Meghan Markle joined a group of leading women at the summit in the Hamptons on Friday, a source told Page Six.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, attended the G9 Ventures Summer Summit, hosted by powerhouse Amy Griffin.
She is believed to have flown in on a private jet from Santa Barbara, California, with her best friend, makeup guru Victoria Jackson, and sources say she will be raising tips for her new lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard, which is yet to officially launch.
Markle, who was spotted with Prince Harry earlier this month, flew to the Hamptons to attend the women’s power summit. Getty Images for W+P
The annual event takes place at the sprawling mansion that Griffin shares with her husband, billionaire hedge fund investor John Griffin, which is valued at more than $13 million.
Guests expected to attend the event include another of Markle’s close friends, designer Misha Nonoo, chef Missy Robbins of Williamsburg hit Lilia & Missi, makeup icon Bobbi Brown and entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima, who will reportedly host a lunchtime interview with Griffin.
Reese Witherspoon and Sara Blakely accompany Amy Griffin at the last G9 Venture Summit. @sarablakely/Instagram
Weight Watchers CEO Sima Sistani and investor Kirsten Green were on the guest list.
Lady Goop herself, Gwyneth Paltrow, was also expected to attend, along with A-list star Reese Witherspoon, who fronts billion-dollar brand Hello Sunshine, and Spanx founder Sara Blakely.
Griffin has experience mentoring early stage startups and has mentored brands such as Goop, Athletic Greens and Bumble.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon join guests at G9 Summit.
A representative for Markle did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment, but she ran her own blog, “The Tig,” before meeting Prince Harry.
She will undoubtedly be networking and soaking up all the tips she can get in preparation for her new endeavors at the summit.
She recently finished filming a new lifestyle show for Netflix in Montecito, though a start date has yet to be set.
As Page Six previously revealed, the mother-of-two is hoping to follow in Martha Stewart’s footsteps by offering food and lifestyle advice to her followers.
She can certainly rely on Griffin, 48, who is known among her inner circle for using her “soft power” to make introductions, hound founders at conferences and offer mentorship, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Mariska Haltiguay and Witherspoon at the Grade 9. @reesewitherspoon/Instagram
“Amy is more than just an investor. She’s your friend and your advocate,” Spanx CEO Blakely said. “For founders, that may be even more important than the money.”
Griffin, whose family owned the regional Southern convenience store chain Tooton Tootum, graduated from the University of Virginia and worked in marketing before starting angel investing in 2014. He launched G9 three years later.
Makeup guru and Markle’s best friend Victoria Jackson is believed to have flown her on the jet. RH Getty Images Entrepreneur Jamie Kahn Lima attends the G9 Ventures Summit. @sarablakely/Instagram Sources say the G9 Ventures Summit is chock full of helpful advice from successful female brand owners. @g9_ventures/Instagram
“There were times when I would go to fundraising events and I’d think, ‘Wait a minute, I get to put money into something, watch it grow and use my skills to help founders,'” she told the Journal.
“And people said to me, ‘Why don’t you do this full time? You’re already helping people by buying their products and sending them to everyone.'”
She confirmed that G9’s funds are separate from assets held by her husband’s hedge fund, Blue Ridge Capital, which was closed in 2017.
G9 does not lead investment rounds, but rather makes small investments ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars, the WSJ reported.
