At 25 years old, she was offered her dream job of becoming a head designer alongside a long-term employment agreement. She did what she thought was right, agreed to the corporation’s terms and signed without seeking legal advice. She thought assigning the company the rights to use her name as a trademark for the bridal collection she was designing was reasonable. She was wrong.

Over the course of nearly a decade, she launched thousands of gowns to market and appeared on the fabulous TV show "Say Yes to the Dress." However, during her work as head designer, she took on additional responsibilities that she felt went beyond the scope of her employment role. As her contract approached its end date in 2019, she sought to negotiate as she believed that her contributions had exceeded the terms of her original contract and new circumstances that did not exist at the time of signing, needed to be considered.

She was left with limited rights and freedoms, which led to a traumatic negotiation process. Eventually, the company filed a lawsuit against me in federal court regarding her name and ownership of what she believed were her personal social media accounts. In December of 2020, she resigned from her position.

It’s been more than two years, and she's still in litigation. As per the current court ruling, She's still not allowed to use her birth name in any business or commercial activity. Moreover, She's not receiving any commission for her designs that are still being marketed and sold. Additionally, she is prohibited from identifying herself as a designer in the same trade as her former employer until August of 2027.

In effort to move forward, she have changed her name publicly to CHEVAL, started a new Instagram, and embarked on a new trade in women’s shoes. Although her story may serve as a cautionary tale, it has given me a newfound sense of purpose and inspired me to be a catalyst for positive change in the realms of contract law, corporate responsibility, and legislation.

She launched A GIRL YOU MIGHT KNOW FOUNDATION because SHE IS a girl you might know advocating for any girl (or person) you might know. We aim to raise awareness about the potential dangers of non-compete clauses, the risks associated with vague or predatorily contract language, and the importance of implementing thoughtful legislation when it comes to social media presence. We will provide access to affordable or pro bono legal services, negotiation curriculum and training, education on relevant case law, and experience-based content. We believe that by equipping young women and creatives with the necessary legal knowledge, we can help level the playing field when it comes to negotiating with potential business partners, investors, or employers.

We believe that going after your biggest dreams should not come at the expense of your rights, your ethics, your morals, or your name.