Renée is the Founder and Chief Culture Officer for The Renaissance Period. In her career, she has consulted on growth strategies for a leading fashion brand and a Fortune 500 technology firm, directed the investors communications for a mergers & acquisitions advisory, managed inside sales efforts for two professional services firms, and recruited C-level executives in the tech, consumer, luxury and fashion industries. She has also served as a contributing editor to fashion industry publications in the UK. 

My story begins when my periods were so severe, I was avoiding school. I was always told, “oh you just have bad periods” and handed some paracetamol. My mother mentioned that she had gone through it, and so had my grandmother – but I never heard the word endometriosis until 2006. 10 years after I had my first period, I finally had an answer for what I always knew was more than a “bad period”. I had previously been chastised by a doctor during my appointments, misdiagnosed, and left with unbearable pain, shame, anger, and mental illness. Since then, I have had 5 endometrial surgeries (for removal of cysts, tissue, and to explore new activity) in the US, UK, and Netherlands.

As there is NO cure for endometriosis there have been several options to manage the condition and lifestyle. Of course, as this conversation was taboo, I had no idea what others were doing until slowly the topic became approachable. I had to rely on my gynaecological teams and some wisdom from my elders to cope. During this time, I was overprescribed painkillers, overwhelmed by hormonal/contraceptive options, and remedies were constantly failing.

In 2020, after giving birth to my daughter and completing breastfeeding, my menstrual cycle re-commenced. The products of which I was accustomed, or my heavy flow were getting less real estate in my local pharmacy and grocery store, either due to demand or supply chain issues. I was becoming more frustrated with my continued purchase of period products that were inadequate to my needs.

I looked for alternative products online but could not physically review them. After speaking with a community of others like me who demanded better solutions, I began my research. Then I realised my daughter would have to go through this process when she is of age. How would I like to see her navigate this landscape? Thus, began my gestation period….

 …and, in 2022 The Renaissance Period was born, taking an old concept and marrying it with a socially conscious mission. Thusly named, as renaissance means rebirth in French. The French (feminine) word for born is ‘nee’, so Renée means “reborn”. Though influenced by my name this movement belongs to all of us. This is OUR renaissance.