Building a successful business is one thing. Owning your story while helping others do the same is another. Savannah James is taking that approach with the launch of Signed, a new holding company designed to give women greater control over their brands, creative work, and business growth.
The entrepreneur and philanthropist co-founded the company with longtime friend and business partner April McDaniel. Backed by MarcyPen Capital Partners, the investment firm co-founded by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Signed brings together their growing portfolio of women-focused businesses under one umbrella while setting the stage for future expansion.
Savannah James launches Signed to expand women-led businesses
Signed will serve as the parent company for three existing ventures. These include creative agency Crown + Conquer, the members-only women’s community Let It Break, and Everybody’s Crazy, the podcast hosted by James and McDaniel.
Together, the businesses focus on creativity, community, and storytelling. However, the founders say Signed is much bigger than a business restructure. They see it as an ecosystem that helps women create, collaborate, and build lasting success on their own terms.
McDaniel said the idea became much bigger once they identified their shared purpose.
“Once we really homed in on the purpose, it made us realize that we were sitting on something way bigger than we even imagined. Then it was about finding the best use of our superpowers and where we needed support and visionaries to help us scale to the next level.”
Savannah James wants women to own their brands and narratives
One of the biggest reasons behind Signed’s creation was ownership. Rather than relying on outside companies, James and McDaniel wanted greater control over their creative work and future direction.
That thinking became even clearer after Everybody’s Crazy ended its distribution partnership with Dear Media. Instead of accepting another major deal, the pair chose to build their own studio.
“When we were leaving Dear Media, we got a pretty substantial offer to go in-house somewhere, but we bet on ourselves,” McDaniel said. “We’re building our own studio, and we’re really building the opportunity to own the narrative. We don’t want to be on our podcast selling everything under the kitchen sink.”
Their decision reflects a growing trend among women entrepreneurs who are choosing ownership over short-term opportunities. By controlling their own platforms, they can shape content that aligns with their values instead of outside expectations.
Experienced leadership will help Signed grow
To support its next chapter, Signed appointed Christopher Gray as chief creative officer. Gray previously held leadership positions at Nike and Wieden+Kennedy London. He will oversee the creative direction across the company’s growing portfolio.
James believes surrounding herself with experienced professionals has always strengthened her businesses. She sees leadership as knowing when to bring experts into the room.
“I’ve always been a champion of experts,” James said. “There’s always somebody that’s smarter. There’s always somebody who’s more efficient. So if I can place those people around us, that’s what we’re going to do.”
This strategy allows the founders to focus on their long-term vision while building brands that can continue to grow across industries.
Signed reflects Savannah James’ vision for intentional business growth
For James, the new holding company represents more than expansion. It reflects a commitment to growing with purpose while creating meaningful opportunities for women.
She said every partnership and future experience should match the company’s core values rather than simply chasing rapid growth.
“What excites us most about Signed is that it gives us the ability to grow with intention, with partnerships and experiences that reflect our values.”
Although many people first knew Savannah James as the wife of NBA star LeBron James, she has steadily built her own reputation as an entrepreneur and business leader. With Signed, she is taking another major step toward creating spaces where women have greater ownership, stronger communities, and more control over the stories they choose to tell.
