Meena Harris is Doing a Phenomenal Job

At 36, Meena Harris has done it all. In her short time as a career woman, the Harvard Law School graduate has held positions at a high-profile law firm, Uber, Slack, and Facebook. These days, the mother of two is CEO of her own company Phenomenal, a once-small t-shirt line started to fundraise for different women's initiatives that is now an entire lifestyle brand dedicated to bringing attention to social issues around the world. With celebrity endorsements from Demi Lovato, Alicia Keys, and Reese Witherspoon, to name a few, the brand has found great success, even collaborating with the hit Netflix show Bridgerton on a line of merch.

Like her company, the digital influencer is using her own growing platform to spark interest in socially-conscious topics. For Ugg's new #PoweredByHer campaign, Harris partnered with the brand to spotlight four fellow voices for change—Latham Thomas, Deja Foxx, Liz Plank, and Thando Dlomo—and have them join her in sharing their experiences and ideas about finding success on the path to gender equality. In addition, for every pair of the campaign's featured style sold, Ugg will donate $25 to HERproject, an education initiative to help empower women around the world. To learn more about Harris, L'OFFICIEL speaks to the businesswoman about her partnership with Ugg, her upcoming business ventures, and what roles women play in today's society.

L'OFFICIEL: Can you tell me a bit about your partnership with UGG?

Meena Harris: I appreciate the UGG brand’s dedication to lifting up the stories of powerful women—and I’m so proud to support the work of HERproject through the #PoweredByHer campaign. HERproject’s mission is simple but fundamental: they are fighting for dignified women’s work—partnering with brands, suppliers, and NGOs to support low-income women who work in global supply chains. They’re making a real impact.
 

L'O: What’s something that makes you smile that people might not know about?

MH: I often like to joke that my childhood was like the opening scene from Wonder Woman—where a community of strong, brilliant women run around helping each other succeed, sharing everything they learned, and basically saving the world. What people might not know is that my dad, Tony West, stepped into that scene from Wonder Woman and immediately became our strongest ally and biggest champion.

I’ve known Tony since I was four. He and my mom went to law school together. In fact, I was the one who introduced them—by challenging Tony to a game of hide-and-seek during orientation. They started dating after graduation and got married a few years later. So Tony is not just a role model to me. Both personally and professionally, Tony has shown me what male feminism looks like—and what a powerful difference male allies can make.

L'O: How would you define an empowered woman? 

MH: First and foremost, “empowered” looks different to everybody. And that’s a feature, not a bug: finding and learning to feel confident in your own unique voice, without getting caught up in other people’s expectations, is a big part of the journey.

To me, it also means speaking out and standing up for other women everywhere. It means understanding intersectionality and supporting and advancing the interests of Black women and women of color. More than anything, it means working together to make positive change in the world, no matter how small.
 

L'O: What’s one way that people can support women not just on International Women’s Day but everyday?

MH: My grandma always used to say, “You may be the first to do many things, but make sure you're not the last.” It’s a line I incorporated into my newest children's book, Ambitious Girl, because I think that it’s good advice for all of us. Set an example for those coming up behind and alongside you by taking risks to pursue your own ideas—while supporting others in theirs. Lead with empathy and compassion. And hold the door open. I want to emphasize that this advice isn’t just for women. It’s so crucial for men and boys to see themselves as allies—and to see, and support, women as leaders in every context.

L'O: You recently did a collaboration with the recording-breaking Netflix show Bridgerton. How did that come about?

MH: I was drawn to Bridgerton because I’ve always been a huge fan of Shonda Rhimes and her genius work. Her decision to put Black characters front and center, especially during a period piece, was apparently controversial, but—I believe—so important, and somehow felt so pitch-perfect for the moment we’re living through. Bridgerton also centers around strong, dynamic female leads, which made it a natural fit for Phenomenal’s mission to emphasize female ambition and elevate underrepresented communities.
 

L'O: You’ve built this huge brand out of what began as fundraising for women’s organizations. When did you decide: “I want to make this something big?”

MH: Although Phenomenal started as a very small idea that ended up taking off on its own, my short answer is there wasn’t really a moment when I decided to make this something big. It’s taken an unbelievable amount of work to build over the years. In fact, building Phenomenal is one of the hardest—and most gratifying—things I’ve ever done. So, literally on Day One—and the rest is history.

L'O: You already have such a stacked resume at 36. What’s next?

MH: That’s kind of you to say, but I really feel like I’m just getting started! There’s so, so much work to do—especially when it comes to increasing diversity and representation in publishing and children’s content. And I definitely have plans for more books. I won’t say more about that, just yet, except that I can’t wait to explore topics for older audiences, as well.

We also recently launched Phenomenal Media and Phenomenal Productions to help bring greater awareness to issues affecting underrepresented communities—and we’ll be using these new platforms to amplify the voices of female leaders especially who are working to make the world better and more equitable for all.
 

L'O: Is fashion something you see yourself continuing to pursue? If there’s one thing you could change or improve about the fashion industry, what would it be?

MH: Women, and particularly women of color, have been influencing and leading in design, fashion, and business long before they were ever formally allowed access to those spaces in the “traditional” economy. The more diverse voices are allowed to shine through in the fashion industry, the more diverse perspectives will help to shape the culture far beyond it.

We’re building a different type of business with Phenomenal—one that is values driven—but I’m always mindful that I stand on the shoulders of so many women who came before me—and whose sacrifices made it more possible for me to be here today.