Sara Blakely wanted footless bodyshaping pantyhose to wear with her cream-colored pants and open-toed shoes, but she couldn't find them anywhere. Frustrated consumer turned entrepreneur, Sara took $5,000 in savings, invented and patented footless pantyhose, and began her adventure in the $2 billion male-dominated hosiery industry.

Two years later, with her first pair of SPANX in hand, Sara cold-called and landed the top retail stores across the country. Selling over 50,000 pair in its first three months from the back of her apartment, Sara Blakely's SPANX revitalized an industry in a 10-year slump. Her SPANX footless pantyhose even captured the attention of Oprah and landed on Oprah's "Favorite Things" list.

Obsessed with creating comfortable, slimming garments that minimize figure flaws, Sara reinvented shapewear with innovative designs and smart features and won the hearts of fashion-loving women, from Oprah Winfrey to Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow. Spanx has developed and launched more than 100 styles -with names like Bra-llelujah, Hide & Sleek, Power Panties, Slim-Cognito, and Topless Socks - all designed to be innovative, comfortable, slimming, and stylish.

If you haven't seen Sara flashing her SPANX on QVC, you may have seen her jumping off of a cliff or sharing tea with Richard Branson 10,000 feet in the sky. Sara appeared weekly on Fox, setting daring world-records, meeting Nelson Mandela, and leading successful business challenges as a cast member on The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best. As the first runner-up on the show, Sara received a $750,000 check from Branson to pursue her dream to start a foundation to empower women on a global scale. Sara launched The Sara Blakely Foundation in 2006 in Atlanta, with the first annual Give a Damn party, featuring a VIP dinner with Richard Branson and performances by Jewel and Collective Soul. The fundraiser raised $600,000 and provided college scholarships for 278 young women in South Africa.

Remaining self-funded and profitable ever since Sara used her own savings to start the company, Spanx continues to show incredible growth, celebrating more than $150 million in retail sales in 2006. Spanx are sold in America's finest upscale stores and boutiques in the U.S., including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and Parisian, as well as upscale boutiques and retailers in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

As the leader of the shapewear revolution, Sara wanted to find a way to share her slimming secrets with even more women, and that's when Target came knocking. With the launch of ASSETS by Sara Blakely, a new brand exclusive to Target, the shapewear revolution will reach new heights. Sara is thrilled to give better underwear options to women everywhere - and to give back. A portion of each SPANX and ASSETS purchase will go to The Sara Blakely Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting and empowering women around the world.

Sara's story and Spanx products have been featured on everything from The Oprah Winfrey Show, TODAY, Forbes, E!, and Glamour - to Vogue, People, InStyle, New York Times, and Vanity Fair. Sara has been named Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year and "Georgia's Woman of the Year." Sara is a native of Clearwater, Florida, and a graduate of Florida State University.

Presentations

• Finding Your Leg Up: Inventing the Career of your Dreams - The rare combination of her stand-up comedy and sales training background makes Sara a truly dynamic and memorable speaker. As a do-it-yourself entrepreneur, Sara gives audiences a realistic view of starting and running a business with unique and insightful tips on patenting, branding, marketing, public relations, and sales.