Evelyn & Bobbie Founder and CEO Bree McKeen on Tenacity, Vision and Profitability
In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Managing Editor Marie Albiges interviews Bree McKeen, founder and CEO of Evelyn & Bobbie, a product design company dedicated to redefining the women’s intimates category and bra buying experience. Listen in as McKeen shares the origin story of the brand and its motto, “perfectly forgettable bras and underwear” (1:30), her transition from a corporate job in venture capital to full-time entrepreneur (3:20), and Evelyn & Bobbie’s journey to growth (8:10). She discusses the unique challenges when pitching a women’s intimates business to primarily male investors (11:20) as well as her thoughts on how much luck plays into an entrepreneur’s success (17:00).
In addition, McKeen touches on grit, tenacity and learning in the face of failure (19:55), the strategic moves that were critical to achieving Evelyn & Bobbie’s level of success (23:15), and how she motivates her team (25:30). Lastly, she shares her non-negotiables when it comes to work-life balance (26:40) and how she navigates the need to be well-liked as a female leader (29:35).
Bree McKeen is the visionary founder of Evelyn & Bobbie. As a 34G woman, she struggled for years with aching shoulders, tension headaches, and posture issues from wearing an underwire bra. Fed up with the pain and discomfort, and disappointed with alternative bra options on the market, she left behind a high-potential career in finance to invent a better way. With years of experience in early-stage investment combined with her studies in Anthropology and Business at Stanford University, McKeen discovered a unique opportunity to launch a revolutionary new bra concept that would change women’s lives for the better. She spent years developing and testing prototypes in her garage.
Evelyn & Bobbie bras are different from any other bra on the market. Through her commitment to rethinking how bras are constructed, and born of her personal need, McKeen developed the only true replacement to the underwire bra in 88 years. Her pioneering technology, known as the EB Core®, is the first structural innovation on the underwire since 1931. In the U.S., only 11 percent of patents are awarded to women. McKeen has six fully issued U.S. utility patents and 18 total patents, including international, protecting the unique 3D sling technology. This advanced design eliminates traditional underwire, providing unmatched support while offering a new level of comfort and flexibility. EB Core® technology uses a unique, patented material that achieves the support and separation of a wire, without discomfort. Evelyn & Bobbie has redefined what it means to wear a bra.
McKeen founded Evelyn & Bobbie on a dream for a better bra. Today, she wears that bra every single day. From boardroom meetings to chasing kids around the living room, to riding horseback on the working cattle ranch she now calls home, Evelyn & Bobbie bras are made to fit your life, wherever it may take you. McKeen is transforming the intimates industry, setting a new standard for what lingerie can and should be with a bra so comfortable you forget you’re wearing it.
Date: April 1, 2025
Credits: Bree McKeen
Duration: 34:50
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