Erica Anderson (she/they) Co-founder and CEO, The New Savant
Erica Anderson is co-founder and CEO of The New Savant. Born during the pandemic, TNS develops original olfactory experiences that encourage people to smell something new. They are proud to be members of The Fragrance Foundation and to work with esteemed perfumers at Givaudan.
Previously, Erica spent 15 years on the forefront of technology’s impact on media. Shortly after graduating from Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Erica was selected to report on the 2008 Presidential Election for MTV News’ Choose or Lose. Their use of social media for reporting led to a job working with Katie Couric (CBS Evening News) where Erica accelerated Katie’s use of tools such as Twitter. Twitter then recruited Erica to work for the fledgling communications tool where she played a central role in shaping the platform as an indispensable tool for journalists. Following Twitter, Erica worked for the Google News Lab. Their work took them to Asia, Europe and Latin America where they met with journalists, fact checkers and human rights activists on behalf of the company.
During the pandemic, Ingrid Nilsen, co-founder of TNS, invited Erica to build The New Savant together. It was a most welcome change. Foremost a builder, Erica feels at home bringing Ingrid’s vision to life. It is the best job she’s ever had.
Ingrid Nilsen (she/her) Co-founder and Chief Creative, The New Savant
A lifelong creative, Ingrid Nilsen is an entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet culture. As one of the first YouTube creators, Ingrid helped shape the platform, its formats and became a household name for millions of young people around the world. Over her 10+ years as a YouTube creator she created a safe, inclusive space for her 6+ million followers with lifestyle and beauty content that encouraged radical self-acceptance, challenged cultural norms and above all, embraced change through courageous personal growth. In 2011 she was honored with the Streamy Award for Best Beauty Program and was the first digital creator to land a long-term endorsement deal with Covergirl. She also went on to be the face of BareMinerals, helping them to launch new products for a broader range of skin tones.
In 2015, Ingrid came out to her community as lesbian, which sparked a watershed moment for the LGBTQIA+ community as well as the beauty industry. Her clarity of voice and honesty earned her recognition from Oprah’s Super Soul 100 list and The Trevor Project’s Digital Innovator Award. Her social justice work continued with her 2016 interview with President Barack Obama. Ingrid made international headlines with her question to the President on why period products were taxed as a luxury good. Changes in state laws would soon follow. She also served as a UN Change Ambassador for Gender Equality.
With over a decade of experience, Ingrid is an expert in the beauty/lifestyle/wellness space, brand strategy, community building, online culture and using the power of social media as a starting point for meaningful, long lasting connections.
Since retiring from YouTube in June 2020, she has taken her experience in the beauty industry to start THE NEW SAVANT – a scent studio where she creates distinct fragrances.
 |
 |
 |
 |
