Meghan Markle is hailed ‘a supportive’ pal ‘who generously shows up for her friends’ in sweet note by IT Cosmetics co-founder Jamie Kern Lima as they pose with billionaire Spanx founder Sara Blakely at Hamptons business summit

Meghan Markle was joined by old and new friends at a business conference in The Hamptons on Saturday.

The 42-year-old Duchess of Sussex was pictured with two of her best friends, makeup artist and entrepreneur Bobbi Brown and designer Misha Nonoo, at the G9 Ventures Summer Summit, hosted by influential real estate agent Amy Griffin.

But it wasn’t just old friends who supported Meghan at the event; the mother of two also posed for the camera with Sara Blakely, billionaire founder of Spanx, and Jamie Kern Lima, millionaire co-founder of IT Cosmetics.

According to Page SixMeghan flew to the millionaire’s enclave on a private jet from Santa Barbara, along with entrepreneur Jamie. After the event, she was eager to praise the duchess on her Instagram account.

She shared a sweet photo of Meghan sitting next to her and holding her arm, writing on her Stories: ‘I love this photo because it captures the essence of friendship. Thank you Meg for being such a supportive and loving friend…

“In this photo because you held my arm so lovingly as I was about to walk on stage to speak, and in real life because you are so generous to your friends!” Jamie concluded.

The former American TV news anchor founded her skin-friendly makeup brand IT Cosmetics after suffering from hereditary rosacea for years and no product gave her the makeup results she was looking for.

On her Instagram, the 47-year-old American entrepreneur shared another photo with Meghan, this time together with Sara Blakely, the founder of billionaire Spanx.

She started her business in 2000 with just $5,000. In 2012, Spanx reported a 20 percent profit margin on annual sales of nearly $250 million.

Sara, who came up with the idea for Spanx when she was forced to wear pantyhose as a door-to-door saleswoman in Florida, became the youngest self-made woman to make the Forbes World Billionaires List that year.

In 2021, news hit the internet that Spanx was worth $1.2 billion. The founder celebrated by giving all of her 500+ employees a first-class plane ticket and $10,000 in spending money.

A few weeks after the valuation news broke, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon invested in a shapewear brand.

When Sara worked as a saleswoman, she liked the way the tops of her pantyhose prevented visible panty lines and made her stomach look more toned. However, she didn’t want her foot seam to be visible when she wore open-toed shoes.

The 25-year-old then decided to cut off the foot of her pantyhose for a party, creating the very first prototype for Spanx.

Blakely previously shared that she went to hosiery factories and begged them to produce her product, even though she had no financial backing.

She decided to invest $5,000 of her own money in Spanx, which at the time was her entire savings. Since she couldn’t afford to have a lawyer write a patent for her, she did it herself with the help of a patent law textbook from Barnes & Noble.

But in the end it was all worth it, because after the first year the company generated $4 million in revenue and the following year an impressive $10 million.

It’s unclear when or how Meghan became friends with Sara and Jamie, but Jamie is said to live in the Montecito area of ​​California, where the duchess lives with her husband, Prince Harry, and their two children.

Meanwhile, the Duchess previously sent a Clevr gift basket to Sara, who shared a glimpse of the gift on her Instagram account and credited Meghan, according to Yeah.

Prince Harry’s wife confirmed in December 2020 that she had invested an undisclosed sum in Clevr Blends, a wellness coffee company that offers a range of organic, gluten-free ‘SuperLattes’ in powder form.

After Saturday’s event, sources told Page Six that Meghan was there to get tips about her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.

According to the publication, the annual event was held at Griffin’s $13 million (£10 million) home, which she shares with her husband, billionaire hedge fund manager John Griffin.

Other stars in attendance included Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon and actress Laura Dern.

Meghan’s brand launched earlier this year with an official Instagram page and website.

She will undoubtedly use the event to promote her brand by picking up tips for her new brand.

Surrounded by people like Griffin, who she believes will help her, Wall Street Journal is known for its use of ‘soft power’.

This includes introducing new people, approaching founders and offering mentorship.

She began investing in 2014 and founded G9 three years later, telling the WSJ: “There was a point where I was sitting at a fundraise and I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I can put money into something, watch it grow, and use my skills to help a founder?’

‘And people said to me, “Why don’t you do this full time? You’re already helping people by buying their products and then sending them to everyone.”‘

According to the WSJ, the G9 does not lead in huge investments, but does contribute smaller amounts, ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to several million.

Meghan shared the logo for her company in a 10-second video while dressed in a black ball gown.

In the clip, she can be seen wearing a simple white outfit while arranging flowers and cooking in the kitchen.

In April, Meghan sent 50 jars of strawberry jam to influencers and celebrity friends in the United States.

Award-winning actress and comedy writer Mindy Kaling and actress Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of Diana Ross, revealed on social media that they had received jars.

Each jar was marked Californian American Riviera Orchard and numbered to 50. The jars were sealed with a lid and a muslin cloth.

Meghan’s brand will reportedly include “edible oils and fats”, jellies, jams and spreads made from legumes, garlic and sesame seeds, as well as nut and fruit butters.