For our Female Founder Gift Guide 2022 we set out to curate just a few options for all the women in your life that you want to celebrate and show appreciation for this year. As always, we seek to showcase products from female founded brands with an emphasis on minority owned, small businesses, with gifts you’ll actually love.
We highly encourage you to click over to each brand’s website to check them out further because most of them have several other items we want too, and they also often have discounts available or free shipping if you join their email list. Plus, each and every brand has an amazing story and a founder that we think you’ll find inspiring that you can usually find out more about on their site or socials.
Our goal is that you can literally go through this list and order something (or several things) from each category and not have to do any other shopping for the women in your life this year because we found such unique items your people will love!
And if you want even more, check out our gift guide from last year, because most of those items will all still make great gifts this year too.
For your Best Friend
1 Single Hearted Girl Necklace ($100)
This single-hearted necklace from Rejected Hearts Club provides the perfect accessory for your independent friend who doesn’t always have someone to help them clasp their necklace, and more than that, they don’t feel that they should need to ask. Rejected Hearts Club was created by Jamie Batiste after a really hard breakup, and is a woman & POC Owned small business with products handcrafted in the US. Remind your friend of her self-worth with this necklace that will remind her to love herself.
2 ‘The Full Monty’ Wine Gift Pack ($50)
For your friend who knows how to get things done but also how to have fun and deserves to relax, this gift pack from Love Cork Screw that includes a bottle of wine, a candle, and body butter is a great treat. Love Cork Screw is a black, female-owned wine & lifestyle brand founded by Chrishon Lampley. As one of the less than 1% of wine industry negociants, vineyard and wine owners who are black females, Chrishon’s wines feature thoughtfully-sourced wines with bold, eye-catching labels that we absolutely love. Mix and match the wine and scents of your choice with this bundle, to create just the right gift.
3 Smoke Cocktail Topper Deluxe ($159.99)
Helius Originals is a black-owned, eco-friendly smoke barware brand co-founded by Bilqees Grant, with a focus on adding new smoke elements to mocktails, cocktails, and small food items using Canadian reclaimed lumber. These kits can also be used for smoking sauces or items for a charcuterie board, so literally your whole cocktail party is covered. We love the Smoke Cocktail Topper Delux, which comes with a torch, a cocktail chimney, 3 tins of various wood shavings, whiskey stones, a jigger, and a recipe book, all packaged up in a special pink wood box and a burlap bag to keep it in. Gift your friend who loves to entertain a fun way to create smoky cocktails for her guests with tools beautiful enough they seem fit to become a family heirloom.
4 Body Candles ($33)
CTOAN Co is a Black, queer owned candle company based in Milwaukee, WI. Founded by Jodyann Morgan, it quickly became an internet sensation, with many prominent plus size, Black, and LGBT influencers sharing the candles on their platform. Best known for gender free body sculpture candles that are size fat, CTOAN’s body candles are available year round in light brown, white and dark brown, but for the holidays, they have a special Season of Giving collection featuring hand painted, sparkly metallic candle in a choice of red or gold, which are available in seven body configurations, and three different scents (as well as unscented). For $249, get a set of 9 candles to create a fabulous menorah! This collection will be donating $2 from each candle sold to the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which Jodyann attended as a teen. Get your best friend this gift of empowerment and they can celebrate the power of the female body in an artistic and beautiful way all season long.
5 Smart Heated Mug Kit ($65)
Never drink lukewarm tea again with a Smart Heated Mug from Tease, a women-owned, small business based in Ottawa, Canada. Tease creates all natural, botanical based teas and the packaging is 100% biodegradable and refillable. They are a proud B-Corp, and a portion of proceeds supports ambitious women founders through a funding and mentorship program. The mug kit comes in two colors and in addition to the mug, heading pad and drip tray lid, you also get a beautiful gold-plated spoon, and you can pair it with 15 teabags for $79.
For your Sister
1 Powerhouse Classics Collection Liquid Lipstick ($36)
Global makeup artist and AAPI beauty expert, Natasha Moor, originally developed this formula for brides that needed long-lasting, smudge-proof, water-proof, kiss-proof color so you know it means business. This Powerhouse Classics Collection is a set of 4 mini liquid lipsticks in Molten Matte, and the shades are named CEO, Bulletproof, Storm, and Gratitude. For your makeup-loving powerhouse sister who wants beautiful, vegan, paraben-free, hydrating lip color that lasts all day.
2 Backpacks from Rice Love or Taaluma Totes ($65, $95)
We couldn’t choose just one of these bags to feature, so we’re going to make you pick between these two incredible fair trade and sustainable companies Jordan Wenck co-owns and operates. Both sell bags that are handmade, eco friendly, durable and unique, and both have a mission to help the global community. Rice Love’s mission is to help end global hunger. Every bag produced (made from burlap material from rice sacks, so they are sustainably made and biodegradable) donates one kilo of rice to families in India, and each bag comes with a unique number that allows you to look up the family’s photo and story that that bag is connected to. Taaluma sources traditional fabrics from around the world and makes the bags here in the US, using 20% of the profits to fund microloans in the country that the fabrics come from. We think your sister would love a bag from either brand. Rice Loves offers a variety of backpacks, totes, and more, in a variety of sizes, and Taaluma Totes offers a variety of materials/patterns.
3 Moon Bear or Sun Bear Sponsorship ($45 per month)
Giving a sponsorship of a bear from the Animals Asia sanctuary could be the most environment-conscious and unique gift for your sister who ‘doesn’t need more stuff’ but loves an animal in need. The organization works to end bear bile farming in Asia, a cruel practice that has been pushing Asiatic black bears (aka moon bears), and sun bears towards extinction. They save and take care of them in their Vietnam and China sanctuaries, and through this bear sponsorship program you can provide a monthly donation and you or your sister can choose the individual bear, learn their stories and get monthly updates about their situation.
4 Palmella – Grande Wall Mounted Trellis ($60)
Treleaf is a small business, run by passionate women, based in Atlanta, GA that makes plant supports for indoor potted plants that doubles as decor. These plant-inspired trellises use sustainable methods and natural materials, inspired by iconic plant leaves and are handcrafted in the USA using locally sourced wood. For your plant mom friend whose home is getting out of control with pots, these wall mounted trellises are an adorable way to get that greenery in without taking up more floor space.
5 The Waffle Open Cardigan ($31.90)
The perfect compliment to your sister’s loungewear and casual looks this winter, The Waffle Open Cardigan is extremely soft and has pockets. Jance Chartae’ is the founder of Brazen Boutique and the Boutique Academy, where she teaches other entrepreneurs how to build their own e-commerce business. Brazen Boutique is a small business on a mission to inspire women to be unapologetically themselves, to be bold in their outfit choices and shameless about what they believe in even if that means wearing sweatpants everyday. And that’s something we can get behind!
For your Mother or Daughter
1 Iris Textured-Leather Shoulder Bag ($350)
FLORE QUO was conceived in 2018 by founder and designer Florence Tsang. We love the Iris shoulder bag, Made in Spain, for your fashionable mother who has an eye for quality and beautiful design. Each bag is sold with 2 ornaments: a Butterfly Crown ornament and a Manta ornament, which was created in support of the Manta Trust, a charity registered in England and Wales. 10% of the profit from bags sold with the Manta ornament are donated to the Manta Trust, so you’re doing good for the world while finally finding a gift that will impress your mother’s impeccable taste.
2 Create Your Bright Ideas ($16.99)
Water the seeds of creativity in your child through this engaging book about having a positive growth mind-set. In Create Your Bright Ideas, Jess Ekstrom, founder of Headbands of Hope, motivates kids to be creators and ambitious doers who know they are never too young to change the world. The book helps kids discover their passions by offering journaling, personal stories about entrepreneurship and perseverance, practical advice, and motivational quotes paired with beautiful coloring pages from illustrator Nadia Fisher that can be cut out of the book for easy display.
3 Big Hugs Dreamighty® Blanket ($46.99)
Give your loved one a Big Hugs blanket so they can feel like they’re getting a big hug from you any time they wear it. This wearable blanket has patented flat pocket sleeves so it and can be worn as a lap blanket or cape while sitting up, reading, or getting things done, and won’t fall off your shoulders. Created by Founder & CEO Karen Bonnici, a breast cancer survivor, the blankets are meant to be seen as an encouraging message or hug for someone you care about and to bring the feeling of empowerment as you don it like a cape.
4 An Angler 1000 Pieces Puzzle ($34.32- note that this ships from the UK, so factor in shipping costs)
In 2020 Emilia Wik set out to create a modern puzzle brand curated for playful adult minds, and mai mo was born. As beautiful and relaxing as they are to play around with on the table, the puzzle boxes are equally beautiful on shelves or coffee tables when not in play. Gift your mom something that offers the space to playfully just be and love beautiful designs. This puzzle will encourage her to take mental breaks and be a chance to do something creative to reset and give her mind the space to expand. ‘An Angler’ is painted by Brazilian Tarsila do Amaral in 1925, one of the leading Latin American modernist artists of her time.
For your Biz Bestie
1 Be Rooted Gratitude Journal Set ($25)
Leaning into her passion of inclusivity and desire to live a purpose-filled life, Jasmin Foster launched Be Rooted in 2020 with a mission to empower women of color and create a space for them to see themselves in the stationery they love. With a lineup of colorful journals, planners and writing instruments designed by Black and Brown artists, by 2021 Be Rooted became the first and only Black-owned stationery brand available at retail giant Target and Target.com. With a passion to give back, Be Rooted has donated over 400 free minutes of free therapy to Black women through its partnership with the Loveland Foundation. We love the Gratitude Journal Set, but highly suggest you check out all their products because we honestly want every single one.
Lit By Lordy Candles ($40, medium)
We love the beauty of Lit By Lordy Honey candles, and also the fact that they are clean, non toxic, do not contain any harsh chemicals, and aren’t even really meant to be lit! I mean really, who ever wants to actually light the beautiful candles we buy or are gifted when the design is the main thing that drew you to it. These candles come in three sizes and a selection of a few look stunning on your biz bestie’s shelf or desk, providing a gorgeous tablescape or background to her meetings, without ever burning down (unless she wants to). The design was created to light up a room without a flame, with a high fragrance load in them to smell nice without being lit, so your friend can keep these beautiful décor pieces for years to come! They also have holiday specific styles, and plenty of other stunning designs so there’s sure to be something that matches your bestie’s aesthetic.
3 Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn your Passion into Profit (Hardcover $26.09, Kindle: $16.99)
Candace Nelson, the founder of Sprinkles cupcakes, and judge on the television series Cupcake Wars and Sugar Rush, is sharing the recipe for success in her new book, Sweet Success. She will walk you through the steps she took to build a globally beloved brand, so you can do it too. Gift this book to your biz bestie for an inspiring and entertaining read.
4 Equilibria Stress Set ($70)
Equilibria, a by-women, for-women wellness company run by CEO & Co-Founder Coco Meers, bringing balance to women through through data-driven, personalized CBD routines has great gift sets for your busy business owner friend. Check out the Holiday Stress Set ($70) which comes with Blackberry Currant Stress Gummies, Mindful Mineral Soak, and Dynamic Roller Duo, bound to help her relax and let go of a busy day. They also have an Energy Set and a Sleep Set to check out depending on your biz bestie’s needs!
5 Listen to Your Heart Neon Sign ($221, small)
Founded by Australian mom Jess Munday while on maternity leave, Custom Neon Signs creates a sign that says anything you want, and has a selection of pre-made designs already available in a variety of sizes. An inspirational or custom business LED neon sign provides the perfect backdrop for Zoom calls as well as promotional imagery and videography. It also provides an additional low-energy light source that can be dimmed to provide the optimum ambiance. And for those workaholics that lose track of time, set the timer! When the light goes out, it’s knock-off time!
For Yourself
Let’s be honest, you deserve to get yourself something too after the year you’ve had!
1 Exploring Me: A Guided Journal for Self-Discovery and Creative Expression $15.99
This unique guided journal of thought-provoking questions and whimsical illustrations to color provides a chance to sit with yourself for a little self-care after work to destress, relax and get introspective. Created by Mara Krausz, a Los Angeles-based writer of books and television, specializing in personal development and romantic comedy, the book is a wonderful tool for self-reflection and stress-reduction. We all know we do better when we take the time to sit with our own thoughts and figure out who we are and what we want. Get yourself this guided journal and stick with it in the new year. Plus, the coloring pages will make you want to crack it open even on the days you don’t feel like you have the energy to get deep!
2 Bellabeat Ivy ($249)
Treat yourself this year, with the Bellabeat Ivy, a wearable tracker designed and engineered for women, which correlates menstrual cycle data, lifestyle habits, and biometric readings. It reveals a comprehensive and accurate state of your body and mind so you can make informed decisions and ensure you’re optimizing your performance. Choose from 6 styles pretty enough that you won’t have to take it off for meetings, and keep track of all your biometric details on the app so you can make informed decisions about taking care of yourself.
3 The Ultimate List Maker Gift Set ($41)
We love stationary, planners, and paper lists, and we absolutely love Ponderlilly’s gorgeous look and functionality. Founded by Carina Lawson, a Brazilian-born, Arabian Gulf-raised, Brit-wed, higher-ed executive and twin mom, we know this worldly and busy woman has got our best interest at heart when it comes to planning our days! Ponderlilly products are for busy women seeking to find joy, purpose and empowerment in their daily to-dos and decisions, with a goal of helping you create a well-lived life. We suggest you check out their paper planners if that’s your style, but we also love this Ultimate List Maker Gift Set that you can use around your office or around your house to stay on track with absolutely everything!
4 Satori Clutch in White Star ($345)
ESLLA stands for Ethically Sourced Luxury Leather Alternatives and is disrupting the handbag industry with designs made of sustainable cactus leather. A brand new, vegan handbag company created by Leigh Dorough (wife of Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys!) and her longtime friend and business partner, Charlotte Wienckoski, the bags are gorgeous and make an incredible gift for powerful, female founders, and at a slightly higher pricepoint than you may normally spend on a friend, we honestly think you deserve this one for yourself. We love the Satori Clutch in White Star for a wear-with-anything option, but you may also want to check out the Green Helen for a pop of color!
