Shiffon Co. on Money: How This 21-Year-Old Created a Ring Worn by Michelle Obama and Serena Williams From Her Dorm Room

When she won the Emmy Award for the HBO series Big Little Lies, Nicole Kidman gave a speech saying she hoped her daughters would look at the statue and feel inspired by what women can accomplish. But in that moment, Kidman was also sporting another metal symbol: a tiny ring on her pinky finger with a larger diamond next to a smaller one, symbolizing the power of mentorship between women.

The pinky ring came from Shiffon Co., a fine jewelry company started by 21-year-old Shilpa Yarlagadda in her Harvard dorm room. Yarlagadda’s Duet Pinky Ring comes with a “pinky promise” pledge taken by customers to support women in business. The company makes good on its own promise: Shiffon donates 50 percent of its profits to its charity arm, Startup Girl Foundation, which provides seed funding to female entrepreneurs.

Since the company’s inception in 2017, celebrities like Emma Watson, Serena Williams, and Michelle Obama have been spotted wearing the ring. Yarlagadda says neither she nor her team directly reached out to celebrities to wear the ring; they found Shiffon through word of mouth and felt drawn to its message of helping young women.