Lynbrook Grad Launches Company To Empower Women

The worlds of womanhood, social entrepreneurship and community have come together in Lynbrook with the launch of LHS grad Ryan Perlowin’s company, Confidante.

Born out of the idea that “every woman deserves the chance to feel beautiful,” Confidante’s mission is to help women discover a new level of "confidence, courage, and love, while sustainably empowering them to succeed."

“A lot of people have asked me why I got into this business,” said Perlowin, a 2005 graduate of “I grew up surrounded by a family of strong women and I quickly realized that a woman’s true beauty is all about her confidence, her courage and her propensity to love."

After graduating from Lynbrook, Perlowin went on to study entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"I learned that today’s entrepreneurs must stand up for something they believe in and build a brand that will support that mission," Perlowin said.

Confidante currently features four product lines: facial skincare, bath and body, home goods and candles, and will be expanding into makeup, fragrances and fashion in 2012.

"I wanted to create a brand that could embrace that while also creating social value for women in need," Perlowin said.

Confidante’s products are geared towards "enhancing the natural beauty of a woman with a developed line of age-defying, hydrating, and calming solutions."

The home goods and candle lines were developed to "address a woman’s desire for her home to be a representation of herself," and Perlowin said Confidante achieves that with its Look Good. Smell Good. Feel Good. campaign.

Perlowin said Confidante partners with organizations both locally and globally to source products, donate, and drive awareness. They have developed partnerships with ABAN (founded in Chapel Hill, NC and based in Ghana), Thistle Farms (Nasheville, TN), and even Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Foundation.

To date, the business Confidante has done with ABAN has provided lunch for five single mothers and their children for a year. Additionally, Confidante’s partnership with Thistle Farms has provided the funds and support to help 15 women find refuge from lives of addiction, prostitution, and abuse and prepare them for life after rehab with intensive job-related training in computers and technology.

"I believe that a woman with confidence, courage, and love is the most beautiful woman of all," Perlowin said. "And I believe that we have a responsibility to support others. That’s why I built Confidante and that’s what we strive each and every day to represent.”

For more information please visit the Confidante Woman website.