Jean Brownhill
Jean Brownhill (CEO and Founder) is the visionary behind Sweeten, a company she founded in 2011 to revolutionize the home renovation industry. Today, Sweeten, a premier home renovation marketplace, manages nearly $3.5 billion in construction projects.
In 2022, Jean launched Sweeten Enterprise, expanding the platform into the commercial construction industry to address MBE & WBE goals. Sweeten is acclaimed as a “Renovation Game-Changer,” with Jean hailed as “The Contractor Whisperer” by New York Magazine and recognized as one of Inc. Magazine’s “Most Innovative Women Founders in America.”
Jean’s impact extends far beyond Sweeten. As a Loeb Fellow from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, she co-founded the African American Student Union (AASU) to support African Americans in architecture, real estate, and urban planning. In 2018, as a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, she initiated SAW (Sweeten Accelerator for Women) to empower female contractors.
Prior to Sweeten, Jean spent a decade in the New York City construction industry, where her leadership roles at Coach (NYSE:TPR) and within architecture firms were instrumental in driving growth and innovation. Her dedication also extends to her service on the boards of The New Home Company and HELP USA, reflecting her commitment to creating opportunities and making a lasting impact.