From Corporate Careers to Restroom Revolution: The UNICORN Story

What if the next big business opportunity is hiding in plain sight, in a place you visit multiple times every day but rarely think about improving? That's exactly what happened when cousins Denielle Finkelstein and Thyme Sullivan looked at restrooms with fresh eyes and saw not just a functional space, but an opportunity to create dignity, wellness, and true equity.

In this powerful episode of The Manage Her, Aimee sits down with the co-founders and co-CEOs of UNICORN, a company that's revolutionizing restroom access and product equity with sleek, thoughtful dispensers now found in Fortune 500 companies like Chase and American Express, plus airports across the country. Their story is a masterclass in transforming invisible problems into world-changing solutions.

The Power of Noticing What Others Overlook

The UNICORN story begins with a simple but profound realization: restroom equity isn't just about having facilities available, it's about ensuring those facilities serve everyone with dignity and inclusion. While most people might notice an inconvenience and move on, Denielle and Thyme saw a systemic gap that affected millions of people daily.

This is where true leadership often begins. You don't always need to invent something completely revolutionary. Sometimes the most impactful businesses come from paying attention to what's been ignored, overlooked, or accepted as "just the way things are." The cousins recognized that restrooms could be redesigned as hubs of wellness and inclusion rather than afterthoughts in building design.

Their journey from corporate careers to entrepreneurship wasn't just about starting a business—it was about building a movement. When you spot a problem that affects people's basic dignity and daily experience, you have a choice: accept it or act on it. Denielle and Thyme chose to act.

Building Success Through Family Partnership

One of the most fascinating aspects of the UNICORN story is how two family members successfully navigate being co-CEOs. Building a business with family brings unique challenges and opportunities that most entrepreneurs never face. The key to their success lies in establishing clear boundaries, defined roles, and maintaining open communication about both business decisions and family dynamics.

Their partnership demonstrates that co-leadership can work when both parties bring complementary strengths and maintain a shared vision. Rather than competing for control, they've created a structure where their different skills and perspectives strengthen the company's foundation. This approach has allowed them to scale from startup to serving major corporations while maintaining their core mission and family relationship.

Working with family in business requires a level of emotional intelligence and boundary-setting that goes beyond typical business partnerships. You're not just building a company together—you're protecting relationships that extend far beyond the boardroom. Their success shows that when done thoughtfully, family businesses can leverage deep trust and shared values to create something truly impactful.

Scaling Mission-Driven Business to Fortune 500 Clients

Getting your product into companies like Chase, American Express, and major airports doesn't happen overnight. It requires demonstrating that your mission-driven solution also delivers business value. UNICORN's success in scaling to Fortune 500 spaces proves that companies focused on equity and inclusion can compete at the highest levels when they solve real problems with thoughtful, well-designed solutions.

The key insight here is that mission and profit don't have to be opposing forces. When you create products that genuinely improve people's experiences and address real needs, businesses take notice. Large corporations are increasingly recognizing that employee and customer wellness directly impact their bottom line, making solutions like UNICORN's not just socially responsible choices, but smart business decisions.

Scaling a values-based company requires maintaining your core mission while adapting to larger market demands. This means staying true to your why while being flexible in your how. UNICORN's growth demonstrates that you can expand your reach without compromising your values—in fact, strong values can become your competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Redefining Dignity in Everyday Spaces

The conversation reveals a powerful truth about leadership and innovation: sometimes the most transformative changes happen in the spaces we use most but think about least. By reimagining restrooms as places of dignity, wellness, and inclusion, UNICORN is changing how we think about everyday infrastructure and its impact on human experience.

This approach to business—focusing on dignity and inclusion in overlooked spaces—offers a blueprint for finding opportunities in your own industry. Where are the gaps in dignity? What experiences do people endure rather than enjoy? What problems have become so normalized that they're invisible? These questions can lead you to business opportunities that create real value while making the world more equitable.

When you design solutions with dignity at the center, you're not just creating products—you're creating experiences that affirm people's worth and meet their real needs. This human-centered approach to business building ensures that your success contributes to a more inclusive world.

The UNICORN story reminds us that leadership isn't always about grand gestures or revolutionary inventions. Sometimes it's about having the courage to notice what others have ignored and the determination to build something better. Whether you're considering leaving corporate life to start something new or looking for ways to make your current role more impactful, remember that the biggest opportunities often hide in the smallest, most overlooked details of daily life.

Your next big idea might be waiting in a space you visit every day but never really see. The question is: are you ready to notice it and do something about it?