Uploaded May 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago

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Founding Stories - DISTINCTION: Succeeding in a Competitive Industry at the 2018 Tom Tom Founders Festival

Friday April 13th, 2018 | The Paramount Theater

By the time Nancy Twine reached her 30th birthday, she had left a successful career as an executive at Goldman Sachs, launched her own plant-powered beauty line, and become the youngest African-American woman to launch a line for Sephora. Shan-Lyn Ma makes fairy tales come to life at Zola, the fastest-growing wedding planning and registry company in NY. Through compassion and resilience, she has harnessed mobile platforms for easier access, and overhauling the market strategy for "the Big Day.” Hear how these entrepreneurs grew their ventures to scale, and what happened when they got there.

Speakers: Shan-Lyn Ma, Founder, Zola | Nancy Twine, CEO, Briogeo Hair Care

Moderator: Ambassador Mark Brzezinski, Managing Director, Makena

Sponsors: UVA McIntire School of Commerce Galant Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship | Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

tomtomfest.com/founding-stories