Bethenny Frankel is a self-made businesswoman, TV producer, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and mother. Bethenny is the Founder & CEO of Skinnygirl, a lifestyle brand offering practical solutions to women, including the recent launch of the Skinnygirl Jeanswear Collection, which sold out on HSN within its first few hours. She has been part of the popular Bravo series The Real Housewives of New York City from the beginning and can be seen as a guest shark on ABC’s critically acclaimed series Shark Tank. Bethenny became an instant fan favorite, showcasing her entrepreneurial prowess and gut instincts alongside the panel of investors. Bethenny has also been named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities by Forbes. Bethenny is always ahead of the curve and identifies and capitalizes on business opportunities.
Not fulfilled by business alone, Bethenny founded B Strong, a charity providing real-time emergency assistance to women in crisis, diverted from their potential success. Bethenny’s life’s experiences have inspired her to help other women in crisis find their own strength and resilience with the launch of B Strong, in partnership with Dress for Success. B Strong: Find Your Yes, is a crisis intervention initiative that provides real time emergency assistance to women who face crises on their road to success.
Additionally, Bethenny established “B Strong: Disaster Relief,” partnering with Global Empowerment Mission to create this worldwide initiative. Their program provides people with much needed gift cards, bank cards, and critical supplies so they are able to deliver in real time. They collect aid and donations from across the country to help individuals and their families affected by the recent natural disasters impacting Texas, Florida, Mexico, Northern California, Dominica, The U.S. Virgin Islands, and New York City. As a result of Bethenny’s efforts, B Strong had marshaled over 10 million pounds of aid that was destined primarily for Puerto Rico. Bethenny helped coordinate the chartering of 55+ private planes to help deliver aid and relief to those hit hardest by the disaster. B Strong has also supported immediate aid programs in Guatemala following the Volcano De Fuego eruption, North Carolina following Hurricane Florence and the Florida Panhandle following Hurricane Michael. Over 10,000 individuals, companies, and foundations have contributed to B Strong’s efforts. Raising approximately $1.25 million in cash cards and collecting over $20 million worth of disaster relief to distribute, this has been called one of the largest privately-run humanitarian efforts in US history.
As a runner up on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, her success then led her to Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York City, followed by the spin-off series, Bethenny Getting Married? and Bethenny Ever After… Viewers were captivated by her wit, wisdom, and humor as they followed her personal life becoming a mother and her professional journey creating the Skinnygirl empire. She eventually brought her distinct voice and candid point of view to Bethenny, where she hosted her nationally syndicated daytime talk show program. Bethenny started her own TV production company, B Real-ity, producing two seasons of FYI’s Food Porn, and was the creator, producer, and star of Bravo’s hit real estate show Bethenny and Fredrik.
From becoming a natural food chef and marketing Bethenny Bakes, her healthy baked goods service, to selling “Princess Pashminas" at house parties, and creating the low-calorie cocktail category with the launch of Skinnygirl Cocktails, Bethenny has always identified and capitalized on business opportunities. A true entrepreneur, to further build Skinnygirl Cocktails, Bethenny partnered with Beam Suntory in 2011 to grow her portfolio to include wines, flavored vodkas, and ready-to-drink cocktails. Since the launch of Skinnygirl Cocktails, she has expanded the Skinnygirl brand into a global lifestyle empire, featuring products for women that offer practical and stylish solutions to everyday problems. With the launch of the Skinnygirl Jeanswear collection in September 2018, Skinnygirl has become more than a brand, but also an attitude that helps empower women to lead healthy lives and feel strong, honest, and fearless. Some of the many other Skinnygirl products include microwave popcorn, candy, salad dressings, coffee, tea, liquid sweeteners, water enhancers, shapewear, and most recently candles, skin, and body care.
She is the five-time New York Times bestselling author of: Skinnydipping, A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out Of Life, Naturally Thin: Unleash Your Skinnygirl, Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting, The Skinnygirl™ Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life, and I Suck At Relationships So You Don’t Have To. She has also authored Skinnygirl Solutions: Simple Ideas, Extraordinary Results, the children's book, Cookie Meets Peanut, and the cocktail book, Skinnygirl Cocktails.
