Slick Chicks –
Adaptable Underwear & Clothing Brand
They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and this has certainly proven true for Slick Chicks Founder and Designer, Helya Mohammadian. She discovered through a personal experience that women with limited mobility, chronic pain, and various circumstances have difficulty dressing themselves. As a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Helya began thinking about clothing design in a new way. The first product she developed was underwear that clasps on the sides, making it easier to put on and take off. Helya took the most intimate piece of getting dressed and made it accessible for all people, while bridging the gap between fashion and function. Slick Chicks has now expanded beyond accessible underwear, developing front-fastening bras and stylish loungewear with accessible fasteners. With recent partnerships with Target, Lane Bryant and JCPenny, Slick Chicks is making a connection with a growing number of women across the globe.
For more information about Slick Chicks, click here.
Helya Mohammadian, Founder of Slick Chicks
“Four years ago, my sister gave birth to my adorable nephew. She had complications during labor and had to undergo an emergency C-section. The post-surgery recovery left her feeling debilitated for several weeks. Just getting out of bed was a major ordeal. Her husband had to help her use the restroom, shower, and change because she couldn’t bend over. Something as personal as putting on her underwear, she couldn’t do alone. I hated to see my sister lose her independence. So, I created Slick Chicks underwear to help her take back this task. I didn’t realize that this product could have an impact on millions of people. It is now my mission to help all people feel confident and dignified every day.”
“My partnership with The LimeLife Fempire Fund has provided the funding I needed to keep Slick Chicks moving forward as well as a place to discover my business leadership. It has also connected me with a huge network of Beauty Guides who have advocated for those striving to take back their independence.”
–Helya Mohammadian
invisaWear –
Safety Devices Disguised as Everyday Accessories
Women have always wanted to ensure a safe environment for themselves as well as others. Unfortunately, roughly 1 in 5 women are attacked at some point in their life, which is much higher than it should be. Because of this, there has been a growing concern for a product to make women feel safe when they are out on their own. invisaWear provides a unique, fashionable solution to make its wearers feel safe at all times. invisaWear offers this solution with a patent protected, battery powered, Bluetooth based charm that with a firm double-tap sends out a signal through a paired device with the user’s location and an emergency message to five user chosen emergency contacts and the nearest 9-1-1 operator, if applicable. invisaWear’s mission is to allow people to protect themselves and the people they love. Everyone deserves to feel safe and invisaWear hopes that its products will give users some much needed peace of mind. For more information about invisaWear, click here.
Rajia Abdelaziz, Founder of invisaWear
One night after an event with her co-founder Ray Hamilton, Rajia Abdelaziz was walking back to her car when a car full of guys rolled down the window and started yelling inappropriate comments, the car stopped and one of the guys started to get out. Luckily, Rajia was able to run and get in her car, unharmed. Though she was now safe, Rajia felt completely helpless. Although her phone was right in her purse, she didn’t have that split second to find her phone and call the police or her friends who were still inside, at the event, less than a block away. Rajia (invisaWear's CEO) and Ray (invisaWear’s CTO) first started working on invisaWear while in college. After exploring safety devices that provide S.O.S solutions, Rajia and Ray felt defeated. The current options were too big and bulky, or displayed a "panic button" feeling. They wanted a stylish, discreet S.O.S device, ideal for everyday wear. Thus, invisaWear was born!
THE MOST –
Tech-enabled Appliances and Products for Textured Haircare
MINT prototype 2022
Many women with textured hair - and women of color in particular - struggle to style and maintain their natural hair. It's a time consuming, complicated, and frustrating process that, for some women, can take up to 8 hours spread over multiple days. Over the past decade there has been a marked increase in availability of quality liquid products for curly and textured hair, but hair tools and appliances are still limited to straightening devices (flat irons, hot combs, curling irons, etc.) which are notoriously damaging to textured hair and completely ineffective for curly styling. Hardware-based solutions that address the biggest pain points in textured hairstyling - detangling and liquid product application - are few and ineffective. 60% of women in the US have some form of textured hair, yet the market does not respond to their needs. This niche spends exponentially more time and money on hair and hair services and is thirsty for time-savings, convenience, and efficiency. Through industry research, surveys, and interviews, THE MOST has identified the biggest pain points in natural, textured hair styling and designed tools and appliances that make the process of product application easy. The company’s designs cut styling time and allow users increased mobility. THE MOST takes a formerly static hair care routine and makes it possible with tools and renewables to travel and style efficiently on-the-go. For more information about THE MOST, click here.
Dawn Myers, Founder and CEO of THE MOST
As a former lawyer and now entrepreneur, Dawn Myers knows how valuable time is. The opportunity cost of time can be high for women in particular. Dawn knows well the extensive time and pain points associated with textured hair care. When she looked for solutions to these challenges, Dawn realized that no existing products on the market could give her back that which she valued most - her time - while also providing an easy, high quality, aesthetically pleasing experience. As a result, Dawn established THE MOST to increase empowerment and support towards the textured hair community. THE MOST is using hardware and tools to focus on the process of applying liquid product to hair for more seamless natural hair styling. The company’s hero product, the MINT, combines all the steps of the process - detangling, product application and finishing.
SXD —
Zero Waste Fashion Designs
The global apparel industry wastes 92 million tons of fabric per year, and although sustainability is top of mind for many consumers and brands today, one of the biggest adoption hurdles for sustainable apparel is its high cost. SXD Founder and Designer, Shelly Xu, is committed to reversing fashion’s detrimental impact on the environment with beautiful, zero waste designs that cost less. Shelly’s designs are made using SXD’s proprietary software which integrates zero waste into the design and manufacturing processes, creating zero waste designs that cost 55% less to produce. SXD is also working on an open-source platform to commercialize its zero waste technology so that other brands can be part of building a sustainable future too. Shelly’s end goal is to shift the entire apparel industry to zero waste. For more information about SXD, click here.
Shelly Xu, Founder of SXD
“One of my earliest memories was sitting on a refrigerator and dining with my parents in a 70 sq ft home as a two year old. Our home could only fit one table or one bed at a time, so my parents and I rearranged furniture throughout the day to make living work. That was when I first learned about creativity under constraint, the same principle that maximizes the beauty of SXD clothing under resource constraints. SXD zero waste designs are made to be highly aesthetic while generating zero fabric waste and utilizing existing fabric materials fully. Through The LimeLife Fempire Fund, I am able to not only share and grow this idea with thousands of incredible Beauty Guides, but also learn about how to build a community around SXD's mission through these talented women at LimeLife. So honored to have The LimeLife Fempire Fund as an investor, partner, customer, and the best supporter I can ask for!”