Hidden Gems: Meet Lauryn S. Ivery of HER DIGITAL

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauryn S. Ivery.

Hi Lauryn S., we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a girl with a vision; I just had to find my own path to it.

My entrepreneurial spirit showed up early. At nine years old, I launched my first business, a jewelry brand called beYOUtiful. By middle school, I had a clothing line named Flawless Movement. In high school, I was teaching my peers how to trade currency pairs and stocks through a venture called One Wealth. In college, I ran an online boutique. Every one of those businesses eventually came to an end. Still, each one taught me something I couldn’t have learned any other way: resilience, creativity, and the quiet knowing that I was being shaped for something bigger.
None of those ventures were failures — they were deposits into the woman I was becoming.

After earning my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The Unsinkable Albany State University, I stepped into the professional world carrying a purpose I hadn’t yet fully named. I worked in roles that sharpened my craft and expanded my vision, even when I didn’t realize it in the moment.

Today, I’m in what I call my ordained season. I’m a startup founder, preparing to begin my MBA in Marketing this fall at Georgia State University, and finally doing something I was once afraid to do: walking fully into who God called me to be. The journey wasn’t linear, but looking back, every dot connects.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth would be the last word I’d use; however, that’s what makes my story so special.

I’ve faced professional setbacks that made me question whether I belonged in certain rooms, whether I was qualified, or whether the table was ever built with someone like me in mind. I’ve been overlooked despite being prepared. I’ve had to start over more than once. I’ve carried the financial pressure of building something from nothing while still showing up every day.

But the hardest seasons weren’t professional — they were deeply personal. I went through periods of real sickness, moments when I didn’t know how I would make it through the next day. There were times when my faith was the only thing I had left to hold onto, and even that felt like a fight.

I gave up at times, more than once. But what brought me back to life was the comeback of resilience. I continued to try, and that is the true testimony.

What carried me through was my village. My family showed up for me in ways I will never be able to repay. My dad recited “Through the Storm.” My mother reminded me that the last shall be first — that my time was coming. My cousins told me to take it one day at a time and stood by me through everything. My aunts reminded me who I truly was, even in my lowest seasons. My uncles’ motivation and hugs meant more than they’ll ever know. My grandmother told me to “stay like the bird” — free your mind, worry about nothing. And my grandfather, my Papa, would look at me and say, “You will speak to nations.”

Standing here today, being featured in this magazine and sharing my testimony, I think about that often.

My family is the reason I’m still standing and still building. We are blessed, and we are strong.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am the upcoming founder of Her Digital, a marketing agency and community platform designed for early‑career women who want to build powerful personal brands while gaining community along the way.

Her Digital is also built to create authentic brand experiences where Black women gather, grow, and discover brands they love. Alongside the agency, I’m developing a venture that includes pop‑up activations and lifestyle events, allowing brands to connect with young Black women genuinely. We’ll also offer mentorship circles that connect emerging professionals and founders in marketing and media with the guidance, support, and community they’ve been asking for.

What sets Her Digital apart is that we’re solving a real gap. Brands often struggle to reach young audiences without feeling performative. Meanwhile, young women in marketing and media are craving community, representation, and access. Her Digital bridges both sides.

What makes me most proud is that I’m creating the space I once needed. Sometimes, to have something, you have to build it yourself. This isn’t just a marketing agency or an events company — it’s a community‑first, legacy‑driven movement. Every activation, mentorship circle, and piece of educational content is designed to move rising women in marketing from overlooked to undeniable.

For readers who want to follow the journey, collaborate, mentor, or invest in me as a founder, connect with me on LinkedIn and follow my series #becomingthefounder on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

I’m most proud of the why behind the brand. Her Digital isn’t built around pure profit; it’s built around impact. I want its cultural footprint to be one where a young woman from any background, any city, any circumstance can see herself represented, supported, and resourced.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was sweet, respectful, and kind. I was the one who made sure everyone in the room felt seen and included. Empathy came naturally to me. I couldn’t walk past someone who felt left out without doing something about it. In my eyes, everyone deserved to belong.

But underneath that softness was ambition. My parents will tell you I was an entrepreneur long before I knew the word. I was always creating something, selling something, building something. The little girl with the jewelry business at nine wasn’t doing it for pocket change; she was doing it because her mind naturally went to how she could expand possibilities for herself and others.

I was quiet in some rooms and outgoing in others, depending on the energy and the opportunity. But driven? Always. I loved business before I even knew that’s what it was called. My family lovingly called me a hustler with a heart of gold, and honestly, that still fits.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thelaurynsimone
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauryn-s-ivery/
• Youtube: @thelaurynsimone