Shopify Masters

Ellen Bennett, founder and CEO of Hedley & Bennett, turned $300 and kitchen experience into an eight-figure heritage apron and pro-tools brand. She discusses leaping in without certainty, iterating prototypes fast, owning mistakes to build trust, shifting from restaurant sales to direct-to-consumer, designing tools with professionals, and building longevity through quality and community.

JW Wiseman, founder of Curious Elixirs and builder of an eight-figure non-alcoholic craft cocktail brand, turned a personal hangover problem into a hospitality-focused business. He discusses product experimentation, creating bitter and smoky flavors without alcohol, bootstrapping growth, building community through events, and long-term plans to normalize inclusive social drinking.

Rea Ann Silva, makeup artist and founder of Beautyblender who invented the iconic makeup sponge. She tells how a set-time problem led to a new tool, the design evolution from triangles to an egg shape, and how she built a self-funded global brand without a patent. Stories cover manufacturing, defending against knockoffs with branding, retail vs D2C lessons, and the long grind before paying herself.

Anthony Barresi, founder of Pasta Life and creator of durable compostable pasta straws, turned a kitchen idea into a seven-figure, bootstrapped brand. He talks fast launches, viral creator-driven content like the 'How Italian Are You' series, B2B hospitality relationships that drove volume, and the trade-offs of staying bootstrapped while scaling content and D2C.

Kaylee Bratt, a chemical engineer turned CPG founder and CEO leading Sansi Skin, talks sustainable, high-performance beauty. She covers waterless formulations, no-compromise product development, transparent ingredient and packaging choices. Hear about garden-core activations, viral in-person moments, compostable jars, and making sustainability feel accessible.

Kendall Kranzdorf, founder of COTTO and creator of a better-for-you cottage cheese dip, built her audience before selling. She talks about launching via social media, validating demand with public posts, hand-delivering park pickups in NYC, packaging tweaks, and scaling to manufacturers. Told through rapid sell-outs, mistakes shared publicly, and lessons on protecting founder energy.

Michael Petry, footwear designer and co-founder of Golden West Boots, left big brands to build authentic leather boots with Lainey Wilson. He discusses partnering with an artist whose story fits the brand. He talks timing country music’s rise, embodied branding by living the customer, rapid product launches, and building word-of-mouth through hands-on storytelling.

Cassie Abel, founder and CEO of Wild Rye, builds stylish, high-performance outdoor gear with a purpose-driven, women-led approach. She talks product stumbles, the four-year journey to a ski line, switching manufacturing overseas, and how community fundraising and focused retail hustle helped land 100+ retailers and raise nearly $1M.

Hannah Beals, former CEO and early Ouai leader who scaled the brand into a global haircare success, shares stories about brand-building, marketing, and company culture. She discusses turning customer comments into campaigns. She recounts risky creative bets, scaling intimacy while growing the team, content strategies across platforms, and keeping playfulness within corporate partnerships.

Discover how eleven founders are shaping the future of businesses with their unique strategies for 2026. Learn about leveraging AI for product discovery and the power of 'slow content' to engage audiences. Explore innovative gamified loyalty programs and community-first growth tactics that adapt to consumer demands. Get insights on running efficient operations and expanding sales channels. From planning budgets to mapping trends, these experts share invaluable playbooks for aspiring entrepreneurs.