancient Egyptian form of hair removal called sugaring, Courtney created the flawless destination we all know and love...

This week we chat with Aleyna Dogan, breaking down the seemingly complex nature of NFTs, the web3 space, and why it's relevant to twentysomethings. Aleyna is both an entrepreneur and writer currently working at VaynerNFT. Having started NFTimes, the weekly comprehensive NFT newsletter last July, she continues to expand her role in the new web3 world. With a focus on the grave importance of tec...

This week we chat with Ashley Merrill . As founder of Lunya and Lahgo, Ashley is reinventing sleepwear for modern women and men, respectively; both brands share a simple mission: to champion rest in people’s lives. Ashley is also cofounder of The Deep, a media platform that makes philosophy and personal exploration accessible through thought provoking questions, and the Chairwoman of Outdoor Voice...

The million dollar question, Who is Erica Wenger ?  This week we kick off Season 2 with an introduction to the host herself, Erica Wenger! Last season, Erica interviewed different guests each episode with a heavy focus on their lives and careers during their twenties, breaking down individual journeys to success. We’re excited to welcome this new space for a behind-the-scenes look into the life of...

This week we chat with Sarah Moret. Sarah is the founder and CEO of Curie , a personal care brand that makes safe and clean body basics that "do their damn job." Like most good ideas, Curie was born out of a personal need and eliminates the struggle to find natural personal-care products that were both non-toxic AND effective. Sarah bootstrapped the brand on $12k savings, and within six mo...