Jewelry Designer & Fashion Entrepreneur; Founder & Executive Chairwoman of Kendra Scott; Guest Shark on ABC's "Shark Tank"
Kendra Scott Biography
Kendra Scott is a jewelry designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist known for her contributions to the fashion and business industries. Scott founded her jewelry company with $500, shortly after the birth of her first son. With a focus on natural gemstones, she began selling her designs to Austin boutiques, building her business from the ground up. Prior to launching her jewelry line, Scott created The Hat Box, a company inspired by her stepfather's cancer diagnosis, offering comfortable and stylish headwear for individuals experiencing hair loss due to chemotherapy. After that venture closed, she shifted her focus to jewelry, which became her primary business.
Scott's journey to establishing a billion-dollar jewelry brand included significant challenges. By 2008, she had secured partnerships with major department stores and operated a growing wholesale business. The financial crisis forced her to adapt, leading her to open her own retail store in Austin. This store allowed customers to interact directly with the jewelry, customize pieces from a wide selection of styles and stone colors, and receive orders quickly. Her jewelry was also featured in Oscar de la Renta's Spring runway show, further elevating her profile in the jewelry and fashion sectors.
Scott is the founder and executive chairwoman of Kendra Scott, a fashion brand with more than 3,000 employees and over 120 stores nationwide. The company operates numerous retail locations, each featuring Color Bars where customers can personalize jewelry. According to PitchBook, Scott is among a select group of women in the United States who have founded companies valued at $1 billion. She has been recognized by Forbes in America's Richest Self-Made Women and has received honors such as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year National Award, the Breakthrough Award from the Accessories Council Excellence Awards, Texas Businesswoman of the Year by the Women's Chamber of Commerce, Best CEO by Austin Business Journal, and induction into the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
In addition to her business accomplishments, Scott is active in philanthropy and education. She established the Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute at the University of Texas at Austin to support women and creatives in entrepreneurship. The Kendra Scott Foundation, launched within her company, focuses on empowering women and youth in health and wellness, education, and entrepreneurship. Her company has donated more than $60 million to various causes. Scott serves on the board of directors for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Scott has expanded her influence through media and publishing. She appeared as a guest shark on ABC's "Shark Tank" and is the author of the memoir "Born to Shine." She also serves as a professor of practice at the Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. Scott's career highlights resilience, innovation, and a commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and leaders in the jewelry and fashion industries.
Kendra Scott Speaking Topics
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Born to Shine: Kendra Scott’s Journey to Doing Good, Finding Joy, and Building a Life She Loves
By any measure, Kendra Scott is a woman who has it all: a self-made billionaire, a generous philanthropist, and a mother of three with a squad of strong female friendships. Sounds pretty perfect, right? But perfection is a myth that doesn’t serve any of us. Perfection isn’t just a lie, it’s exhausting, and Kendra is tired of it.
In this conversation, Kendra takes audiences on a journey of personal stories and hard-earned life lessons, from her humble beginnings as an awkward, bullied young girl in small-town Wisconsin to launching a business in her spare bedroom with $500. Despite pitfalls, missteps, and failures, Kendra discusses how she built a life—and a career—rooted in joy, purpose, and doing good. Audiences will walk away inspired to embrace both the messiness and the magic that life has in store for them.
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Author Talk: “Born to Shine”
Kendra Scott's memoir "Born to Shine: Do Good, Find Your Joy, and Build a Life You Love" is a joyful tribute to life and purpose. In a vulnerable, wise, laugh-out-loud engagement, Scott shares her personal stories and hard-earned life lessons to inspire audiences to live authentically.
Kendra Scott Videos
How Kendra Scott Built A Billion-Dollar Brand with Purpose
Kendra Scott has achieved in just two decades. Kendra Scott is the brilliant brains and businesswoman behind her billion dollar namesake.
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How do I book Kendra Scott to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kendra Scott for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kendra Scott, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Kendra Scott or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Kendra Scott
Speaking fees for Kendra Scott, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Kendra Scott are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kendra Scott, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Kendra Scott speak about?
Kendra Scott is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Art & Design, Author, Beauty, Beauty, Business, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Fashion, Female Leadership, Personal Growth, Philanthropy, Social Activism, Women, Women's Empowerment -
Where does Kendra Scott travel from?
Kendra Scott generally travels from Austin, TX, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Kendra Scott’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Kendra Scott for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Kendra Scott for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Kendra Scott or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
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Kendra Scott is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Born to Shine: Kendra Scott’s Journey to Doing Good, Finding Joy, and Building a Life She Loves, Author Talk: “Born to Shine”, Building a People-First Culture, Building a Life You Love, Perfection is a Myth and For Women Audiences. The estimated speaking fee range to book Kendra Scott for your event is available upon request. Kendra Scott generally travels from Austin, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Sara Blakely, Jennifer Hyman, Bobbi Brown, Barbara Corcoran and Allison Ellsworth. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Kendra Scott for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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