Breaking Barriers: Why “Taboo” Brands Win with Shama Amalean Skinner (Former COO, Thinx Inc.)

Billion Dollar Moves™ with Sarah Chen-Spellings | Global Venture Capital

From a market that was almost nonexistent in 2015, hitting double digits with a ~25% CAGR by 2018, Femtech and women's health industry have been long underestimated until the rise of Thinx and similar brands revolutionized the industry.

Today’s guest is Shama Amalean Skinner, an entrepreneur, a trailblazer in the world of feminine care, and a business leader who has broken barriers and challenged societal norms with her previous position as COO at Thinx Inc. Shama played a pivotal role in transforming Thinx into a household name, ultimately paving the way for the mass adoption of reusable products in an industry dominated by single-use disposables.

For the first time, Shama reveals how she would have done things differently from an operator's standpoint and expresses real frustration about how the Femtech market is still grossly underfunded, despite its massive potential. Whether you're looking to finally crack mass retail this year for your product or working through some challenging personal questions and navigating startup life, this is another episode I think you'll love.

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TIMESTAMPS & Key Takeaways

0:00 Intro

03:15 Takeaway 1: Three potential opportunities Shama saw in Thinx

04:48 Takeaway 2: Changing consumer behaviour and skepticism regarding period underwear #1: Create a movement destigmatizing periods

06:26 #2: Increase brand awareness with controversial subway ads

08:32 #3: Converting followship into purchases and revenue with product education and word of mouth effect

10:17 Takeaway 3: Changing mind and creating loyalty globally with advocacy work

13:01 Takeaway 4: Business model and revenue numbers for feminine care market

14:05 Takeaway 5: Framework for a successful brand: branding, product, and team

15:32 Takeaway 6: Shama’s take on what should COOs have in mind as priorities

17:13 Takeaway 7: Strategies against supply chain issues

19:44 Takeaway 8: Create redundancy in supply chain

20:27 Takeaway 9: What makes a good COO?

21:40 Takeaway 10: Business opportunities in Femtech and women health

24:33 Takeaway 11: What needs to change for women to progress in the capital spectrum in getting that innovation funding?

25:47 Takeaway 12: Founder’s lens: rejections at funding stage

28:39 Takeaway 13: Key to decision-making as Thinx going into retail

30:22 Takeaway 14: When is right time for founders or top performers to move on?

31:46 Takeaway 15: 3 questions you ask yourself to decide if you were to step away

32:30 Billion Dollar Questions

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About Shama Amalean Skinner

Shama Amalean Skinner is an entrepreneur and executive working at the intersection of sustainability and consumer markets. She is the former chief operating officer of Thinx Inc, the revolutionary period and incontinence underwear company. At Thinx, she played a key role in launching, growing, and ultimately selling the company to a publicly listed corporation — effectively catalyzing the mass adoption of a reusable product in a category dominated by single-use disposables. Shama is an engaged consultant, board member, and advisor to innovative start-ups, venture funds, and nonprofit organizations. She is deeply committed to advocating for gender equity and helping solve the climate crisis.

Shama | LinkedIn

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