Michelle Violy Harper

Michelle Violy Harper, Brand Consultant (MVH Consulting Founder and CEO), is a business, beauty, and fashion maven, and co-founder of a multi-million dollar cosmetic company. Her business ability makes sense, as she grew up with her mother, a woman “raising three children alone, in the ’80s, when there were no women ruling Wall Street,” who then became known as the Queen of Wall Street. A fascination for all things finance and her creative abilities make her the perfect fit for what she does. “I also found it fun to challenge the status quo by being a woman, a gay woman, a very fashion-forward eccentric, in a rigid straight man’s world, making major moves.” As to her lesbian identity, “Having started my own beauty brand as the co-founder left no room for discrimination,” Harper says. As the head of her company, she ensures the hires of open-minded staff members. “The industry has become increasingly accepting of all sexual orientations,” she says, “which is a beautiful thing to see, and more than that, the right thing to see.” —JDG