#47 - Antonia Saint Dunbar (THINX)

Antonia helped build one of the most iconic period brands in the world. In this episode, she takes us inside the real, messy, deeply human journey of launching Thinx: from her pink pajama shame moment at 13 to raising millions, writing her own patent, and co-founding a brand that changed the way we talk about periods.

 

But that’s only the first half of the story.

 

She opens up about what it actually felt like to raise money, negotiate with strategic partners, and sit in rooms where you slowly lose control of the brand you built. What happens when you and your co-founders don’t want the same future? What do you do when the investors are offering the deal of a lifetime?

01:10 – Meet Antonia: From Classical Musician to Brand Builder

04:30 – The Origin of Thinx: A Three-Legged Race & a Bikini Bottom

08:00 – From India to Innovation: Solving Global Period Poverty

11:15 – The Girl Effect: Empowering Girls by Keeping Them in School

14:20 – Designing Smart Underwear: Antimicrobial, Leak-Proof & Chic

17:40 – First Funding: From Music Studio to Kickstarter

21:30 – “Failure to Launch” & Taking the Leap

24:10 – Family & Friends Round + The $25K Investor Who Made $1M

27:50 – When Deals Don’t Close: Due Diligence with UK Partner

31:40 – Sri Lanka Email Changes Everything: MAS Becomes Strategic Partner

36:00 – Why the Subway Ads Made People Stop & Stare

38:45 – Educating the Public on “Underwear for Periods”

41:00 – Kimberly-Clark Enters the Picture

43:20 – Losing Control of Product Design After Investment

45:00 – Birth of Her Next Venture: The Shoe Brand Idea

48:15 – $2.1M Kickstarter for Her Shoe Brand in 90 Days

51:00 – Was She Ready to Leave Thinx?

53:10 – The Co-Founder Rift: Different Timelines, Different Visions

56:40 – Lessons in Equity, Contracts & Business Breakups

59:15 – Don’t Assume Love = Legal Protection

01:01:30 – Why She Has No Regrets (But Learned the Hard Way)