Ali Donaldson

New York

Business Reporter at Inc.

Reporting on startups, entrepreneurs, and their money for @Inc @WGAEast. Alum of @ColumbiaJournMA @BloombergTV @CNN @Business @UVA. Virginian. Wahoo.

Articles

Female Founders Sound the Alarm About Tariffs to President Trump

1 week ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

More than three dozen female founders are “sounding the alarm” to President Trump about how tariffs could decimate their businesses.
There Might Be Only One Bipartisan Place Left in D.C. This 9-Figure Georgetown Boutique

2 weeks ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

In Washington, D.C., female political staffers have found at least one piece of neutral ground. That bipartisan haven sits on Wisconsin Avenue below M Street in Georgetown. It’s not the historic, 1860s-era stone-built, garden-encircled Episcopal church. It’s the decade-old, 700-square-foot boutique next door.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Shares How She Hires Top Talent

2 weeks ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

The founder took a strategic approach to building the As Ever team. BY ALI DONALDSON, STAFF REPORTER @ALICDONALDSONAPR 7, 2025Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. Photos: Getty Images, Courtesy As EverListen to this ArticleMore infoWhen I talk to founders of fast-growing startups and ask what is the biggest challenge of managing that surge, their answer—regardless of the company’s stage, industry, or location—is nearly always the same: hiring.
Meghan, Duchess of Success, on the Best Business Advice She's Ever Received

2 weeks ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has finally unveiled her new company. In an exclusive interview with Inc., the mother of two opened up about launching her home and lifestyle brand As Ever, which is backed by Netflix and started taking orders for its first batch of products this week. The Los Angeles-based company has already enjoyed some early traction, selling out of its first seasonal drop of teas, baking mixes, flower sprinkles, honey, and fruit spread within an hour.
Glen Powell Launches Smash Kitchen, a Better-for-You Condiment Brand

3 weeks ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

Glen Powell is making a bid for cookout season. The actor, writer, and producer is tacking co-founder onto his resume and starting his first business venture, Smash Kitchen, an organic condiment brand, which hits Walmart shelves nationwide this week.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Launches Lifestyle Brand As Ever

3 weeks ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

Like many startups, the home and lifestyle brand As Ever started at the kitchen table of its founder. This week, the consumer-packaged goods company launches online with a curated product selection and eventual in-store aspirations. The team supporting this effort is small, with fewer than 10 employees. The founder has built a support group of fellow female entrepreneurs to lean on for advice. There have been a few aha! moments along the way.
Forget Influencer Trips. Why This Founder Is Taking Her Customers to Kyoto

3 weeks ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

When serial entrepreneur Shizu Okusa heads to the Four Seasons Kyoto for a weeklong stay this fall, her trip will not be a typical vacation. There will be no shopping excursions; no meals at one of the hundreds of Michelin-star restaurants in the city. The plan is to disconnect with meditation, hot springs, forest bathing, and tea ceremonies—with more than a dozen of her customers.
How Mercury Scored a $3.5 Billion Valuation in Eight Years

3 weeks ago | matr.net | Ali Donaldson

Co-founder and CEO Immad Akhund says the fintech took time and prized profitability above all else. “I really want customers to have a piece of ownership and a piece of our success,” he says. “I would recommend it to anyone that’s a very customer-centric kind of startup.”“Every time I raise money, it’s not been from someone I’ve just met that week.”BY ALI DONALDSON, STAFF REPORTER
Bogg Bag Is Expanding Production Out of China, Offering a Playbook for Uncertain Times

3 weeks ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

Founder and CEO Kim Vaccarella explains how she’s adapting her supply chain in response to tariffs. BY ALI DONALDSON, STAFF REPORTER @ALICDONALDSONMAR 29, 2025Photos: Getty Images, Courtesy Bogg BagTo mitigate the impact of tariffs levied by the Trump administration, Bogg Bag is diversifying its supply chain beyond China. The Lodi, New Jersey-based company, which makes the viral perforated plastic tote bags that have a cult following, will start manufacturing bags in Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
How Mercury Scored a $3.5 Billion Valuation in Eight Years

3 weeks ago | inc.com | Ali Donaldson

Fintech is back in fashion. Four years after its last funding round, Mercury, a San Francisco-based financial technology company that provides banking services to startups, has raised $300 million. The Series C, which was more than twice as large as its previous round, was led by Sequoia and included new investors, Spark Capital and Marathon, in addition to existing ones, Coatue, CRV, and Andreessen Horowitz. For co-founder and CEO Immad Akhund, that infrequent fundraising pace is by design.