Kendra Scott

Background

Kendra Scott, née Kendra Baumgartner, was born on March 27, 1974, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Scott rose to popularity as a result of her impeccable jewelry designs and creative force. Her brand is inspired by travel, personal experience, and a sense of community. While she had always been a passionate designer, it was when she was pregnant with her first son that she launched her first jewelry collection. After taking a few classes in Beading shops and at a community college, she designed her first line, and made the rounds of boutiques in Austin, trying to convince shops to take a chance on her. In 2002, she launched her eponymous jewelry line, which began in a spare bedroom in her home — after the birth of her first son.

Scott was inspired when she noticed a gap in the market and decided to create what she felt was lacking: high-quality handcrafted jewelry at an affordable price. Starting with only 500 dollars, Scott rallied her mother and a few other women, dubbed the “super seven,” and sold her jewelry wholesale at the age of 28. She almost gave up when the financial crisis hit in 2007-2008. Fortunately, she did not. Her business began to grow after her designs caught the attention of Nordstrom. She introduced the color bar experience in 2010, allowing customers to customize their jewelry. The store eventually made its way to Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive (2011), and since then it’s been an uphill trajectory for the astute entrepreneur with the brand now boasting more than 100 stores.

Scott then decided to give back to the community by launching the “Kendra Cares initiative” (2015), which allowed children at the Dell Children’s Medical Center in Texas to take a break from their medical treatments by participating in Kendra Scott’s jewelry-making program, the color bar experience. Scott’s success was so impressive that Ernst & Young Global Limited honored her with the 2017 National Award. Her company, which is worth a billion dollars, is expected to generate 360 million dollars in sales by 2021 — which it did achieve! A member of the council of fashion designers of America, Scott garnered a spot on the “Forbes” list of ‘America’s Richest Self-Made Women’ (2021).

The loving mother to three boys has been married twice. Her first marriage was in 2000 to John Scott, with whom she had her first two children before divorcing in 2006. She married Austinite Matt Davis in 2014, and they had one child before divorcing in 2020.