{"id":246137,"date":"2026-04-25T11:34:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T11:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/246137\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T11:34:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T11:34:29","slug":"spanx-founder-speaking-at-florida-state-university-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/246137\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanx founder speaking at Florida State University. What to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Spanx” founder and Florida native Sara Blakely<\/a> will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters<\/a> from Florida State University during its upcoming spring commencement ceremonies.<\/p>\n

In a press release, FSU officials said they will be celebrating the alumna’s impact as an inventor, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Blakely, who earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in communications from Florida State University in 1993, will serve as commencement speaker for two ceremonies.<\/p>\n

“A longtime advocate for women\u2019s empowerment, Blakely has donated millions through the Red Backpack Foundation, signed The Giving Pledge, and funded scholarships and invention education programs for thousands of girls,” FSU’s announcement states, adding that Blakely will “receive FSU\u2019s 133rd honorary degree, awarded to individuals whose achievements and service have made a lasting impact on society.”<\/p>\n

Joining Blakely as spring speakers are Lt. Gen. Sean M. Farrell, deputy commanding general of U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, and the Honorable Daniel Perez, speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.<\/p>\n

Who is Sara Blakely?<\/p>\n

Sara Blakely<\/a>, 55, is a businesswoman and philanthropist from Clearwater, Florida.<\/p>\n

She rose to fame after founding Spanx in 2000, an intimate apparel company that revolutionized the shapewear industry, and was featured in Oprah Winfrey’s “Favorite Things” the same year.\u00a0She launched Spanx with $5,000, and, according to FSU, “built it into a global brand synonymous with innovative, comfortable apparel.”<\/p>\n

Blakely was\u00a0named in Time magazine’s “Time 100” annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012, the same year she became the then-youngest self-made female billionaire at 41.<\/p>\n

Blakely will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame<\/a> this May.<\/p>\n

Does Sara Blakely still own Spanx?<\/p>\n

Blakely no longer owns 100% of Spanx after Blackstone bought a majority stake in 2021, valuing the shapewear brand at $1.2 billion,\u00a0according to<\/a>\u00a0multiple reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Blakely\u00a0confirmed on Instagram<\/a>\u00a0around the same time that she \u201cwill remain a significant shareholder and continue to help the business fulfill its greatest potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is ‘Sneex’?\"Get<\/p>\n

Get to stepping with Sneex’s The Tepper shoe, one of the selections on Oprah’s Favorite Things list for 2025.<\/p>\n

Blakely later founded\u00a0Sneex<\/a>, a luxury shoe brand, in 2024. Sneex \u201cblends the style of a traditional high heel with the performance and comfort of a sneaker,” according to a company\u00a0news release<\/a> at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to create a luxury high heel that prioritizes how women feel, not just how we look,\u201d Blakely said in a statement. “We are fed the line that ‘beauty is pain’ … but I don’t believe it has to be. As a consumer, I have wanted to solve this problem for years.”<\/p>\n

As of April 2026, prices for the shoes range from $395 to $595, depending on the style.<\/p>\n

When will Sara Blakely speak at the FSU commencement ceremonies?<\/p>\n

Blakely will serve as commencement speaker for the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday, May 1, and for the 9 a.m. Saturday, May 2, ceremony for the Dedman College of Hospitality, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, College of Applied Studies, College of Medicine, College of Motion Picture Arts, College of Fine Arts, College of Communication & Information, and College of Social Work.<\/p>\n

A look back at the moments, after FSU mass shooting, one year later<\/p>\n

1 of 23<\/p>\n

Florida State University students leave chalk messages at a memorial on campus for the victims of the mass shooting that occurred on campus, Wednesday, April 23, 2025.<\/p>\n

Am I able to watch Sara Blakely’s commencement speech at FSU?<\/p>\n

For those interested in hearing Blakely’s speech, FSU commencement ceremonies for the Tallahassee campus can be viewed via a live stream on the FSU commencement website and YouTube channel.<\/p>\n

Events are often streamed on Facebook and PBS, according to its website.<\/p>\n

Contributing: Amaris Encinas<\/a>, USA TODAY<\/p>\n

Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida\u2019s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at\u00a0https:\/\/floridatoday.com\/newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Sara Blakely to get FSU honorary degree and speak at graduations<\/a><\/p>\n