Our Mission

Changing the Narrative.

HerStory is a social business featuring luxury, unique products designed by women around the world. Our highly curated collection of products uplift women-led brands and communities. When you purchase from a HerStory brand, you are joining a movement to empower and represent women who want to change the narrative of fashion. You are not wearing an item, you are sharing a story that makes an impact.

OUR STORY:

Chapter One

It’s been two years since the pandemic changed our lives and the future of retail. Small business owners have had a particularly rough go of things, from having to close their storefronts to curb the spread of the virus to ongoing supply-chain issues that have lingered even after vaccines and booster shots became available.

In the spring of 2020 three (3) Dallas-based small business owners came together to figure out how to change the retail landscape for women-led brands and create a path for growth, sustainability and collaboration. While many brands were trying to survive competing with other brands in their vertical through unsustainable marketing spend, HerStory changed the narrative and built a movement centered around women uplifting one another and empowering the future generation of leaders.

Since launch, HerStory has partnered with over 100+ women-led brands across the US , along with artisans in Central America, Africa, Ukraine and beyond. Currently, HerStory is working with a network of over 300,000 artisans and expanding their luxury marketplace to include over 200 highly curated women-led brands around the world. Thank you for being a part of herstory and shopping small.

It’s been two years since the pandemic changed our lives and the future of retail. Small business owners have had a particularly rough go of things, from having to close their storefronts to curb the spread of the virus to ongoing supply-chain issues that have lingered even after vaccines and booster shots became available.

In the spring of 2020 three (3) Dallas-based small business owners came together to figure out how to change the retail landscape for women-led brands and create a path for growth, sustainability and collaboration. While many brands were trying to survive competing with other brands in their vertical through unsustainable marketing spend, HerStory changed the narrative and built a movement centered around women uplifting one another and empowering the future generation of leaders.

Since launch, HerStory has partnered with over 100+ women-led brands across the US , along with artisans in Central America, Africa, Ukraine and beyond. Currently, HerStory is working with a network of over 300,000 artisans and expanding their luxury marketplace to include over 200 highly curated women-led brands around the world. Thank you for being a part of herstory and shopping small.

Tinsley Merrill Paul

The founder and CEO of Support HerStory was born and raised in Atlanta, GA as the youngest of five siblings. Tinsley has worked with multiple women-led companies including Akola, Bumble and rewardStyle (LTK) to name a few. As a graduate of Southern Methodist University, Tinsley had the opportunity to study and volunteer around the world including the United Kingdom, Australia, Africa and Southeast Asia. Tinsley graduated with a double major in Public Relations & Corporate Communications and a Minor in International Relations which drove her entrepreneurial, global mindedness. After graduation Tinsley served on the Retail Development Team at rewardStyle (now LTK), the world’s first content monetization platform for top-tier digital influencers and global brands. In addition to her influencer marketing background, Tinsley was the cofounder and CRO of Pairr, an experiential marketing platform that connected brand and influencers with their target market through data-driven insights. It was during the pandemic in 2020 that Tinsley dedicated her time to support women-led businesses that were struggling in the new retail landscape, ultimately creating HerStory.

Brittany Merrill Underwood

Brittany is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Akola, “She Works”, the premiere social impact brand in the luxury space that sells high- fashion jewelry retailing at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. At Akola, with every unit sold, a woman’s life changes and her family is transformed. Akola offers employment, economic mobility, and empowerment for women in need in Uganda. Over the past 15 years, Brittany and the Akola team have worked to build Akola’s manufacturing business in rural Uganda, exclusively employing women in poverty who care for an average of 9 dependents. Back in the states, Brittany and the Akola team have built a retail brand selling in top retail brands throughout the country. Simultaneously, the organization operates Akola Academy, a non-profit, teaching Akola women to use their income to transform the lives of their families and communities.

Brittany is honored to be a part of creating a high-impact hybrid model paving the way for other businesses that seek to change the world. Akola’s model aligns with strong market trends including women’s empowerment, vertical integration, transparency, sustainable sourcing, and social impact. Brittany has been featured on the Katie Couric Show, CNN, Fox Business and in Modern Luxury. Akola jewelry has been featured on the pages of Vogue, Town and Country, Harper’s Bazaar, and People Style Watch. Brittany has a Master’s degree in Inter-cultural Studies and worked for over 4 years as an Adjunct Professor of Social Innovation at Souther Methodist University. Today, Brittany continues her work at Akola as Executive Chairman and Founder and serves on the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa to advise the U.S. President, through the Secretary of Commerce, on ways to strengthen commercial engagement between the United States and Africa.

Brittany Merrill Underwood

Brittany is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Akola, “She Works”, the premiere social impact brand in the luxury space that sells high- fashion jewelry retailing at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. At Akola, with every unit sold, a woman’s life changes and her family is transformed. Akola offers employment, economic mobility, and empowerment for women in need in Uganda. Over the past 15 years, Brittany and the Akola team have worked to build Akola’s manufacturing business in rural Uganda, exclusively employing women in poverty who care for an average of 9 dependents. Back in the states, Brittany and the Akola team have built a retail brand selling in top retail brands throughout the country. Simultaneously, the organization operates Akola Academy, a non-profit, teaching Akola women to use their income to transform the lives of their families and communities.

Brittany is honored to be a part of creating a high-impact hybrid model paving the way for other businesses that seek to change the world. Akola’s model aligns with strong market trends including women’s empowerment, vertical integration, transparency, sustainable sourcing, and social impact. Brittany has been featured on the Katie Couric Show, CNN, Fox Business and in Modern Luxury. Akola jewelry has been featured on the pages of Vogue, Town and Country, Harper’s Bazaar, and People Style Watch. Brittany has a Master’s degree in Inter-cultural Studies and worked for over 4 years as an Adjunct Professor of Social Innovation at Souther Methodist University. Today, Brittany continues her work at Akola as Executive Chairman and Founder and serves on the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa to advise the U.S. President, through the Secretary of Commerce, on ways to strengthen commercial engagement between the United States and Africa.

Whitney Rowell

Whitney is a mother, wife, and passionate entrepreneur. She spent the first decade of her professional career helping to launch new businesses and grow brand awareness through positions in public relations, digital strategy, marketing and branding in Dallas, New York City, and Palm Beach. Today, she is the founder and CEO of Miracle Milkookies, a direct-to-consumer lactation ‘Kookie’ company with the mission of giving mamas everywhere a boost. Whitney is also founder and host of the podcast, Message From Mom, a platform for conversations with other moms, healthcare professionals and influencers in the postpartum space to share the resources she wished she had as a first time mom. Whitney is co-founder and an advisor for HerStory, a marketplace she and two friends launched during COVID for local female founded businesses to sell their products on a global scale. She loves connecting with other female entrepreneurs and has helped build a local female founder network called Collective Thirty One. Whitney and her businesses have been featured in Inc. Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, PaperCity Magazine, Good Morning Texas, and D Magazine, among others.