Kendra Scott, a native of Kenosha and founder of the eponymous jewelry line, will return to Wisconsin to keynote TEMPO Milwaukee’s Leadership Event on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
With a net worth of $550 million, Scott, 45, was included in Forbes magazine’s 2019 list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, released Tuesday (No. 1 on the list is Beloit’s Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply, and No. 4 is Madison’s Judy Faulkner of Epic). Kendra Scott’s massively popular jewelry, accessories and homeware company is based in Austin, Texas and has about $360 million in annual sales, according to Forbes. It was valued at more than $1 billion in 2016 when Berkshire Partners invested. There are now 100 Kendra Scott stores nationwide, and its products are also sold at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and other boutiques.
The 14th annual TEMPO Leadership Event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. In addition to the Q&A-style keynote with Scott, the event will include a marketplace of other female entrepreneurs.
Scott will discuss her journey in entrepreneurship, including a failed hat boutique she started in Austin at 19. She designed her first jewelry collection in 2002 in the bedroom of her home and has grown it into a fashion empire focused on natural gemstone jewelry.
“We’ve been pursuing her for two-and-a-half years and the timing is great,” said Jennifer Dirks, president and chief executive officer of TEMPO. “I think her journey and this entrepreneurial spirit – she talks about failure and having to start over – but just really her drive. There’s just a different DNA from somebody who is an entrepreneur. She’s got an incredible story.”
TEMPO expects to have about 750 attendees at the event. Registration opens today for corporate partners and individual registration begins Aug. 1.
