Meet the 2024 Funded By LIY Winners

Hello there, friends! I am coming to you today with some very exciting info….to introduce our 2024 “Funded By LIY” winners! We launched this program in 2023 and couldn’t have had a better experience with our beautiful and talented ladies from Green Girl Goods, My Classroom Party, and Posh Pickler. If you aren’t familiar with what the “Funded By LIY” program is, well – let us explain!

The vision statement of Living In Yellow is, “To be the best resource to women in the most fun way possible.” This community is filled with amazing and unique women with so many talents and we thought there would be no better way to live out our mission statement than to pour into the dreams and visions of those in this beautiful community! Think of “Funded By LIY” as our own little Shark Tank (BIG Shark Tank fans here). You can learn more about the program here! There were SO many incredible women owned businesses that applied…we truly wish we could have picked them all [very tough decisions!]. You’ve already shown an outpouring of love and support not only to these 3 winners, but to the other small businesses within this community as well; so THANK YOU for being you and supporting small businesses!

We were blown away by the products, entrepreneurial spirits, and ambition of these three women and can’t wait for you to fall in love with them [and their businesses] too! Are you ready to meet them?!

p.s. get to know last year’s winners here!

Founder & Owner: Cari

What is Clutch and Kindle?

Clean small batch fragrances and perfume rollerballs made in Indiana!

When and why did you start Clutch and Kindle?

Clutch and Kindle was founded in 2017 when Cari finished bilateral breast cancer treatment. Cari was 40
years old when she was diagnosed with no family history of breast cancer. This led her to looking at the
ingredients of her beauty and fragrance items. She wanted cleaner and more transparent ingredients.
Clutch was founded in Cari’s kitchen. Every Clutch and Kindle item is hand poured in small batches in
Noblesville, IN.

The rollerball perfumes and colognes are made using less than 3 ingredients. They are made with clean
fragrance oil meaning they do not have phthalates, parabens, and are free from any known endocrine
disruptors. They are vegan, cruelty free, and free of synthetic dyes. The luxury ingredients are sourced in
the USA using quality ingredients.

Cari wanted products she and her daughters could safely use, and still enjoy beautiful complex fragrances as part of their self-care routine.

What excites you most about being a “Funded By LIY” winner?

We are so excited to be the Funded by LIY winner because we have been following and loving LIY for
many years. We love the community that LIY created. It’s a community of women that help other
women. We love that we are able to share our clean fragrance with women all over the US because of
this platform. We were beyond thrilled to be able to invest the LIY money into building our brand and
buying inventory. It is a huge blessing for a small business. We are most looking forward to working with
the women on the LIY team. The expertise and knowledge that Erin and her team have is truly priceless
to a small business like ours. This has been the biggest blessing we’ve had yet as a small business.

Tell us about any upcoming launches or new products!

We are so excited to share our first collab. We just launched a collab with Two Chicks District Co. Mina
Starsiak Hawk who was the star of HGTV’s Good Bones. She moved her boutique to my hometown in
Noblesville, IN and we did a collab of rollerball perfumes and car diffusers. Personal fine fragrances
include Bad Decisions, Rihanna, and Beyonce.

We will be releasing a new fine fragrance rollerball perfume called Charisma which is floral notes, musk.
Iris and ambrette.

Founders & Owners: Alicia

What is Wondermint Goods?

Wondermint Goods is a colorful and lightweight jewelry and accessory company, all designed to amp up the fun on every outfit and help you find more wonder in style.

When and why did you start Wondermint Goods? 

My grandfather made jewelry – everything from mining the stones, polishing them, and doing the metalsmithing. As a child I found so much wonder in his process and creativity. I’ve always been a dreamer and a DIYer myself. Wondermint Goods was born after I left my corporate career in advertising; all stemming from the love of making, designing and helping to inspire my community to find wonder and joy in the small things in life. It has been a beautiful business for me to grow and maintain flexibility as I raise my 3 children.

What excites you most about being a “Funded By LIY” winner?

It truly is a humbling feeling to be picked as a winner amongst the other amazing women owned businesses. I believe what excites me the most is to expand my network and connect with the LIY team and other winners, hopefully helping us all grow together immensely but also creating meaningful friendships.

Tell us about any upcoming launches or new products!

We are gearing up to launch our upcoming summer subscription box! A customizable quarterly jewelry subscription service where we send the latest seasonal styles + a free gift featuring another woman owned business!

Founder & Owner: Marcelle

What is FeelLinks?

The name of my business is FeelLinks. Everything that I create and produce is related to our
ability to “link to our feelings and the feelings of others”(feel links- get it?). The validity and
normalization of feeling all of our emotions, whether they are pleasant or tough, is vital to our
mental, emotional, and physical health.

FeelLinks was founded because of my pressing concerns over the mental and emotional health
crisis facing our children. As a mother, teacher, and community educator, I am deeply
passionate about nurturing the well-being of all children and knew I had to take action to
support adults – parents, caretakers, teachers, and healthcare professionals – in supporting the
future generations. FeelLinks is driven by the mission that together we can create a kinder,
more compassionate, empathetic, and inclusive world through growing emotional intelligence
skills in our children. Our tools and resources target a range of social-emotional skills, with a specific focus on emotional intelligence.

By fostering self-awareness (one’s own emotions), social-awareness (others’
emotions/empathy), self-management (emotional regulation), and relationship management
(forging and sustaining relationships), FeelLinks aims to empower individuals to navigate life
with resilience and authenticity.

Today’s research tells us that emotional intelligence influences our performance in school and
work, our mental, emotional and physical health, and our relationships with others. Therefore,
it is absolutely critical to invest in these skills for our children. Together, by prioritizing
emotional intelligence in ourselves and future generations, we can work towards a more
compassionate, empathetic, and equitable world.

When and why did you start FeelLinks? 

My journey to founding FeelLinks has been shaped by my personal accomplishments and hurdles. 

Growing up in a small community with my mother and brother, our household was rich in love but lacked guidance in understanding, expressing, and managing emotions. In school, I felt overlooked. In our community it felt as though there was more concern with academic success and social status and this outweighed our emotional and mental well-being.

The challenges that I faced ignited a deep desire in me to pursue a degree in elementary education. I was driven by the conviction that education should encompass more than just grades. 

Shortly after college, I faced a life-altering traumatic event—having a stroke—which forced me to confront my own emotional limitations. It was then that I realized my own shortcomings in  understanding, expressing and managing my own emotions. Through persistent determination, I regained my health and embarked on a career in teaching.  

For over two decades I dedicated myself to nurturing young minds in the kindergarten and  preschool classrooms. Despite the absence of any formal curriculum at the time, I emphasized critical life skills in emotional communication, self-awareness, and empathy. 

Becoming a mother further solidified my commitment to creating a supportive, safe environment for children to grow in these crucial life skills. Our children became a driving force behind FeelLinks— dedicated to fostering emotional intelligence in children. 

FeelLinks was founded in 2020. Ideas had been flowing for years previous; however, the pandemic further solidified the urgent needs for our children.  

FeelLinks offers a range of resources to support parents, caretakers, teachers, counselors and  healthcare professionals in supporting children. Our hands-on resources include: emotion plush dolls, a feelings journal, and our children’s book (co-authored with my daughter), Feel Trip: A journey through ordinary emotions. FeelLinks also offers virtual and in-person courses, blog  articles, printables, TV and podcast interviews, and presentations — all designed to support children’s mental and emotional well-being. As I continue to grow FeelLinks, I am driven by my deep passion and belief that nurturing  emotional intelligence in our children can pave the way for a kinder, more compassionate, and inclusive world for generations to come.

What excites you most about being a “Funded By LIY” winner?

Wow! There is so much that excites me about this tremendous opportunity! I’m thrilled and energized by the incredible opportunities that lie ahead! Just one conversation with the LIY Team has filled me with excitement for the current state of FeelLinks and the promising future it holds.  

I’m deeply grateful for the chance to collaborate and learn from such supportive and insightful women, and I eagerly anticipate meeting the other two winners! Receiving the LIY grant funds opens up a world of possibilities for FeelLinks. Currently, I’m exploring creative packaging ideas for the FeelLinks Ultimate Feelings Bundle; creating potential to bring our unique, purposeful, valuable (and darling) products to retail, expanding our reach and impact.

Tell us about any upcoming launches or new products!

At FeelLinks, we are continuously developing new resources and courses to empower parents,  educators, and healthcare providers in nurturing the children in their care. We regularly add blog  articles, free printable resources, and speaking events. 

Most recently, we launched a closed Facebook group: Parenthood with Meaning and Purpose. Our supportive group is open to FeelLinks customers. It is dedicated to parents and caretakers who are  committed to raising their children with intentionality. Within this group, members engage in meaningful discussions, share personal experiences, and exchange valuable insights on various aspects of parenting, such as fostering emotional intelligence, nurturing healthy family dynamics, and cultivating a sense of purpose in their children’s lives. The group serves as a platform to seek guidance, offer support, and connect with like-minded individuals who share similar values and goals in their journey through parenthood. Through shared resources, articles, tips and practical advice, members empower each other to embrace the challenges and joys of parenting with a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.  

Additionally, I am overjoyed to announce, for the first time, that our FeelLinks journal and Feel Trip children’s story are being translated into Spanish. This has been a long-awaited endeavor, and I’m  thrilled to see it come to fruition! We hope to be able to publish Spanish versions in the (near-ish) future, providing children around the world with greater access to our products and our mission.  

There are always new and exciting things popping up on our website! Stay connected at myfeellinks.com (@myfeellinks on social) to discover the exciting opportunities, resources and  products as they emerge!

Living in Yellow is a life + style brand that provides a fun space for girlfriends to gather and feel empowered through real talk and attainable fashion.