She is recognised for her business ventures involving members of the Kardashian family and is the CEO and co-founder of the denim company Good American, a founding partner of Skims, and co-founder of Safely.
Grede was born and raised in the Plaistow neighborhood of East London, England. She is the daughter of Jenny-Lee Findlay, a white English mother who worked for Morgan Stanley and a black Jamaican and Trinidadian father. Raised by her single mother, she has three younger sisters, Charlotte, Rachelle, and Katie-Beth.Starting as a teenager, Emma began working at a number of odd jobs, including delivering newspapers, which she credits for teaching her perseverance and discipline.[ She regularly saved her earnings to purchase magazines like Elle and Vogue and has noted that the fashion industry was a form of escapism for her.At age 16, Grede enrolled at the London College of Fashion, where she also secured internships at places like Gucci. However, in order to pursue her career, she withdrew from school before completing her degree, noting that “It was the right decision for me.
After leaving college, Grede worked for Quintessentially, a concierge company, before joining Inca Productions as a fashion show and events producer.In 2008, at age 26, Grede co-founded and was CEO of Independent Talent Brand (ITB) Worldwide, a London-based talent management and entertainment marketing agency. Ten years later, ITB was acquired by Rogers & Cowan for an undisclosed amount, and Grede exited the company. ITB’s founding shareholders, former ITB CEO Emma Grede, her husbabd Jens Grede and Erik Torstensson (the founders of Frame) and London agency Independent Talent Group — have exited as part of Around 2015, Grede proposed an idea for a denim company to Kris Jenner, whom she met during Paris Fashion Week, explaining that she wanted to partner with Jenner’s daughter, Khloé Kardashian. Grede and Kardashian launched Good American in 2016, as a women’s clothing company focused on size inclusivity and body positivity with Grede as CEO.
The company sold a million dollars of denim merchandise on opening day. Good American expanded from strictly selling denim jeans to include dresses, activewear, tops, swimwear, sleepwear, and shoes in its line. The company also invented the size 15 jean—in between 14 and 16—to accommodate more body types.Grede is a founding partner of Skims, a shapewear brand co-founded by her husband Jens Grede and Kim Kardashian in 2019.
Grede is the company’s chief product officer.Along with Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen, Grede also co-founded Safely, a brand of plant-based cleaning and self-care products that launched in March 2021. Emma conceived of the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she desired products that would be safe for her own family. To that end, Safely’s mission is “to rid American homes of harsh toxins with plant-powered products”.In January 2025, Grede teamed up with fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk to launch apparel brand Off Season in collaboration with the NFL and Fanatics.With an estimated net worth of more than $300 million, Grede has 8% stake in Skims, 23% stake in Good American, and 22% stake in Safely
