Entrepreneur Emma Grede says a cold call to Kris Jenner launched her partnership with Skims and made her a multi-millionaire.

The story highlights the intersection of strategic networking and celebrity influence in the modern retail economy. Grede's ability to secure a direct line to the Jenner-Kardashian family transformed a business concept into a global powerhouse.

Grede, 43 [1], co-founded the shapewear brand Skims alongside Kim Kardashian. She describes the initial outreach to Kris Jenner as the pivotal moment that provided her access to the necessary network to scale the company. "My $5 billion Skims empire started with a cold call to Kris Jenner," Grede said [2].

That partnership contributed to a company valuation of $5 billion [2]. For Grede, the strategic decisions and the resulting business growth led to personal wealth totaling $567 million [1].

Despite the financial success, Grede has spoken about the challenges of balancing professional ambition with personal life. "Women can't have it all," Grede said [1].

Grede attributes her trajectory to a mindset of persistence and action. "The difference between me and someone else is, I made it happen," Grede said [2].

“"My $5 billion Skims empire started with a cold call to Kris Jenner."”

Grede's trajectory illustrates the 'celebrity-accelerator' model of business, where traditional entrepreneurial skills are paired with massive, pre-existing social capital. By leveraging the reach of the Kardashian-Jenner brand, Skims bypassed traditional slow-growth phases to achieve a multi-billion dollar valuation, signaling a shift in how luxury and essential apparel brands achieve rapid market dominance in the U.S.