Slutty Vegan’s Pinky Cole Shocks Fans With $100M Empire Loss After Special Appearance in Chicago
We break it all down for you.
Hey there, Chicago Southsiders,
It’s J.D. Smith here, your friendly South Side Economist. Our publisher Charlene is busy with a few other projects at the moment, so I’m stepping in to unpack the major Pinky Cole announcement that’s left many fans asking, “What happened?”
Last month, when Pinky Cole made a special appearance at the DuSable Museum for the WDB Legacy Gala, she lit up the room with her energy, her vision, and her journey as the founder of Slutty Vegan, a $100 million brand.
But just weeks later, she made headlines again — this time with a more personal and painful reveal.
In an emotional video shared with her 1 million Instagram followers, Pinky shared that she had lost ownership of the company she built from scratch due to a global restructuring. The lessons? Deep. The transparency? Real. And the impact? Something every South Side entrepreneur should take seriously.
In our latest article, we break down what might have happened, what terms like equity and SAFE notes really mean, and how you can protect the business you're building — before it's too late.
Because the truth is, it's not just about creating something great. It's about keeping what you’ve created.
Read the full article here.
Here’s to building smarter, stronger, and with our eyes wide open.
Until next time — protect what you build.
—J.D. Smith
South Side Economist at Chicago Southsider
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