At 18, I started my first brand, Midori Bikinis, from my college dorm room after spending a summer in Oahu with a one-way ticket and a lot of curiosity. What began as a side project to make my own bikinis (which miserably failed at first) grew into a globally recognized swimwear brand built on transparency, inclusivity, and community.
Over the next decade, I ran Midori solo, doing everything from design and logistics to customer support, creative direction, and marketing. Along the way, I scaled it to $3.1 million in sales and built a loyal community of over 220k followers.