User:Prof.PMarini/sandbox/schmidt

Jaime Schmidt is an American entrepreneur and investor. She is the founder of Schmidt's Naturals, a company that manufactures hygiene products, subsequently purchased by Unilever in 2017. Schmidt is also co-founder of the investment firm, Color, the editorial website, Supermaker, as well as the cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) community, BFF. She is the author of the book Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms.

Business Career
Early in her adult life, Schmidt frequently changed occupations; starting with nonprofit organizations, and moving through human resources, child care, and hospitality. She later earned a master's degree in sociology. She moved to Portland, Oregon, and worked at a residential home for children with special needs.

Schmidt's Naturals
In 2010, while pregnant with her son, Schmidt learned how to make shampoo and deodorant with natural and non-toxic ingredients. At that time, making homemade bath and body products was simply her hobby.

Schmidt founded Schmidt's Naturals in her Portland, Oregon, home, making the products in her kitchen and then selling them at craft festivals and farmer's markets. Schmidt then partnered with bigger stores in Portland and boutiques in the Pacific Northwest. Later on, Schmidt's products began to be sold at Whole Foods market.

In 2013, Schmidt expanded and moved the company's in-house production to a new manufacturing facility. Schmidt's sales grew; she began distributing her products in drugstores and grocery chains such as CVS, Walmart, Target, and Costco.

With the reorganization of manufacturing processes and incorporation of standards procedures, the company grew rapidly and became noticeable in the US market of hygiene products.

In 2017, Schmidt sold Schmidt's Naturals to Unilever for an undisclosed amount.

Color and Supermaker
In December 2018, Jaime Schmidt and her husband, Chris Cantino, co-founded the investment firm, Color.

Color participated in Wild Friends' $3.5 million seed round in 2018 as well as Popshop Live's $4.5 million investment round in 2021. The firm's investments also include a $1.7 million funding round in Live Tinted, a beauty brand, a children's-book startup, A Kids Book About, and Bubble, an online health food marketplace.

In 2019, the couple launched Supermaker, an editorial site that provides exposure for entrepreneurs, particularly women and people of color who are launching their brands. In September 2020, Schmidt's book, Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms, was published by Chronicle Prism.

BFF
In 2022, Jaime Schmidt and Brit Morin co-founded BFF, a cryptocurrency and NFT community targeted to women. During its launch, BFF listed more than 50 founding members, including actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Mila Kunis, and Tyra Banks, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff, entrepreneurs Randi Zuckerberg, Payal Kadakia of ClassPass, Christene Barberich of Refinery29, and Erica Chidi of Loom, and investors Katie Stanton, Sarah Guo, Rebecca Kaden, Kara Nortman, Deena Shakir, Maaria Bajwa and Haley Barna. The group introduced an NFT called the BFF Friendship Bracelets that people can buy to join the BFF community.

Awards

 * Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Pacific Northwest