Emma Grede: High School Dropout Turned Kardashians Partner and Meghan Markle Interviewer

Her recent podcast sit-down with Meghan Markle is making global headlines after the Duchess of Sussex appeared to take aim at the Royal Family.

And now Emma Grede, a British-born entrepreneur/designer and host of the popular Aspire podcast, has found herself in the spotlight.

The glamorous brunette is a high school dropout who has amassed a reported net worth of nearly $400million at just 42-years-old.

She’s the CEO of Khloe Kardashian‘s clothing brand Good American and a founding partner of Kim Kardashian‘s Skims line, which is valued at $4billion.

Grede also boasts an A-list circle of friends that includes the Kardashian family, Markle, Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow.

She was named as one of Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Women in America in 2023.

But along with the accolades, Grede has faced scrutiny for her ‘toxic’ perspective on ‘work-life balance.’

With Grede back on the pop culture radar, DailyMail.com is taking a look at the mother-of-four’s incredible journey to success — and her recent brush with scandal.

Her recent podcast sit-down with Meghan Markle is making global headlines after the Duchess of Sussex appeared to take aim at the Royal Family. And now Emma Grede, a British-born entrepreneur/designer and host of the popular Aspire podcast, has found herself in the spotlight

The glamorous brunette is a high school dropout who has amassed a reported net worth of nearly $400million at just 42-years-old; seen in 2024

She’s the CEO of Khloe Kardashian ‘s clothing brand Good American and a founding partner of Kim Kardashian ‘s Skims line, which is valued at $4billion; seen with Kim in February

Inside Emma’s humble upbringing in London while being raised by a single mom

Emma was born and raised in London, England, and her parents are immigrants from Jamaica and Trinidad.

Her mom, who raised her and her siblings by herself after divorcing her dad, worked at Morgan Stanley.

‘I was under no illusion that it wasn’t hard bringing us up,’ Emma told Standard.co.uk, while discussing her mother.

‘She was gone a lot, but I always understood that she went to work to put a roof over our heads. That set the way I think; you get up each day and you graft.

‘I credit so much of who I am to my upbringing. I was raised with three sisters in Plaistow by a single mom. We knew our neighbors and there was a real sense of community. You could trust people, you were as good as your word and I’ve taken that mentality with me.’

Emma was born and raised in London, England, and her parents are immigrants from Jamaica and Trinidad. Her mom, who raised her and her siblings by herself after divorcing her dad, worked at Morgan Stanley

She had many odd jobs as a teen, including delivering newspapers, working at a deli, and running the cash register at a clothing shop – to name a few.

‘I always think about myself as someone who was kind of born leaning in. I was always working — I was just finding lots of things that either I wasn’t that good at or I didn’t want to do. And so it was more about taking control and being like, “Okay, I’ve got to just find something that I want to do,”‘ she told PEOPLE last year.

She recalled saving up all her money to buy magazines like Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire, and she always knew she wanted to work in fashion.

‘I was drawn to that world and those people, [but] it was more a means of escapism,’ she previously admitted to Bustle. ‘That glamour was very far from how I was being raised.’

She studied business at the London College of Fashion, but dropped out in 2001, after she landed an internship with Gucci.

‘It was the right decision for me. I learnt that I got more out of a couple of months work than I could from a college,’ she explained to Standard.co.uk.

In her 2024 interview with PEOPLE, Emma spoke about struggling with ‘learning difficulties’ and how she never let her shortcomings hold her back from achieving her goals.

‘I have had pretty severe learning difficulties and I didn’t go to college or university. I was a high school dropout. But if you’re not good at something, you can get good. I now know that it’s called a growth mindset,’ she told the outlet.

‘I didn’t know that when I was younger, but I knew that I could learn things. I never think about intelligence or aptitude or ability as being fixed things — I would say for anyone out there, you can get better at almost anything.’

Inside Emma’s career and how she became a Kardashian family go-to

Emma then landed a job at Inca Productions, producing various fashion shows and events for the company.

‘At Inca, Emma was part of pioneering the business of ‘designer collaborations,’ engagements between consumer brands and high fashion, working with the leading design talent of today, such as Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, Vivienne Westwood and Zac Posen, as well as brands including Chivas, Mercedes-Benz and Sky,’ her bio reads.

In 2008, she launched her own London-based talent management and marketing agency called ITB Worldwide – which she owned until 2018 when it was acquired by Rogers & Cowen.

‘I had been around a lot of people, seeing clients and deals. I just imagined, ‘Well, if they can do it, why can’t I?” she recalled to CNBC, about starting ITB Worldwide.

Through ITB, she landed a partnership with Natalie Portman and Dior. ITB also helped her link up with the Kardashians – she worked on Kendall Jenner’s #MyCalvins ad campaign and met Kris Jenner, 69, during a Paris Fashion Week event.

In 2008, she launched her own London-based talent management and marketing agency called ITB Worldwide – which she owned until 2018 when it was acquired by Rogers & Cowen; seen in 2024

Emma was the one who pitched the idea of Good American to momager Kris Jenner, who thought it would be a perfect fit for her daughter Khloe Kardashian; Kris, Khloe and Emma seen in 2016

After growing close with Kris, she pitched the idea of Good American to the momager, who thought it would be a perfect fit for Khloe Kardashian, 40.

Emma recalled to Standard.co.uk: ‘She thought Khloé might like my idea, and so I went to LA to meet her the following week.’

The youngest-Kardashian sister said ‘yes’ right away, and the brand was quickly born.

Good American launched in October 2016, and it racked up $1 million in sales on its first day – reportedly the biggest denim launch in apparel history.

‘We’re a great partnership. We really understand how to create an incredible product,’ gushed Emma.

‘Khloé and I come from different places and have had vastly different upbringings, but what we have in common is confidence. We asked ourselves where it comes from. How can you give other women that same feeling?

‘I grew up with a white mom, a black dad and friends who were from everywhere, in all shapes and sizes. It goes without saying that diversity is important to me.’

According to Bustle, Emma is involved in almost every aspect of the business – overseeing everything from design to e-commerce.

‘On the weekends, she’ll read customers’ product reviews to get ideas for product innovations,’ it reported; and Khloé called her one of the ‘hardest working people’ she knew.

‘She embraces every component of the business, and consistently pushes the envelope for what a modern and inclusive fashion brand can be,’ Khloé said to the outlet.

Emma insisted that she reads ‘every single review’ left by Good American customers, which has given her a lot of insight into making the products even better.

Good American launched in October 2016, and it racked up $1 million in sales on its first day – reportedly the biggest denim launch in apparel history; Khloe pictured

‘We’re a great partnership. We really understand how to create an incredible product,’ gushed Emma; Emma and Khloe seen in 2019

‘Our businesses are incredibly data led. We’re looking at everything,’ she shared with Ramped Up.

‘What is the experience of somebody who comes on to our site in one part of the country versus another part of the country?

‘What are the habits between people who shop in this country versus internationally? What are the patterns in returns teaching us? Oftentimes, the data leads us to innovation.’

Emma launched SKIMS with Kim, 44, in 2018, and in 2021, the New York Times valued the company at $1.6 billion.

In May 2021, she also teamed up with Kris and Chrissy Teigen to create a vegan home care line called Safely, which recently made its way to Walmart.

Emma is also the chairwoman of 15 Percent Pledge, an initiative dedicated to getting retailers to reserve 15 per cent of their shelf space for Black-owned businesses, as well as an ambassador for Women for Women International.

She was also a guest during season 13 of Shark Tank – becoming the first-ever black woman investor to appear on the ABC show.

‘I think I’m a good Shark because first of all, I’m relatively young and the business climate now is really unique and really different than it’s ever been before,’ she told People Magazine at the time. ‘And I’ve prioritized my career in building a diverse, inclusive route and team.’

One thing that Emma takes pride in is inclusivity across all of her brands – making sure they cater to people of all sizes, shapes, and skin tones.

‘I think it’s really important to drive change,’ she told the outlet in February. ‘We’re in a really unique time in the world where a business like Good American or a business like SKIMS can ultimately drive huge change in the industry.

‘Because when we do things and we say we are creating all clothes in double XL through to 5X. I think I’m in an amazing position to actually change the way things are done, and that’s what makes me most excited.’

Emma explained that she is passionate about building ‘incredible teams’ and ‘creating opportunities for people’ through her brands.

Emma launched SKIMS with Kim Kardshian, 44, in 2018 and the company is now valued at $4billion; Kim pictured

In May 2021, she also teamed up with Kris and Chrissy Teigen to create a vegan home care line called Safely, which recently made its way to Walmart; Chrissy and Kris pictured

While chatting with Elle, Emma said the reason she thinks she works so well with the Kardashians is because she’s so different from them; Emma and Kris pictured

‘I think 20 years ago, entrepreneurs had much more of a kind of me-first mentality,’ she added. ‘I do think the opposite way. I’m about building incredible teams and creating opportunities for people, building loyalty.

‘That way you’ll find a lot of people that have started with me 10 or even 12 years ago are still working with me now in totally different positions, but people stick with me and I think that’s really important.’

As for what she’s learned from working with the Kardashians, she revealed, ‘I think what they’ve helped me with is – I just think the idea of never resting, no matter how successful you’ve become.

‘The idea of always working as hard as anybody else in the room is so incredibly important. And that’s what I see from them every single day. And that’s what I emulate.’

While chatting with Elle, Emma said the reason she thinks she works so well with the Kardashians is because she’s so different from them.

Although she has modeled for her brands from time to time, and has attended red carpet events with the famous family, she doesn’t enjoy being in the spotlight – but rather, prefers to stay behind-the-scenes.

‘I’m just not that girl,’ she explained. ‘I can’t do that stuff. And I think that’s probably one of the reasons my partnerships with the girls work out so well

‘Because they do that. I never think about myself as a face of the brands – I’m the brain of the brands.’

But when it comes to criticism, she is unbothered. She added: ‘I’m very proud to work with Kim and Khloé and Kris; they are incredible business partners.

‘I see and hear the criticism every day, but do I sleep well? Do I have peace with what I do? Absolutely.’

Inside Emma’s family life as she balances being a mother-of-four with a business empire

Emma is married to Jens Grede, 47, and together, they share four children – Grey, Lola, and twins Lake and Rafferty.

Jens, for his part, co-founded the multi-media fashion marketing agency Wednesday Agency Group with Erik Torstensson, and he now oversees 12 companies, including Frame Denim.

They met while they both worked on ITB, and he serves as a board director for Skims.

‘It’s funny, because we had a business relationship before we had a personal relationship, and we’re actually not that good at collaborating,’ joked Emma, while chatting with Bustle.

Emma is married to Jens Grede, 47, and together, they share four children – Grey, Lola, and twins Lake and Rafferty; the couple seen in 2022

‘He does what he does, and I do what I do, and we’re very respectful of one another’s respective areas of expertise, but we don’t cross over that much.’

But when it comes to balancing her impressive career and family, she previously admitted that it’s not easy for her.

‘I don’t do everything brilliantly and I don’t profess to. I have an enormous amount of help, I have nannies for my kids, I don’t clean my house,’ she admitted to Standard.co.uk. ‘Something has to give.

‘I have a limited number of friends, I’m not out having cocktails. There have been stages of my life which were more about being social, now I’m focused on the businesses.

‘I don’t try to find a great balance. If I have a sick kid, I have a sick kid. If I have a deal to close, I have a deal to close.

‘I don’t believe I’m here to just fulfill the needs of my children. I’m trying to show them self-fulfillment. I want them to see me doing what makes me happy, so that they learn the importance of finding that thing that you love.’

Emma spoke more about her life as a working mom with PEOPLE in 2024.

When it comes to balancing her impressive career and family, she previously admitted that it’s not easy for her

‘I don’t try to find a great balance. If I have a sick kid, I have a sick kid. If I have a deal to close, I have a deal to close,’ she previously told Standard.co.uk

‘I don’t do pick up and drop off every single day. But if my kid’s in a play, I’m going to see my kid in the play. It’s not cookie-cutter, it’s different for every person. I think what we have to do is normalize the idea that you’re not going to have everything. Perfection is only something that exists on Instagram,’ she told the outlet.

She continued: ‘I think that we can take our cues from our own childhoods and remember that we were all alright. Our kids don’t need us that much. They need us to love them and guide them but we shouldn’t be carrying them through every moment and every hardship. That’s not helpful.’

‘If we try to do that, it leaves women with very little time to do anything else. And I feel like I just watched so many of my friends turn themselves inside out once they became moms.’

The couple officially relocated from London, England, to Los Angeles, California, in 2017, and they put their London home on the market for $7 million three years later.

Inside Emma’s recent ‘work-life balance’ controversy that sparked social media backlash

While appearing on the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett in May 2025, Emma was asked to share what her ‘red flags’ are when interviewing someone.

She immediately said that she would walk out on anyone who asks her about a ‘work-life balance.’

‘Work-life balance is your problem,’ Grede said. ‘That’s yours to figure out.’

While appearing on the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett in May 2025, Emma was asked to share what her ‘red flags’ are when interviewing someone

She went on to explain that at her companies, no one is tied to their desk – people go to haircuts, appointments, things for their kids when they need to – and no one questions why someone might not be at their desk.

‘So when someone talks to me about their work-life balance in an interview process, I’m like ‘something is wrong with you,” she said.

Interviewer Bartlett then told Grede that one-third of people he surveyed mentioned that a work-life balance was a priority wherever they worked.

When Bartlett said it wasn’t something he’d personally choose for himself, Grede said that it was because he was ambitious, implying that someone without drive or passion would be thinking about a work-life balance.

She explained that it’s not expected that the average employee would be working seven days a week – but someone who has ‘ambition’ and wanted to be successful would have to work a little bit more.

While the entire interview was over two hours long, the clip of Emma speaking specifically about work-life balance went viral on social media.

Many compared Emma’s remarks to Kim’s notorious sentiment about. ‘nobody [wanting] to work these days,’ which she faced flack for in 2022.

She immediately said that she would walk out on anyone who asks her about a ‘work-life balance.’ ‘Work-life balance is your problem,’ Grede said. ‘That’s yours to figure out’