What's Next Podcast with Umindi Francis

Jennifer Justice is a successful entrepreneur, entertainment executive, and lawyer. After 17 years as Jay-Z's personal entertainment attorney, in which she was instrumental in some of the rapper's high-profile projects, Jennifer left and eventually started her own venture, The Justice Department. Her new company champions gender equality and focuses on helping women maximize their value in busines...

Desiree Rogers, the CEO and co-owner of Fashion Fair Cosmetics and Black Opal Beauty, shares her journey in the beauty industry. From her time at the White House to her leadership at Johnson Publishing Company, and now her groundbreaking acquisition of iconic Black beauty brands, Rogers keeps making a mark. We get into her challenges, the state of the beauty industry, and the vital importance of s...

In this episode, Madison Utendahl, founder of Utendahl Creative, shares her insights about creatives and the struggle with self-worth and burnout prevalent in many industries. Madison talks about the difference between success and true fulfillment, and warns of the pervading “burnout epidemic.” Follow Madison on Instagram @madison.utendahl . About Umindi Umindi Francis is the CEO and founder of th...

Jessel Taank shares her experiences as a new cast member on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New York", her struggles and triumphs from being on the show, and the impacts it had on her personal relationships. She also discusses her pride in representing her Indian culture, her reaction to early negative reactions towards her, and her upcoming e-commerce platform focused on Indian fashion. Follow Je...

Juliette Jones is the chief operating officer at Alamo Records, with more than 25 years of experience in the music industry. She shares her journey and the key lessons she has learned along the way, including how she got her start in the business, the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry, and the advice she offers to artists. Juliette also gives her take on the current stat...

Abyah Wynn is the fund manager for TRUE Capital Management’s TRUE Culture Fund, which focuses on funding underrepresented founders with venture capital. She talks with Umindi about her journey into venture capital, the legal challenge threatening the Fearless Fund’s approach to investing in Black women, and her advice for founders looking to position themselves for funding opportunities. Follow Ab...

Marielle Bobo, Editor-in-Chief and Senior Vice President of Programming at Ebony Media, shares her journey in the publishing industry and her experience leading Ebony's digital transformation. From her early love of fashion magazines to her role as a fashion director at various publications, Marielle has always been drawn to the creative side of media. She discusses the challenges she faced as a B...

Rebecca Minkoff is a fashion industry leader in accessible luxury handbags, accessories, and apparel. She shares her journey of falling in love with fashion at a young age to starting her own namesake brand and growing it into a global enterprise. She discusses the challenges and triumphs she faced along the way and shares insights on fundraising and financing your business. Rebecca also talks abo...

Chrissy Rutherford, a former editor at Harper's Bazaar, is a fashion and social media expert and influencer. In this episode, Chrissy discusses her career in the fashion industry and her transition to becoming a full-time creator and entrepreneur. She talks about the importance of curating content that resonates with your audience and her experience as Special Projects Director at Harper's Bazaar,...

Sharmadean Reid is the founder and CEO of The Stack World, a technology platform and community for women that works to move the needle on gender equality by increasing the global GDP of the women’s economy. Sharmadean shares her journey from studying at Central Saint Martins to founding and then launching The Stack World. She discusses her love for media and magazines, her experience working with...

Ben Demiri is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with more than 16 years of experience in the corporate world. He has held various roles in the fashion industry, including CEO and Director at Six London, co-founder and CEO at PlatformE, and Chief Brand and Partnerships Officer at Twig. He is also a partner at SKINVADERS and an advisor at several other companies. In this episode, Ben talks about...

Areej Noor is a writer, producer, political analyst, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of STATEMENT, which began as a film production and content company but is currently expanding to include a trade publication focused on the African entertainment industry and a creative studio for African creators. In this episode, Areej talks about expanding STATEMENT's vision, including its focus on bridgin...

Restaurateur and Nightlife Partner David Rabin shares his journey of building a portfolio of nightlife and restaurant venues in New York City and the challenges that come with it. David’s company manages American Bar, Temple Bar, Veranda, Sona, Jimmy, The Skylark, The Lambs Club, and now 23 Grand, many of which cater to New York’s fashion, business, and media companies. In this episode, David disc...

Maria Brito is an award-winning contemporary art advisor, entrepreneur, author, and curator. Her bestselling book, “How Creativity Rules The World,” was a winner of the International Book Awards in the Business and Entrepreneurship Categories, as well as chosen by Next Big Idea Club as one of the best business and creativity books of the year in 2022. She's worked with some of the world's most ren...

Ade Samuel is a native New Yorker and world-renowned fashion stylist. Ade has worked with some of the most famous names in Hollywood, such as Michael B. Jordan, Christina Aguilera, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Miley Cyrus, Cynthia Erivo, Big Sean, Nicole Richie, Yara Shahidi,  Khaled, and the City Girls to name a few. Her mission is to bridge the gap between American and Nigerian fashion, using...

Carly Cushnie is a New York-based creative director and fashion designer. Carly is best known for her luxury women’s Ready-to-Wear collection CUSHNIE and the many influential women who have worn her designs, including Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Zendaya, Ava Duvernay, Rihanna, and Ashley Graham. Carly talks about starting and winding down her business, venturing into interior design, and taking a bre...

Marjorie Hernandez is a futurist and entrepreneur focused on blockchain design and technology. She is a co-founder of the first Web3 digital fashion marketplace, The Dematerialised, and LUKSO, an Ethereum-based blockchain for the new creative economy. Marjorie’s companies have shared Karl Lagerfeld's first NFT and have now partnered with the Karl Lagerfeld brand on a new initiative she’ll share at...

Chris Chambers’ clients include Erykah Badu, Usher, Mariah Carey, Naomi Campbell, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Future, and so many more. He’s distinguished himself as the CEO and founder of The Chamber Group, a boutique public relations firm that he founded in 2006, by branching out beyond his music roots to fashion and entertainment. Chris talks about how he started with dreams of...

Anabel Maldonado is the founder and CEO of PSYKHE AI , a next-generation recommendation tool for e-commerce brands powered by machine learning and psychology. Anabel, who started her career as a journalist, talks about her rise in the fashion industry, her journalism career, and her transition to leading an emerging tech company. For more information on PSYKHE AI, go to https://psykhe.com or follo...

Kevin Harter is the Vice President for Integrated Marketing at Bloomingdale’s, where he oversees partnerships, philanthropy, special events, brand communication and the fashion office. Kevin talks about his three-decades-long career at Bloomingdale’s, how the fashion and retail industries have changed, the importance of experiences in retail, and where the industry is headed. Follow Kevin on Insta...

Stephanie Horton is Google’s Senior Director for Global Consumer Marketing and Commerce, where she focuses on shopping and travel. She’s also the co-founder of Fashion Tech Connects, which is focused on increasing the number of women of color in the tech and fashion industries. Stephanie talks about her rise in the fashion and tech industries and how she’s concentrated on supporting women-owned bu...

I want to share some of the insights I've learned over the years, and I wanna do it with some of my close friends and colleagues in the fashion, entertainment, and tech industries who shape these industries as we know it. And trust me, there are so many people behind the scenes that you ought to know. The What's Next Podcast with Umindi Francis is an opportunity to hear from executives, creatives,...