Q: Tell us how you came up with the idea for Scarlet by RedDrop and how it’s evolved from a classroom initiative to a national movement.
DR: The idea for Scarlet for RedDrop sparked in my Atlanta fifth-grade classroom when I, a teacher at the time, encountered a student who was experiencing her first period and feared she was dying. For our own daughters, we wanted to create a product that helps young girls navigate their periods with ease and confidence. Together, I joined forces with my Co-Founder, Monica Williams, to bring Scarlet by RedDrop to life.

Since 2019, we have led Scarlet by RedDrop from a bold idea tested through guerrilla-style product sales at Atlanta’s Lenox Square Mall to a national puberty care brand with over $14 million in revenue. What began as a grassroots effort to learn if parents and tweens would trade money for a better puberty experience has grown into a movement redefining care, education, and access for school-aged girls.

Today, we are poised for national expansion. Products have launched in 350+ Ulta Beauty stores this year, and our education-forward kits are reaching hundreds of schools nationwide. This is just the beginning as we continue our mission to support girls at every stage of their period journey and to revolutionize period care for the next generation.

Q: How is Scarlet by RedDrop redefining the period care industry?
DR: For far too long, the period care industry has been dominated by adult-focused brands, with less than 1% of period products designed for younger bodies and first-time users. That’s why we aimed to create a new category of puberty care that transforms how tweens and teens experience menstruation, how caregivers approach education, and how retailers and schools integrate puberty solutions into everyday life.

Until Scarlet by RedDrop, puberty was treated as an afterthought. Existing brands either shrank adult products or relied on vague “teen” packaging, failing to address the distinct needs of younger users. Scarlet’s innovation has been to design age-appropriate products from the ground up.

By combining products, education, and access, Scarlet by RedDrop has established puberty care as a distinct category, compelling the industry to broaden its definition of who deserves tailored solutions.

Q: You’ve mentioned that Scarlet by RedDrop addresses broader societal issues. Can you share with us how you're confronting the most pressing cultural and public health challenges?
DR: At Scarlet by RedDrop, we believe puberty care is not just a product category but a social equity issue. Through our mission, we are addressing three pressing cultural and public health challenges: period poverty, stigma, and toxic exposure in personal care products.

First, we are tackling period poverty and access to period products. Millions of students miss class each year because they lack reliable access to products or because the available options do not fit their bodies. Scarlet by RedDrop directly addresses this by embedding puberty care into the systems where young people live and learn. We are partnered with two of the largest school health distributors in the U.S., ensuring that products are now available in thousands of schools nationwide.

Second, we’re breaking stigma through mainstream normalization. Society has long treated puberty and periods as shameful topics, with products hidden away in pharmacy aisles and discussions of periods only whispered about at home. This stigma creates confusion, isolation, and silence during a formative stage of life. We’re breaking this cycle by repositioning puberty as a celebrated part of growing up.

Finally, we’re advancing health and safety issues. Many mainstream brands still use PFAS (“forever chemicals”), fragrances, and other additives that raise health concerns, particularly for developing bodies. Scarlet by RedDrop has been committed to being toxin-free and body-safe from day one, setting a higher standard for puberty-first care. These efforts respond to the cultural demand of transparency and clean products and ensure the most vulnerable users are protected from harmful exposures.

Q: You also recently launched your products at Ulta Stores nationwide. Tell us about this recent success.
DR: We are thrilled that Scarlet by RedDrop has become the first puberty-focused brand to launch nationwide in Ulta Beauty, one of the country’s largest beauty retailers. Our products are available at more than 350+ stores across the country and online.

The inclusion of our products in a national retailer like Ulta marks a cultural and commercial breakthrough: puberty care products are now sold alongside skincare, haircare, and cosmetics, the very aisles where teens already shop. No other puberty-first company has achieved this level of national retail penetration, allowing us to normalize puberty conversations by bringing them into mainstream beauty environments.

On a deeper level, our expansion into Ulta makes us feel seen and validated. It affirms our work to create a trusted, reputable brand, while also sending a powerful message to tweens, teens, and their caretakers that beauty starts from within.

Q: What’s next for Scarlet by RedDrop — and what’s your long-term vision for changing how young girls experience this stage of life?
DR: Our long-term vision is to become the most trusted brand for puberty care for tweens and teens. We want Scarlet by RedDrop to be the number one brand serving young girls nationwide. We aim to impact the generations of girls by removing the stigmas and taboos surrounding periods and transforming them into a movement of empowerment and confidence.

Q: After high school, where did you feel your career path would take you?
DR: I once believed my path was clear: I would move to New York City and become a musical theatre actress. I graduated from the Northside School of the Performing Arts in Atlanta Public Schools with dreams big enough to justify a one-way train ticket. But my mother didn’t support that plan, and life had other ideas.

I received a scholarship to Florida A&M University to study theatre with a minor in education. It was there that my dream expanded. I discovered a deep love for teaching—sharing theatre, storytelling, and musical expression with students, and helping them find their own voices through the art form that had shaped mine.

Q: Can you tell our audience one of the most memorable moments of your career?
DR: Winning the $1 million grand prize from Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition initiative in late 2024 has been the most memorable moment of our career. While Scarlet by RedDrop had already received over 100,000 orders by then, we gained significant traction after receiving this investment, allowing us to be more impactful and grow exponentially. It propelled our mission to combat menstrual inequity by providing products explicitly designed for young girls, leading to a major retail partnership with Ulta.

Q: At the start of your career, what do you wish you had known?
DR: The fundraising aspect is extremely difficult, especially as a woman of color. Last year, only 0.3% of VC funding went to women of color, despite our continued success in delivering results. For other women who are currently raising venture capital, remember that rejection is part of the process. Each pitch is a chance to refine your story, your strategy, and your confidence. Stay grounded, stay encouraged, and lean on your support network of friends, family, and mental health resources. A strong, healthy you is essential for building a sustainable business.

Q: What advice would you give to young women who want to pursue their dream and start a business?
DR: Do it. Even if the idea feels raw, start the business. Test it in the real world. Build relationships. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Entrepreneurship is audacity, discipline, and belief stitched together over time. Most importantly, choose a problem worth solving. Purpose will sustain you long after excitement fades.

Q: What is one piece of advice you can offer to young women who want to reach your level of success?
DR: There is a deep level of importance in addressing meaningful issues in the work you’re doing. For other young women, I encourage them to look at their business and the problem they’re trying to solve and ask themselves, “Does it have a life-changing or positive impact on humanity?”

Five Things About Dana Roberts
1. What's your favorite family tradition?
My favorite family tradition is our Christmas Eve party, which doesn’t begin until around 10 p.m. The kids stay up late, buzzing with excitement, and at midnight, they get to open their first presents. Then, we rush home and head straight to bed, so we won’t miss Santa. Like so many traditions, ours was derailed by COVID and various illnesses over the past few years, but we’re hopeful that next year we’ll be able to restart it and bring that special magic back.

2. Who is the most fascinating person you’ve ever met?
The most fascinating person I have ever met is my mother, Loretta Green, because her life is a master class in courage and perseverance. She pursued opportunities that many people believed were not meant for her and faced discrimination simply for showing up in spaces where she had earned the right to be.

While serving in the U.S. Air Force and playing on a traveling softball team, she represented her country with pride—yet in many cities, she was denied access to the same facilities and comforts as her white teammates. When she adopted me, she was the first single Black woman to adopt a child in the state of Georgia.

She lived through a time when voting required paying a poll tax in Mobile, Ala., forcing families like hers to choose between exercising their rights and putting food on the table. Despite these barriers, she remained strong, principled, and determined to move forward. Today, at 90, she continues to advocate for voting rights.

Watching her navigate unfair systems without losing her dignity taught me what real strength looks like and shaped my understanding of justice, resilience, and purpose. Her story isn’t just inspiring—it’s the foundation of who I am.

3. Among your friends, what are you best known for?
When I asked my friends, they described me as creative, ambitious, loyal, funny, a servant, and a humanitarian. They said I have an unwavering love for my people and that I work hard to help balance the scales of justice for them. They also shared that I can be quiet, thoughtful, and deeply caring. Hearing myself reflected back through the people who know me best was both grounding and affirming.

4. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve done?
I decided to take a spur-of-the-moment solo trip to Puerto Rico, and almost immediately the universe met me halfway. After getting off the plane, I met two amazing people—ironically, both from Atlanta—and we decided to explore the island together. We hiked through the tropical forest, toured and swam in waterfalls, drove around the entire island, shared dinners along the coast, and ended our days on sunset cruises. The experience was unforgettable because it was completely spontaneous. I trusted my gut and my intuition every step of the way, and it led me exactly where I was meant to be.

5. What’s your favorite quote or saying?
One of my favorite bosses, Dr. Duke J. Bradley III, once told me, “Dana, people don’t remember all the things you do for them—they remember the one thing you don’t.” That advice stayed with me. It helped me move away from people-pleasing and instead focus on doing things for others only when I genuinely want to. Through that lens, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of human nature and learned how to truly serve people in the ways I’m able—without expectations and without needing emotion or gratitude in return.