102. Building an Empire and Becoming an Advocate: Jennet Chow

LIBERTY ROAD with Nada Jones

Jennet Chow is the Co-Founder and co-CEO of Evolution Design Lab (EDL) and Jellypop Shoes. She is more than a successful entrepreneur. She's a second-generation Taiwanese-American and a native of Southern California who has dedicated herself to advocating for AANHPI and women-owned businesses. Jennet was named one of Inc. Magazine's 2021 Female Founders 100, and under her leadership, EDL was also awarded Inc. Best in Business Pacific Region in 2023.

From her early days, Jennet demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination. Weekends were spent at swap meets, selling shoes for her family's footwear enterprise, Prima Royale Enterprises. This early exposure to the shoe industry and running a business instilled a strong work ethic in her. While studying Apparel Manufacturing Management at FIDM, she continued to work with her parents, recruiting and growing Prima Royale's design and marketing team from herself to ten people by age 21. Her humble beginnings have driven her to champion women's leadership, serving as a founding LA WIFI Chapter Chair and speaking at events like Women Who Rock alongside Martha Stewart. She remains committed to empowering women, educating youth, and giving back.

In this episode, Nada sits down with Jennet to talk about the early days of her family-run shoe business, which she eventually turned into a shoe empire. The two discuss Jennet's unique career, which started when she was just a child sketching shoe designs for her parents. Jennet looks back on her vast accomplishments and is especially proud of her work as an advocate–for her employees, for her Asian community, and for women in business.

Check out what Jennet is reading: The Tao Self-Confidence by Sheena Yap Chan and her friend's upcoming book Smart, Not Loud by Jessica Chen. You can find more about Jennet's business at Evolution Design Lab and check out her store in L.A. at Jelly Pop Shoes. Follow on Instagram: @jellypopshoes

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