PETALING
JAYA: A 28-year-old Malaysian entrepreneur has been listed under the
Forbes 30 under 30 for her achievements in developing a non-toxic
skincare line for children.
Kimberley Ho, who is the co-founder of Evereden and based in the US,
was listed under the retail and eCommerce category of Forbes' 2019
edition of its annual 30 under 30 list.
According to Forbes, Ho was working on Wall Street as a consumer brands investor and saw the need for "safe, natural products".
The American business magazine said Ho then decided to fill the gap in the market by starting Evereden in March 2018.
"Since launching in March 2018, Ho, a Malaysian immigrant, has raised
US$2mil (RM8.38mil) and her products have received accolades from Bobbi
Brown and Vogue, among others," it said.
According to an interview with Forbes back in May, Ho said she moved
to the US when she was 18 to study economics at Stanford University.
The report said after graduating, she then worked for investment banking firm Goldman Sachs.
Following her stint at Goldman, she moved on to be an investor at investment management firm Oaktree Capital.
Ho told Forbes that as she was working in the US, she used to purchased baby products from the US for her friends in Asia.
However, she came to realised that the ingredients in baby products from the US weren't as safe as they claimed to be.
Ho then decided to quit her job, and started Evereden, with her husband who is only known as Huang.
On Ho's Instagram account, she said she was honoured for Evereden to be on Forbes 30 under 30.
"Kudos to everyone on the team, all good things are possible because of the family that we've built. #ForbesUnder30," she said.
Investment banker turned entrepreneur, Kimberley Ho
is the founder of Evereden, a children’s skincare company dedicated to
creating products that are natural and safe. When her girlfriends in
Asia began begging Ho to bring back baby skincare products each time she
went home, she discovered that the dominant skincare brands on the
market contained toxins and harmful ingredients. Ho became obsessed with
creating a new skincare line for babies — assembling a team of
pediatric dermatologists from Stanford and Harvard to build products
that are naturally-sourced and scientifically-backed, void of toxins and
harmful ingredients. The result was Evereden: beautifully formulated
body washes, shampoos, sunscreens and diaper creams that are effective
and safe for babies’ fragile skin. Unlike other skincare brands,
Evereden has zero tolerance for toxins, harmful or even questionable
ingredients. Today, Ho launches Evereden by offering six core products
that aim to create a new standard on caring for children’s skin.
In our interview, we discussed what sparked Ho’s passion to create
Evereden, her career pivot and the impact she hopes to bring to the
world with her products. Dominique Fluker: From investment banker turned entrepreneur, share your career journey. What drove you to start Evereden? Kimberley Ho: After growing up in
Malaysia, I moved to the US when I was 18 to study economics at
Stanford. Although my friends joked that I was too “nice” to go into
finance, I started my career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs,
then became an investor at Oaktree Capital. My several years in finance
taught me a lot about grit, guts and how to build a business — but
ultimately I wasn’t able to be creative in those positions. I was
itching for something different.
Traveling back and forth to Asia over the years, my girlfriends
starting families would beg me to bring them natural and organic baby
products from the US — they just weren’t on the market over there. But
after doing some research, I realized that the formulas in US baby
products weren’t as safe or effective as they claimed to be. I quit my
job in finance and set out on a mission to rebuild children’s skincare
from the ground up. One year later, I’m launching Evereden. Fluker: How has your background in investment banking prepared you to start your own company? Ho: During my time in finance, I invested in CPG
companies that sold personal care products. I became intimately familiar
with the brands on the market — their manufacturing processes, their
formulas and more. I quickly learned that, by and large, most children’s
skincare brands were using the same questionable ingredients, working
with the same contract manufacturers that would hardly deviate from the
standard formula. My background in finance taught me to carefully
analyze the market, poke holes, and ask those manufacturers hard
questions when formulating my own line. I was told ‘no’ a lot. But I
kept pushing, and eventually found manufacturers and suppliers who were
willing to create something entirely new with us.
Fluker: Talk about the mission of Evereden. What inspired the concept of rebuilding children’s skincare for a new generation? Ho: Evereden’s mission is to rebuild children’s
skincare from the ground up. We’re starting by reformulating the core
products that every parent needs for their kids: shampoos, lotions,
sunscreens, diaper creams and massage oil. We take a medical
practitioner's approach, inviting industry-leading dermatologists to
rigorously vet every ingredient that we put into our formulas. We’re
bringing science to the confusing, oversaturated “natural” conversation —
helping parents understand what ingredients are safe and effective. Fluker: How did you come up with the name Evereden? Ho: I was on a road trip with my husband and
co-founder, Huang. We were riffing about how we wanted to give the best
products to every family, everywhere. It was this idea of “every
person’s Eden.” Huang is a sucker for symmetry, so we decided to cut the
Y. Hence, Evereden.
Evereden productsPhoto courtesy of Evereden
Fluker: How is Evereden differentiating themselves from the competition? Ho: Our formula and philosophy are radically
different than what else is out there. We stay on the cutting edge of
dermatological research, using only the safest, most effective
ingredients in our products. We’re also the first to apply the high-end
ingredients typically found in women’s skincare to children’s
products — not for the sake of vanity, but because they’re truly the
best in the world and help protect the most sensitive skin.
Wherever possible, we use natural, plant-based ingredients. But the
“natural vs. synthetic” conversation has been grossly oversimplified,
and we don’t fall into the polarizing vacuum that most brands end up in.
There are a lot of skin-sensitizers in products on the market that are
technically natural (poison ivy, for one!) and some synthetics are
great. We go beyond natural: we’re backed by science. And Evereden’s
products are safe and effective, above all else.
Finally, a core tenant of our philosophy is to directly source the
best ingredients from world-class manufacturers, all over the globe. We
have great partners in the United States, and one in Australia (because
of their incredibly high standards for sunscreen). We want to make the
best products, and we’ll go to the ends of the earth in order to do so.
Fluker: You often divide your time between Shanghai and New
York for business. Talk about why you work across different time zones
and the importance of time management. Ho: The genesis for Evereden was to provide the best
products to families, initially inspired by our closest friends back
home in Asia. Evereden is initially launching here in the US, but we
have plans to expand internationally — in Asia and beyond. That type of
scale means working on two time zones, and that’s not always easy. If I
wake up at 7:00 AM, I’ll have 50-100 unread messages that came in
overnight from Asia — so I start by handling those. Later in the
morning, I’ll switch gears to handle US operations from 9:00 AM - 7:00
PM. Before bed, I switch back to responding to people in Asia for a few
more hours. There’s no magic bullet for time management, but I make it a
point to block off some time in the week to rest and recharge. Fluker: Evereden prides itself on using the highest qualities
of ingredients for children skincare products. Discuss how your
scientific advisory board brings back science to skincare while using
natural ingredients. Ho: Evereden has a Scientific Advisory board that
includes dermatologists from Stanford and Harvard who happen to be moms
themselves. We know that children’s skin is ultra-sensitive and that
early exposure to toxins and allergens can affect kids for a lifetime.
These experts first helped us source gentle, effective, and natural
ingredients, then rigorously tested each and every one to ensure they’re
safe and effective on fragile skin. Our team of experts continuously
and relentlessly examines emerging research on ingredient safety and
children’s skin because it’s our passion and theirs. This allows us to
stay ahead of the curve so that our customers don’t have to. Fluker: Evereden is launching a set of six core products today. What kind of impact are you hoping for? Ho: With the launch, we hope to start a revolution
in baby skincare and beyond. We’d like to set a new industry standard
for ingredients and manufacturing practices and spur a nuanced
conversation around why children’s skin matters — from day one. And
eventually, we’d like to go beyond baby to create personal care products
for the entire family. Fluker: Share three pieces of advice for the millennial wanting to do a career pivot. Ho: Think about what you’re most passionate about
and why; this is the thing that will keep you going when you’re running
on empty. Consider your core skills, and how you can build upon what you
already know to do something (or learn something!) entirely new.
Finally, work your network; even if you set out on a new path, existing
relationships are invaluable.
I am a San Francisco
Bay Area social and content strategist. Being a Bay Area native and
semi-New Yorker, I've always experienced the best of both worlds.
However, attending Sarah Lawrence College expanded my worldview and
intensified my work ethic even more. Transitioning f...
Kimberley Ho is a former Wall Street investor who launched her own direct-to-consumer family skincare company, Evereden.
Ho turned down $2 million in funding from venture capitalists.
Ho also said that she’s currently the lowest paid employee at her company.
Kimberley Ho is building a skincare company that she hopes
will someday be just as ubiquitous as Johnson & Johnson. To do so,
she’s thinking longterm. Ask the CEO what her primary goal for her
organic, family-focused skincare line is, and she’ll answer without
skipping a beat, “To be here in 100 years.”
Ho’s company, Evereden,
is a skincare line that’s almost entirely self-funded by Ho and her
husband, who both worked in Wall Street’s investing scene. Ho says that
their knowledge of investing led them to turn down $2 million in
unsolicited offers from venture capitalists.
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” said Ho. “With VC funding, strings always comes attached.”
In turning down the cash, Ho said that she hopes to lead
her company on her own terms. Crafting a skincare line that’s safe for
babies isn’t easy, and Ho has enlisted the help of pediatricians and
scientists from Stanford and Harvard to create a product that uses
ingredients she says are typically found in women’s luxury skin
products.
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Ho said that most of the money she’s put into her company has been spent on research.
“When we talk about re-building children’s skincare, we’re
talking about reformulating everything from the ground up,” said Ho.
While Ho said that the unsolicited offers from investors
were flattering, she believes she and her husband made the right
choice in turning them down.
“It’s nice to have investors believe in your vision and
your mission,” said Ho. “But as a consumer startup, VC money comes
with expectations of astronomical growth. In the end, we didn’t think
it would be sustainable to take on a load of VC money and grow quickly
without sacrificing our customer’s experience.”
While Ho has turned down investors’ cash for now, in the
future, she says she’s open to considering taking in more capital if
the time is right.
“As we look towards international expansion down the line,
we’re open to changing this funding strategy,” said Ho. “But we’d need
to find the right investment partners who buy into our long-term
vision.”
For now, bootstrapping means cutting costs wherever possible, which includes turning down a salary for herself.
“I am the lowest paid employee at my company,” said Ho.
“I pay my interns more than I pay myself. For me, it’s not about money –
it’s about the vision. In my mind if I pay myself like, $50,000,
that’s money that I’m not putting into the company.”
In Her Shoes is a column about what real women wear when they need to get things done.
Growing
up in Malaysia, Kimberley Ho never thought she’d wind up working in the
same field as both of her parents. After graduating with an economics
degree from Stanford, Ho took a cue from her financier father and went
straight into banking at Goldman Sachs.
After two years she was poached by Oaktree Capital, a famed investment
fund, that manages over $100 billion in assets. But being the one of the
few women in a traditional, non-creative environment made her unhappy
and so she left after two years to form her own company, a lesson she learned from her entrepreneur mother.
Now she’s the CEO of Evereden,
a non-toxic personal care product line, that will simultaneously launch
both in the United States and China later this year. Ho’s newest
venture requires her to split her time between the two countries, and
her hours are anything but ordinary: she’ll be up at 7 a.m. to answer
the previous day’s emails from Asia before ending her night with
conference calls at 11 p.m. The Cut caught up with Ho, who talked about
how her style has adapted from corporate to start-up life.
Photo: Victoria Stevens. Produced by Biel Parklee.
On how her former corporate life affects her style now:
When
I was an investor and investment banker, I wore only safe,
boardroom-appropriate black, nude, or navy pumps. Most of my meetings
were with C-level executives of some of the largest companies in
America, and fashion was just not part of the agenda. Now that I run my
own start-up, I gravitate toward colorful shoes whenever I can. I love
red, turquoise, or any kind of embroidery. I love a strong
patent-leather bootie or anything with an interesting heel. My favorites
at the moment are Rejina Pyo or Acne mules or if I’m keeping it classic, pointy Jimmy Choo pumps.
On what she wears to a big meeting:
I like to keep it simple with a Theory wool open jacket over a shift dress from Roland Mouret or Antonio Berardi. I’m also a big fan of jumpsuits, or high-waisted, wide leg pants with along, white ADAY button-down shirt. For shoes, my meeting pumps are Jimmy Choo pointed black heels. They’re the ultimate boardroom heel.
On the four types of shoes in her desk drawer:
I’ll
have ballet flats for the commute, slip-ons or mules for everyday
office comfort, and when I need to get cracking on work. There are also
classic black heels for the big meetings, and finally a fun evening heel
for going out. I’m really into. Victoria Beckham’s Dorothy Pump — it makes me think of Oz and costume parties, candies and cocktails.
On what she wears for post-work plans:
I’m into sleek ’90s minimalism these days, and I love bias slip dresses like the ones by Fleur Du Mal.
I’ll wear them under a black leather trench or a classic leather
jacket. Leather jackets are one of my favorite pieces — a good one can
be like armor, and they work with almost any outfit. I’m also in a big jumpsuit phase, and a good one can easily take you from office to evening!
On letting her hair down, literally:
When
I was younger, I dressed for my bosses, colleagues, clients, and
executives of companies I invested in — I was new to the industry and
often the only female investor in the room, so I wore tough suits and
conservative heels. I never strayed from neutral colors and I’d put my
hair up in a bun to seem more serious. These days because I’m running a
start-up in two different countries I don’t have time to worry about
what other people think! The people I see all day are my team and
business partners and we’re all working toward the same goal — and these
days I wear my hair down.
Meet
#noteworthy woman Kimberly Ho, a former NYC investment banker turned
entrepreneur. We chatted with Kimberly about how she's disrupting the
children's skincare industry and the motivations behind her brand, Evereden. Take some major notes on this inspiring boss lady and her baby-friendly products below!
How did you come up with Evereden and what are your goals for the brand?
It
really started from a personal need. Traveling back and forth to Asia
over the years, my childhood girlfriends starting families would beg me
to bring them natural and organic baby products from the US — they just
weren’t on the market over there. But after doing some research, I
realized that the formulas in US baby products weren’t as natural or
safe as they claimed to be. I quit my job in finance, assembled a team
of world-class dermatologists and set out on a mission to rebuild
children’s skincare from the ground up. One year later, I’m launching
Evereden. What kind of work did you do prior to starting Evereden?
I
started my career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, then became
an investor at Oaktree Capital. My several years in finance taught me a
lot about grit, guts and how to build a business — but ultimately I was
itching for a different challenge, and something more creative.
During
my time in finance, I invested in consumer and skincare companies. I
became intimately familiar with the brands on the market — their supply
chain process, their formulas and more. I quickly learned that, by and
large, most children’s skincare brands were using the same questionable
ingredients, and despite huge innovations in women’s skincare,
children’s skincare formulas hadn’t really changed over 20 years. My
background in finance taught me to carefully analyze the market,
assemble a team of world class dermatology experts to help in the
R&D process, and ask manufacturers hard questions when formulating
my own line. I was told ‘no’ a lot. But I kept pushing, and eventually
found manufacturers and suppliers who were willing to create something
entirely new with us.
What was the most challenging thing about starting your own company?
Changing
the status quo: manufacturers were used to doing things a certain way,
and when I asked for formulation changes that would make formulations
safer and to remove certain questionable ingredients, I encountered
unexpected pushback from manufacturers that had done things in a certain
way for years. But I kept pushing, and eventually found manufacturers
and suppliers who were willing to rebuild children’s skincare from the
ground up with us. If you had to choose 3 words to describe Evereden, what would they be?
Safe, Premium, Innovative How does having a business influence your style?
These
days, I prefer minimalist clothes that work no matter the work
occasion. When running a startup, there may be numerous meetings and
conversations throughout the day – from meetings with lawyers, to
suppliers and investors – and my favorite thing to wear is a crisply
tailored white shirt, with a pencil skirt or pants.
Who inspires you most?
Women founders inspire me most, for example Emily Weiss from Glossier, and Jen Rubio and Steph Korey from AWAY
have built amazing brands in their respective fields in the
direct-to-consumer space, and each of them have built incredible
communities around their brands. What is the best career advice you've ever been given?
Think about what you’re most passionate about and why; this is the thing that will keep you going when things are tough. What is your guilty pleasure?
Celebrity magazines! What are your favorite spots in New York?
I love a good speakeasy bar, Angel’s Share is an all-time favorite.
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