Women of the New Frontier: Capital, Ownership & The Founder’s Journey w/Allison Ellsworth, Rachel Roy & Theresa Fette

About this episode

The episode features a panel discussion with successful women entrepreneurs sharing their journeys and insights on business ownership and scaling.

We’re back—kicking off our 2026 season live from SXSW Austin with the Ayana Foundation. Featuring: Allison Ellsworth on scaling Poppi from kitchen experiment to a $1.95B sale to Pepsi; Rachel Roy on creative control, brand ownership, and navigating legal battles; Theresa Fette on the identity shift after exit—and choosing yourself over the title. From Shark Tank moments to hard decisions behind the scenes, this is a candid look at what happens after the spotlight. If you're building, scaling, or thinking about your next move—this one’s for you. Timestamps/Key Takeaways 00:00 Panel Introduction: Women of the New Frontier 01:40 Meet the Panelists: Origins in Soda, Fashion, and FinTech 04:14 The Poppy Story: From Oil & Gas to Probiotic Soda 06:16 Launching in a Pandemic: The Rebrand and the Power of TikTok 09:19 Why Embarrassment is a Secret Weapon for Success 10:20 Rachel Roy on 25 Years of Creative-First Design 12:22 Lessons from a Namesake Brand: Why Names Matter in Business 15:25 Theresa Fette on Luck, Law, and the 50% Opportunity 18:28 Understanding Self-Directed IRAs and the Bitcoin IRA Pivot 21:05 Fighting for Your Name: Rachel Roy’s New York Supreme Court Battle 25:26 The…

People in this episode

Host: Sarah Chen-Spellings

Guests: Allison Ellsworth, Rachel Roy, Theresa Fette

Topics covered

• women in business
• entrepreneurship
• capital ownership
• founder's journey
• scaling businesses
• creative control
• legal battles

Keywords

• entrepreneurship
• business scaling
• women founders
• Poppi
• Shark Tank
• legal battles
• creative control
• capital ownership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ayana Foundation, Pepsi, Shark Tank, New York Supreme Court

Products: Poppi, Bitcoin IRA

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