Female Founders Paving the Way

Yesterday, Marlborough students had the opportunity to hear from three inspiring entrepreneurs during a special All-School Meeting (ASM). The panel, moderated by Emma A. ’26, Lorelei D. ’26, and Amirah M. ’26, featured Theresa Armour of Burke Williams, Amy Liu of Tower 28 Beauty, and Ashlee Turner of The Pocket Panty. Each guest also shares a special connection to Marlborough: Mrs. Armour is grandmother to Emma A. ’26 and Aurora A. ’26, Mrs. Liu is a current Marlborough parent to Ellie L. ’29, and Ms. Turner is mentoring Amirah M. ’26 as she completes her entrepreneurship capstone internship. These successful female founders opened up about the motivation for starting their businesses, pivotal moments in their careers, and the purposes that drive them. 

Despite operating in different markets, each founder shared a similar origin story for their company: they identified a need that wasn’t being met. Mrs. Armour, Mrs. Liu, and Ms. Turner all spoke of a personal moment where they realized something did not exist that they wanted to exist, so they created it themselves. For Mrs. Armour, it was a space to feel included, luxurious, soothed and respected—leading to creation of the Burke Williams Day Spa. For Mrs. Liu, it was the desire to use a high performance beauty product that was also clean and safe for sensitive skin—and Tower 28 Beauty was born. And Ms. Turner, with a passion for supporting women and girls, wanted to create a product that could restore confidence and dignity in life’s unpredictable moments—inspiring her on-the-go solution, The Pocket Panty. Each story provided insight for Marlborough students on finding purpose in those “What do I want?” or “What do I need?” moments in life. The answer to those questions could be their next business idea.

The three entrepreneurs also shared defining moments for their products and advice for students as they move through life and business. Mrs. Armour spoke of the early realization that the space she created was having a positive effect. With care and touch, a visit to Burke Williams could change someone's entire day; this shift in perspective allowed her to move forward knowing her company could make a meaningful impact. She encouraged the students, “We all have a sphere of influence and you can make a difference in someone's life.”

Mrs. Liu described how holding tight to her core values of kindness and responsibility led to a major success for Tower 28 Beauty. Early in her career as a beauty executive, she treated colleagues with respect and professionalism, no matter their position within the company. Years later, when she pitched Tower 28 Beauty to Sephora, a former colleague who had risen to a leadership role there championed her and her brand. This helped secure Tower 28 Beauty’s place in Sephora stores across the globe—a lesson that relationships matter just as much as product quality. Mrs. Liu advised students, “Invest in your relationships, be kind, and work hard.”

Ms. Turner’s advice stemmed from finding deeper purpose in her product. What began as an idea to provide convenience in an unexpected moment—in the form of a compact, individually wrapped pair of underwear—has grown beyond that, comforting those in need and allowing a moment of dignity and support in times of medical issues, personal emergencies, or for those without access to basic necessities. She described how listening to product feedback is crucial when growing your business and that The Pocket Panty’s greater impact continues to motivate her, adding, “Every step of this was with a woman in mind.” Ms. Turner encouraged Marlborough students to, “Chase purpose, not paper; do the thing that you love to do, the thing that will get you out of bed whether you're getting paid to do it or not.” 

The panelists generously shared their time and life experience to inspire the next generation of business leaders. Mrs. Liu concluded with a powerful reminder that even without knowing your exact purpose, with an idea, hard work, and adaptability, you can do anything. She reflected on why this panel was assembled to speak to students: “The point of us being here is really to mirror what's possible for you and your lives. And our stories might sound impressive, but what is not on my resume is actually the most important part of my story. Why is that? Because those moments contain the hard work. They contain the small moments. They contain the mistakes that I've made. The choices that weren't glamorous, the doubts, the small beginnings, the nights that I would lie awake and wonder if I ever was gonna make it.” Nods of agreement from Mrs. Armour and Ms. Turner drove this sincere moment of vulnerability home. Through their candor and leading by example, Mrs. Armour, Mrs. Liu, and Ms. Turner showed students what is possible when you combine passion, purpose, hard work, and innovation.