By The Editors By The Editors | February 28, 2022 | People, Feature, Celebrity,
These innovators are leading the change, powering us all forward to level up Boston.
Entrepreneur & Realtor,emmaleighco.com
Many of you will recognize the name Emma Hernan from Season 4 of Netflix’s hit show Selling Sunset. But before the show, Hernan was always a trailblazer and wise beyond her years. While in high school, the Scituate, Mass., native developed a strong interest in business and the stock market before joining her mom to run the family business: Yankee Trader Seafood. From there, she also babysat and began modeling professionally. Since then, she’s become bicoastal, splitting her time between Boston and L.A., participates in Best Buddies and even took her own successful stab at the food industry with Emma Leigh and Co. The plant-based food line features a number of empanada flavors from traditional to pizza, as well as frozen “crab” cakes that are perfect in a pinch. Since the debut, she’s partnered with Davio’s, as well as Beyond Meat, and counts names like Jason Oppenheim and Julian Edelman as fans. “I just think that you get to see a small part of me on the show, but you don’t get to see all of me,” she explains. “I have a really, really big heart, and that’s something that’s really important to me. I’ve been an extremely hard worker my entire life.”
What are some of your goals for 2022?
You see the way Kim Kardashian is doing collaborations with Fendi x Skims, and I think no one’s really done that in the food industry as much. Beyond Meat is the first partner, which was obviously setting the bar really high, but I want to continue to do things like that. I want to be in stores across the United States. I want to have multiple different items and come up with new items, and of course build my real estate empire as well. I want to continue to buy and sell homes, personally and for my clients, so definitely big dreams.
How do you want to be remembered?
I just want to be remembered as somebody that chose to go out there, to be a little bit different. I didn’t always take the easy road, and just worked extremely hard for everything that I’ve got in my entire life. I think that the more that you can give back to others, and the more that you can try and make a difference in other people’s lives… that’s the best thing that you could do in this world.
Director of The ’Quin Impact Fund,thequinhouse.com
When asked about his journey, Charlie Davies, director of The ’Quin House’s philanthropic arm, The ’Quin Impact Fund, says, “Buckle up.” The former New England Revolution soccer player has been through a roller coaster of ups and downs throughout his life, starting with a rocky childhood, which then led him to the sport and eventually to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a part of the U.S. Men’s National Team. In 2010, Davies qualified for the World Cup. But three days later, his life changed with a serious car accident that left him fighting for his life. Aft er 17 months of recovery, Davies returned to soccer, but eventually retired in February 2018—leading him to other projects, like joining the board of the Boston Children’s Hospital. That’s where he met Sandra Edgerley, co-founder of The ’Quin House, and the rest is history. Since becoming director of the social club’s philanthropic arm in 2021, Davies has marked a number of achievements, most recently when The ’Quin Impact Fund donated $50,000 to the Greater Boston Food Bank. His next focus? Arts and culture. “I get so much excitement and fulfillment out of being able to change the outlook of someone’s life. Helping others get to live a dream or get closer to a dream… Opening a door for someone,” he says. “That’s what I do every day.”
What is your goal with this role?
We’re trying to create some sort of positive social change and impact by connecting people, educating people, hearing stories and having these really impactful conversations that go into extreme depth. The demographics from Roxbury and Dorchester and Mattapan to Charlestown and Somerville and Cambridge. … It’s very hard for everyone to be on the same page and communicate. And so, the mission for me is to break down those barriers and have everyone understand how we can move together as one.
What can we expect from The ’Quin Impact Fund?
I think everyone’s kind of excited about what The ’Quin Impact Fund is trying to bring to the city. We’re about listening to everybody—everyone always has a voice. We give a voice to the voiceless. We are trying to help the people who are underserved or forgotten or disadvantaged or marginalized and we’re also trying to help the entrepreneurs to create new startups and different companies that will benefit the city and benefit different nonprofits. So it’s just an all-encompassing role.
Founder of KADA and Executive Chairwoman of PF Flyers,wearkada.com, pfflyers.com
As the heiress to New Balance, Kassia Davis fostered a passion for the footwear and apparel industry at a young age. Aft er eight years in the family business, however, she left the security of a thriving company to find her own success. Before starting her current sustainable women’s brand, KADA, she was a founding partner of a small activewear company. Six months in, Davis’ eagerness to impress a high-fashion athletic brand in a business deal resulted in a catastrophic dilemma. While the mistake might have felt ruinous in the moment, the lessons Davis learned were priceless and serve as the backbone of her success—trust the process and never compromise quality. Now, as the head of KADA, and her recent assumption of PF Flyers, Davis is making her mark on the industry. Besides continuing to promote sustainable production in all of her brands, she is excited to bring a female design approach to PF Flyers, reminding women that a female can conquer the footwear industry.
What drove you to become an innovator in your industry?
Aft er nearly 10 years of working in the athletic industry, I found myself at a standstill while knowing that I wanted to make an impact as a female entrepreneur. It’s almost like I didn’t know how to get to the next step because there was a big hole in this industry of women to look up to. Feeling like I was ready to make a move from the family business was a really challenging position for me to be in, but in April 2020, I launched my first brand called KADA—a sustainable clothing line offering elevated essentials to real women. This has been so fun (and, of course, challenging for me) that I now have a goal of building a portfolio of brands.
How do you think your business fills a void?
Before KADA, I had yet to discover a brand that could offer staple items across all silhouettes. Sure, some brands have the perfect tee that you want to throw on every morning and some have the little black dress that’s perfect for every occasion, but what brand has it all? I am determined to create a brand of staples that all multitasking women can rely on every morning no matter where the day ahead will take them, giving them one less thing to worry about.
How do you hope to inspire other female entrepreneurs?
I hope to create an opportunity to inspire and empower women. I’m motivated by the concept of showing other females in the footwear industry that it’s possible to be a leader, whether that means following their dreams and launching their own brand or finally pushing for that promotion within a larger brand.
President at Encore Boston Harbor,encorebostonharbor.com
Growing up in Northern Nevada, Jenny Holaday watched her single mother climb from a cashier at a dinner theater to an executive position at one of Lake Tahoe’s premier gaming establishments. Surrounded by women forging new paths in a predominantly male industry inspired her as a child, and likely led her to become the president at Encore Boston Harbor. As the first female casino president in New England, Holaday is drawn to the excitement and energy of the industry, and has worked in casinos from the East Coast to Nevada prior to taking on the role. Starting her position in 2021, Holaday will oversee the induction of sports betting as a multimillion-dollar sportsbook becomes legal in Massachusetts, potentially this year. But she isn’t finished there. Think improved customer service, an expansion at Rare Steakhouse and more are on the horizon. She says, “Encore Boston Harbor has had its most successful period since we’ve opened, and we hope to have an even better year ahead.”
How do you plan on inducting sports betting into Encore as it becomes legalized?
If and when sports betting becomes legalized in the Commonwealth, we will be ready. We opened a beautiful sports bar this past fall, WynnBET Sports Bar, that we will quickly convert to take sports bets should the legislation be passed. In the meantime, it’s one of the best places in the Boston area to catch a game.
How do you hope to innovate the gaming industry?
The pandemic has prompted a complete transformation in how we approach hospitality and customer service. We have always sought new ways to provide our guests with the experiences that create unforgettable memories, but today, when we brainstorm ideas, we do so with the mindset that public health comes first. As hospitality and gaming move forward, I believe we’ll continue to innovate by finding the best balance between ensuring the health and safety of our employees and guests while maintaining the special experiences that take place at our resort.
UZO ERLINGSSON
HAEGRUNHOLDINGS.COM
In 2014, MD, scientist and Harvard professor Uzo Erlingsson noticed a gaping hole in the industry for women-owned businesses from the venture capital world. Based in Boston, Erlingsson’s solution, Haegrun Holdings, is a silent force in the female-owned venture capital world—making a difference by supporting over a dozen businesses so far.
RED 13 STUDIOS
RED13STUDIOS.COM
Four music industry veterans—Mark Roberge, Shaun Lichtenstein, Jim Foster and Johnny Roberge—are putting Boston on the map for music and arts with Red 13 Studios. How, you ask? Look to their two new state-of-the-art studios and production houses in Framingham and Lawrence, or their upcoming American Idol-esque music festival coming to the city this spring.
GAELEEN QUINN
TOOGOODTOGO.COM
Approximately 40% of edible food in the United States is wasted, which contributes to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and $1.2 trillion worth of food—but as head of impact at Too Good To Go, an app that connects communities to restaurants and grocery stores, Gaeleen Quinn is joining the fight to eliminate food waste. Of note, the app saves more than 1.3 million meals every day across the world.
Photography by: Jason Kent; Bostonman Magazine/Granimo Studios; Michael Blanchard; Courtesy of Encore Boston Harbor; Courtesy of Russo Communications; Edgar Troncoso, Red 13 Creative at Red 13 Studios Framingham; Courtesy of Too Good To Go