“When I visited Simmons, I fell in love.”
Ali Brown was a self-made millionaire before she turned 35. She appeared on ABC’s Secret Millionaire, where she donated $100,000 to a community in need.
“There has never been a better time for women, ever. Be open. You’re going to ruffle some feathers. Who cares? Follow your dreams.”
ACCOLADES:
- Ranked on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies in 2009
- Named one of 2010’s Enterprising Women of the Year by Enterprising Women magazine
- Included in the Ernst & Young 2010 Class of Entrepreneurial Winning Women
- Member of Simmons 1899 Society
CURRENT WORK:
Founder and CEO of Ali International, a multimillion-dollar business that includes the Ali Magazine, Ali Boutique, the Millionaire Protégé Club, and SHINE, an annual conference for women. Her company is devoted to empowering women entrepreneurs around the world.
PRIOR WORK:
Copywriter at a NYC ad agency, and started a new venture as author of an email newsletter teaching other women how to be entrepreneurs.
HOW HAS YOUR SIMMONS EDUCATION AFFECTED YOUR CAREER?
Simmons is where I really stepped into leadership. There was something about the co-ed environment in high school that kept me from stepping up, but Simmons brought the leader out in me. I felt a supportive environment that I’d never felt before. When I visited Simmons, I fell in love.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIMMONS EXPERIENCE IN ONE WORD?
Empowered. It’s an overused word, but it’s the best word for Simmons.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT SIMMONS WHO WANT TO STRIKE OUT AS BUSINESS LEADERS OR ENTREPRENEURS?
Take advantage of all the opportunities you can for leadership. Being an entrepreneur means zigging when everyone else is zagging. Step up now, even when you don’t know everything. I am still never completely prepared for anything I take on. We sometimes think we don’t know enough. You never will. Just do it, get the experience, and go for it.