Create & Cultivate DTLA is going to be our biggest and best conference yet, which means we have another group of amazing mentors ready to give you the best tips to bring your business, brand, or blog to the next level.
If you're wondering what mentor is the best fit for you, check out of the ladies that will be sitting down with you this May at Hudson. Also, if you haven't gotten your ticket yet, what are you waiting for? Get your ticket now.
Paola Alberdi, Creator, Blank Itinerary
Best for: Social Media, Blogging
Since 2011, Paola Alberdi has been to document her versatile and flawless style on her blog Blank Itinerary. 5 years since its launch, Paola has been able to grab the attention of over 250k followers on all her social channels, and continues to grow her brand with strategic partners like ShopStyle, Aveeno, People Magazine, Tresemmé, and Neiman Marcus just to name a few. Get the best tips on how to step into the world of blogging at her mentor session.
Natasha Case, Co-Founder, Coolhaus
Best for: Entrepreneurship, Business Development
Natasha Case founded Coolhaus in 2009 with Freya Estreller. They launched their architecturally-inspired, gourmet ice cream sandwich company from their barely drive-able postal van at the Coachella Music Festival to an audience of 100,000. They built a loyal following over the festival weekend and returned to LA to an abundance of viral press and an eager foodie audience. Since then, Natasha has been named a Forbes 30 under 30 and Zagat 30 Under 30, and has also been featured in many national publications and TV shows including Food Network’s "Chopped" and "King of Cones". Learn how to jumpstart your brand and grow your product fan base by selecting Natasha as your mentor!
Erin Condren, Founder, Erin Condren Designs
Best for: Entrepreneurship, Graphic Design, Branding
Erin Condren started her stationery company after coming down with a terrible case of “cabin fever” and trying to find a way to search for new career opportunities that she could so from home as a “stay-at-home” mother of two. She then began creating note cards for friends, birthday gifts, new babies and hostess gifts, and after her friend encouraged her to sell her designs at a “shopping party” at her home in June 2004, the rest was history. Now, 12 years since its inception, Erin Condren Designs is thriving business, and has helped Erin build a business that fits into her life as a wife and mother. If you’re looking to launch a business but still need that inspiration to find your direction, or are running a business while raising a family, hear from Erin on how she has gotten to where she’s at during her mentor session.
Mara Ferreira, Creator, M Loves M
Best for: Social Media, Blogging
Mara Ferreira’s M Loves M is a lifestyle blog focusing on a classic, feminine and fun approach to style, food and entertaining, and living. This site started in 2009 as a creative outlet and online diary for her as she was working towards law school while working at a law firm. Since then, she transitioned from aspiring to be a public interest lawyer, and has moved to documenting her love of fashion, cooking and home design. If you’re in the same shoes as Mara was, and want to transition to fashion from law or totally contrasting field of work, be sure to pick Mara’s brain at her mentor session.
Chloé Watts, Founder, Chloé Digital
Best for: Brand Development, Tech, Web Design, Branding, Marketing
Chloé Watts is the mastermind behind Chloé Digital, the destination for premium Wordpress tech support for style publishers. As a fashion technologist, Chloé has been able to marry tech and fashion into a cohesive way that has allowed bloggers to present their blogs into dynamic and fully functional sites. Who said women in fashion couldn’t run tech? Learn from Chloé on how to tap into the world of tech, and bring your blog to its full potential during her mentor session.
Nicolette Mason, Creator, NicoletteMason.com
Best for: Social Media, Blogging, Strategic Partnerships
Nicolette is a Los Angeles native who lives and works in NYC & LA . She is a freelance creative consultant, contributing editor at Marie Claire, and pens her blog nicolettemason.com, where she shares personal style snaps, travel, and the many things she loves.
Since launching her blog and graduating from Parsons School of Design, she’s contributed to dozens of publications including Marie Claire, Vogue Italia, Brooklyn Magazine, The L Magazine, Refinery29, Glamour Italy, and more, and has partnered with brands like ModCloth and Addition Elle, where she has a cocktail dress collection launching this spring, to design collections. She has also partnered with Target on the heralded launch of their plus-size brand, Ava & Viv.
If you’re looking to start your blog, or are looking for tips on how to become a contributor for publications like Nicolette has written for, make sure to attend her mentor session!
Grasie Mercedes, Creator, Style Me Grasie
Best for: Blogging, Social Media, Acting, Modeling
Grasie Mercedes is an actress, model, and author of Style Me Grasie, a blog dedicated to all things style and Grasie’s personal life, which include her adventures in acting & beyond. You can call Grasie a serial multitasker, with having a seamless blog and a great acting resume that includes roles in NCIS, Criminal Minds, All My Children and Masters of Sex, just to name a few. However, her blog she’s able to keep her own character alive through her blog making sure it keeps its readers in the loop with current trends, style how to’s, beauty & lifestyle. If you’re looking to see how to balance being a multi-hyphenate boss or looking how to find your voice within your blog, sign up for Grasie's mentor session!
Danielle Yadegar & Heather Serden, Founders, Above The Glass
Best for: Entrepreneurship, Branding, Business & Career Development
Women are natural leaders, creative thinkers and problem solvers. We also get paid less than men for the same work while juggling family responsibilities. Every day, more of us realize that working for others no longer works for us.
That’s how it went for Above the Glass founders Heather Serden and Danielle Yadegar. From finance to business school to start ups, Heather experienced the effects of the glass ceiling that push so many of us into entrepreneurship: traditional careers that fail to meet our economic, personal and professional needs.
But even with her MBA and career experiences, Heather still wondered: Do I have what it takes? Finding the confidence she needed to launch her own business led right to her own pivotal moment. Heather realized her skills and knowledge could be just the edge so many women need to find the confidence to strike off on their own. She knew she could demystify intimidating things like business plans and fundraising. And she believed without a doubt that economic empowerment and the capability to start businesses should be available for all women.
Danielle’s experiences as a fashion editor, stylist and business owner were all preparation for her role as Co-Founder of Above the Glass. As an entrepreneur herself, Danielle faced many challenges in starting her business, primarily lack of understandable information.
She knew she could use the expertise acquired over the course of her career to communicate traditionally complex subject matters in an approachable way. By creating engaging content, she hopes to empower women to pursue their own entrepreneurial endeavors.
Childhood friends who noticed the same gap in the market knew that they could join forces to make business approachable and empower other female entrepreneurs. Sign up for these powerhouse ladies as your mentors to give you the knowledge, the tools and the edge to own your working lives.
Promise Tangeman, Founder, Go Live HQ
Best for: Brand Development, Tech, Web Design, Branding, Marketing
Promise Tangeman, the founder and designer of Go Live knew there could be a fun, efficient, and helpful way to create your home on the web.
She envisioned a quick turnaround time, technical support at your fingertips, designers everywhere, and collaborating together in a fast-paced, energetic environment to create a site that you would be proud to call your own. And that is when the Go Live workshop was created in 2012. Creative small business come from all over the continent and we help them build, design, and launch their brand and website in person in two days flat. With rave reviews and thousands of websites launched through our brand our passion for fun, efficiency and web design has spread to several other avenues including our website themes, custom design services, and in-person experiences. If you’re looking to dive into tech, or find the best ways to make your website even more dynamic, let Promise give you the best tips on how to do it at her mentor session.
Jessy Fofana, Founder, LaRue PR
Best for: PR, Marketing, Social Media
Jessy Fofana is our go-to for all things PR. With her PR agency LaRue PR, she has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to utilizing PR to strategically grow brands and get them on the right radar. Not only that, she is our seasoned PR correspondent for the Create & Cultivate blog.
Jessy founded LaRue PR over seven years ago after successfully directing public relations initiatives for an impressive list of well-known fashion, lifestyle and cosmetics brands and retailers. She brings a unique perspective of understanding what every player in the PR game needs. Having worked in magazine publishing, she knows what editors are looking for, and as the co-creator of Femme Arsenal, an indie cosmetic brand, she understands what business owners need to grow to the next level. Get her advice in-person at Create & Cultivate Los Angeles!
Natalie Willis, Head of Business Development, ShopStyle
Best for: Business Development, Marketing, Strategic Partnerships
Natalie Willis leads ShopStyle Collective’s business development team. She partners with the industry’s leading influencers on scaling their business and growing their brand. In a market that is increasingly competitive and ever changing, Natalie and her team work closely with influencers on content strategy, brand partnerships and monetization. She is proud to partner with so many creative, intelligent women and support them as entrepreneurs turning their passion project into a business. Understand how you can inspire, be creative with clear business goals in mind with Natalie as your mentor.
