Kendra Scott told ICSC Las Vegas convention attendees that the retailer will go global

With an inspiring opening interview by ICSC COO Whitney Livingston, Kendra Scott, the founder of Kendra Scott kicks off the 2025 ICSC convention in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 18.

Kendra demonstrates that as an entrepreneur all you need is $500 and a dream.

In 2002, just three months after Kendra’s first son was born, she launched her jewelry line with only $500. Her internal and external beauty, vibrant personality and unique eye for design captivated Austin businesses and customers alike, paving the way for a billion-dollar lifestyle brand that’s celebrated for its design and material innovation, vibrant use of color,
and signature silhouettes.

Kendra’s brand went nationwide when she made her first deal with Nordstrom. However, as a self starter, she struggled through 2008 during the Great Recession when she decided to go DTC. She opened her first signature store in 2010 in Austin. Now she has 152 U.S. stores and she said she will expand globally—1,000%.

Her company continues to operate out of Austin, where she resides with her family. In her speech this afternoon in Las Vegas, she underscored her love of Texas with its Southern hospitality. She said, she usually wears cowboy boots and rides horses in her traditional Texas ranch.

In April 2020, Governor Greg Abbott named Kendra to the Strike Force to Open Texas – a group "tasked with finding safe and effective ways to slowly reopen the state" amid the COVID-19 pandemic.