With Jenn Harper, Founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics

Jenn Harper is an award-winning social entrepreneur and international speaker. She is the trailblazing founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics—a brand that has gracefully painted the ideals of sustainability and inclusion onto a global canvas. From its inception in 2015, Jenn has nurtured Cheekbone Beauty into a B. Corp Certified force, now gracing the shelves of Sephora Canada and 550 JC Penney locations across the USA.

Jenn's journey with Cheekbone began as a digitally native, direct-to-consumer brand that took pride in its commitment to reducing environmental impact and supporting Indigenous communities. Her formidable leadership made sure Cheekbone stood out not only for its stunning products but also for its ethical backbone. It became a symphony of transparency, philanthropy, and support for women and youth. To date, over $250,000 have been donated to philanthropic causes, testament to Cheekbone's core values.

Cheekbone's prestige has been hard-earned. In 2019, Jenn Harper made a confident appearance on Canada's Dragon's Den, the nation's equivalency of Shark Tank. While she turned down offers, her unwavering resolution steered Cheekbone towards exponential growth. Jenn's tactical negotiations led to expansive contracts with major retailers in North America, shining a beacon of inspiration for Indigenous women by placing an Indigenous CEO-led brand on equal footing with global industry giants.

Jenn Harper stands as more than a CEO; she is a voice for entrepreneurship, exerting influence on topics that are reshaping the business landscape: social entrepreneurship, empathy, representation, inclusivity, and sustainability. Regularly sought after for her insights, Jenn weaves her narrative as both a woman and a representative of Indigenous peoples in North America, substantiating the importance of these values in today's business ecosystem.

The accolades accruing to Jenn's name bear the weight of her achievements. In 2022, she was listed among the 100 Women of Influence by Entrepreneur Magazine—a list graced by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. In 2023, Jenn was conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Goodman School of Business at Brock University. This honorary degree recognized her unwavering dedication to community betterment and adamant endeavors in championing sustainability. In November of 2024, Jenn Harper was also named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.

Jenn Harper, with Cheekbone Beauty, brings forth a narrative of passion, resilience, and authenticity. Her biography is not just about the ascent of a brand; it's the story of a vision brought to life, of barriers broken, and of a future envisioned where commerce and charity coalesce seamlessly, all painted with the strokes of an eco-friendly brush.

Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.

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With Jenna Barnable, disability inclusion advocate and educator

Jenna Barnable is an Atlantic Canadian writer, communicator, disability inclusion advocate and educator who lives with multiple disabilities. She is also a storyteller, community builder and lifelong feminist who raises awareness about women’s, gender-diverse, and Disabled rights through my words, art and education.

Jenna unapologetically centers women’s, gender diverse, BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ perspectives and issues in her disability inclusion advocacy work, including her social content creation on TikTok and her indie feminist podcast, “Finding Avalon: Amplifying Disabled Voices.”

Jenna's goal is empowering disabled people become stronger self-advocates, and building supportive anti-ableist allies so that together people can create meaningful change for inclusive, accessible communities where everyone belongs, regardless of ability or health.

As a disabled feminist and anti-ableist activist, Jenna tackles the ways disability discrimination is deeply intertwined with sexism, misogyny, gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, digital hate and gender inequity. She also shines a light on gender-based barriers within healthcare, having experienced sexist medical gaslighting and dismissal that caused irreversible damage to her health – unacceptable barriers to equitable care that women and marginalized people constantly face.

Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.

Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation

LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation

Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation

TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn

With Kimberley Okafor, researcher and advocate for maternal health equity

Kimberley Okafor is a dedicated researcher and advocate for maternal health equity, currently pursuing a Master of Science in Management (MScM) at Toronto Metropolitan University. As Vice-President External for her MScM cohort and an active member of the Black Researchers Initiative to Empower (BRITE), she is committed to addressing systemic challenges in maternal care globally. Her research explores the intersection of maternal health and social inequities, aiming to transform healthcare systems and promote culturally competent, equitable care. Through her work, she strives to influence policies that drive meaningful change in maternal healthcare.

Connect with Kimberley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberley-okafor/

Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.

Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation

LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation

Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation

TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn