Who Is Glinda?

glinda lives within all girls. She is the part of us that has a dream to accomplish, a passion to pursue and a difference to make. Once her inspiration is ignited - she is unstoppable. Our Glinda Girls were specifically chosen because they are extraordinary role models worthy of emulation. We celebrate their innovation, respect their triumphs, admire their entrepreneurship and love their products. We hope their stories inspire your desire to create your own road to a happy, rewarding life that you love!

About Kari Dunlop – The Gal Behind The Glindas

before I discovered the Glinda Girl in me, I spent most of my career in the film and television industry. This is no surprise. My love of great stories, starting with the medium of print, was evident from the time I was a child. At the age of six, I ascended the grade-one reading ladder at unprecedented speed. Over the next few years, I read every biography I could get my little hands on and counted the days until the Bookmobile’s next visit. The sense of inspiration I experienced when I read these true-life, personal accounts was destined to lead me somewhere special. Eventually it did.

in my early twenties, with misguided ambitions of practicing law, I earned a degree in political science. After graduating, I had a change of heart and mind, so I enrolled in a broadcasting program and officially became a working girl - writing, producing and directing commercials for a local TV station in northern Alberta. After much perseverance and a lucky break, I landed a fantastic position with an internationally syndicated entertainment program, requiring me to frequently travel to LA and New York to interview renowned directors and actors.

after working on numerous feature films, music videos, documentaries, and lifestyle and reality programs for broadcasters including CBS, CBC, Paramount, HGTV, Slice, VH1 and CMT, I accepted a position in Los Angeles as assistant vice president of development for an award-winning director’s studio, and associate producer of his next feature film. Only one year later, I found myself out of work with the rest of the staff, due to funding challenges faced by the studio. While disappointed that my Hollywood dream did not culminate in the fairytale happily-ever-after ending I envisioned - my infatuation with storytelling, be it on the big screen or any other format, remained.

i returned home to Calgary to find myself - and consider a new career path. My family was in the midst of planning a party for my niece’s second birthday. I wanted to give her something special, and while finances may have been limited – my determination and creativity were not. Drawing on my emotions about recent experiences I began to write and, before I knew it, had authored a children’s story that I dedicated to my niece about a demoralized and disillusioned flower named Daisy, who discovers her courage to blossom. The powerful premise was the impetus for my next labour of love - the development of a youth series that profiled ordinary kids accomplishing extraordinary things – which is presently being considered for online global adaptation.

glinda Girls (glindagirls.com) was a natural segue. While attending a film and television awards show, I re-connected with an actress friend that I had worked with several years prior. She told me about a new cosmetic product that she and her gal pals were in love with. It was DuWop’s Lip Venom. I tried it – and became an instant Lip Venom addict. I read about the company and the product’s founders, and contacted them immediately. I began researching other cool products developed by visionary, women entrepreneurs, and knew that I needed to launch a website and e-boutique where I could share these exceptional beauty and lifestyle brands, as well as their creators’ inspiring stories.

welcome to Glinda Girls. I hope we inspire your heart’s desire.