When you're Eva Longoria, a lot of companies approach you asking to slap your name on a clothing brand -- and on bottles of tequila. Evaluating ventures through "a female lens," as she puts it, has helped the Desperate Housewives star and longtime advocate for Latinas choose meaningful projects that align with her values.
It's also how the opportunity to co-found Casa Del Sol came about. The entrepreneurs behind the Los Angeles-based tequila brand, which largely employs women to make its product in the Altos de Jalisco region of Mexico, asked Longoria, 48, to join the company to help boost its mission of redefining women's work in Jalisco.
That women-focused ethos also led Longoria to co-found Risa, a Chicago-based cookware line that she formed in partnership with branding platform Heyday. Risa -- the word is Spanish for "laughter" -- launched last year, with a colorful range of pots, pans, and kitchen accessories that reflect Longoria's love of cooking.
Given her many commitments, Longoria must be ruthless about saying no. She frequently books 15- and even five-minute meetings. "Don't give me 10 choices, give me three," she now asks her colleagues. Thinking in bullet points helps her cut to the chase. "I treat time like money," she says. "Time is my greatest asset, and I'm either spending and wasting it, or investing it." --Jill Krasny
Other Female Founders honorees weigh in:
