We’ve put all our favorite brands and products in one place.
As someone who’s insatiably curious and loves a good story, I always get a kick out of hearing how everyday people founded their businesses, then grew them into something incredible. I also get a lot of questions about where I shop, which is why my team and I love to recommend the brands and products we can’t live without. But I knew there was potential to make an even bigger impact. So this spring, we decided to put together a community of wonderful companies with must-try products. We’ve called it Katie’s Shop.
Starting Katie Couric Media gave me a deep appreciation for the blood, sweat, and tears that go into building a business. It’s given me a platform to do what I’ve been doing my whole career: Tell personal, human stories. Katie’s Shop is a place to buy amazing goodies you’ll want to share with friends and family. But it’s also a place to celebrate the founders who’ve used their courage, grit, and determination to start and sustain a company.
We pulled together brands from a wide range of categories, from apparel to beauty products to some really delicious food. And they don’t just make fantastic stuff: Each company has an ethos that’s important to me and my team, whether that means the brand is eco-friendly, ethically produces its goods, or is female-founded. I see Katie’s Shop as a place where our community can come to find brands that are working to make the world a better place.
We’ve personally vetted every single brand in Katie’s Shop, and we can tell you that these are items we use and wear every day. Line in the Sand’s swim leggings and hoodie were pretty much my uniform on the beach this summer. Founder Lynne O’Brien started the company after being diagnosed with leukemia eight years ago when her doctors told her she’d have to stay out of the sun. Instead, she made sun-protective swimwear for women of all ages. (No wardrobe malfunctions here, folks.) Line in the Sand uses fabrics made of recycled ocean plastic, manufactures everything in the U.S., and donates 100 percent — yes, all — of its profits to cancer and ocean-conservation organizations.
Other recommendations came from my team, like Genusee sunglasses. Ali Rose Van Overbeke founded the glasses company in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis, which she watched unfold as a volunteer on the ground. She devised a way to turn discarded plastic bottles into gorgeous sunglasses, which reduces waste and creates new manufacturing jobs for the community.
We found other brands, like Fréres Branchiaux, through plain old research. Brothers Collin, Ryan, and Austin Gill — now 15, 12, and 10 years old, respectively — started the candle company in 2017 as a way to supplement their allowance. They develop the scents themselves, hand-pour every candle, and donate 10 percent of their profits to homeless shelters in the Washington, D.C. area. Just check out the illustration of the trio on the side of each candle to have your heart melted.
We’re so excited to launch Katie’s Shop and share the brands and products we think are just terrific — the ones that’ll become mainstays in your routine. Over the next weeks, we’ll be introducing you to more of the brands through stories and interviews. In the meantime, you can check out the whole group right here. We hope you’ll love them just as much as we do.
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