GREDE
Emma

• 1. Career
• 1.1. Entrepreneurship
• 1.2. Criticism
• 1.3. Philanthropy

Emma Findlay Grede is a British businesswoman, entrepreneur and fashion designer. She is recognised for her business ventures involving members of the Kardashian family and serves as the CEO and co-founder of the denim company Good American, a founding partner of Skims, and co-founder of Safely.

Career

Entrepreneurship

After leaving college, Grede worked for Quintessentially, a concierge company, before joining Inca Productions as a fashion show and events producer. In 2008 at age 26, Grede founded and was CEO of Independent Talent Brand (ITB) Worldwide, a London-based talent management and entertainment marketing agency  Ten years later, ITB was acquired by Rogers & Cowan for an undisclosed amount, and Grede exited the company.

Around 2015, Grede proposed an idea for a denim company to Kris Jenner, whom she met during Paris Fashion Week, explaining that she wanted to partner with Jenner's daughter, Khloé Kardashian. Grede and Kardashian launched Good American in 2016, as a women's clothing company focused on size inclusivity and body positivity with Grede as CEO. The company sold a million dollars of denim merchandise on opening day. Good American expanded from strictly selling denim jeans to include dresses, activewear, tops, swimwear, sleepwear, and shoes in its line. The company also invented the size 15 jean—in between 14 and 16—to accommodate more body types.

Grede is a founding partner of Skims, a shapewear brand co-founded by her husband Jens Grede and Kim Kardashian in 2019. Grede is the company's chief product officer. Along with Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen, Grede also co-founded Safely, a brand of plant-based cleaning and self-care products that launched in March 2021. Emma conceived of the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she desired products that would be safe for her own family. To that end, Safely's mission is "to rid American homes of harsh toxins with plant-powered products".

In January 2025, Grede teamed up with fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk to launch apparel brand Off Season in collaboration with the NFL and Fanatics. 

With an estimated net worth of more than $300 million, Grede has 8% stake in Skims, 23% stake in Good American, and 22% stake in Safely.

Criticism

Many criticize Grede for her poor attitude and treatment of employees. SKIMS co-founder and Kim Kardashian's bestie, Emma Grede, said that a person who asks about 'work-life balance' in an interview is a 'red flag.' 'Work-life balance is your problem,' Grede said on the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett.

Philanthropy

Emma Grede regularly addresses the need for more diverse representation amongst CEOs and entrepreneurs and has used her influence to create opportunities for people of color, specifically. Grede is a guest shark on the first episode of season 13 and the fourteenth episode of season 14 of the reality television series Shark Tank. She is the first black woman investor on the show. In 2024 she became a guest dragon on the 21st series of Dragons' Den (British TV programme).

Grede also is chairwoman of the 15 Percent Pledge, an initiative for retailers to reserve 15% of their shelf space for black-owned businesses. Designer Aurora James spearheaded the movement after being inspired following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent protests. By 2022, the nonprofit helped black business owners generate $10 billion in revenue.