Wendy E. Diamond is an American philanthropist, entrepreneur, and television personality. She is the founder and CEO of LDP Ventures, an investment company focused on socially responsible ventures. Diamond is also the founder of the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization. Diamond is the creator of Animal Fair Media Inc., a media platform related to pets and pop culture.
Early life and education
Diamond was born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and in 1992, graduated from Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts with an associate's degree.
Awards and honors
GC4W Honored Wendy Diamond as a Global Champion For Women at the Library of Congress in Washington DC on International Women's Day in 2015. In 2016, Ellis Island Honors Society awarded Diamond the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of her humanitarian efforts. * In 2019, Diamond received the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award at the United Nations in recognition of her lifetime achievements.
Career
Author
Diamond self-published two cookbooks, A Musical Feast and An All-Star Feast. These cookbooks raised about $200,000 for various homeless charities, including the National Coalition for the Homeless, New York; Empty the Shelters; and the Coalition on Homelessness-San Francisco.
The recipes featured in the cookbooks are from musicians, including Madonna (a "cholesterol" cherry torte made with Dream Whip, margarine, and canned cherry-pie filling), Seal (penne with a broccoli and tomato sauce), Mick Jagger shrimp curry), and Dolly Parton (a French custard and meringue dessert). The cookbook featured work from artists and photographers, and Nabisco agreed to underwrite the production costs. A Musical Feast was featured in People Magazine, and Diamond made appearances on Oprah and Howard Stern to promote the book as well as raise awareness for the issue of homelessness in America.
Diamond’s next book, The All Star Feast Cookbook, featured athletes and their favorite recipes, including Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Pat Riley, Keyshawn Johnson, Caitlyn Jenner, Joe Frazier, Rebecca Lobo, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, William Perry, David Cohen, Charlie Ward, Wayne Gretzky, Martin Brodeur, Mickey Mantle, Brook Robinson, Andre Agassi, Joe Montana, Martina Navratilova, Oscar De La Hoya, Nancy Lopez, Arnold Palmer, Mario and Michael Andretti, Adam Graves, Brian Boitana, Scott Hamilton, Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Alexi Lalas, Frank Gifford, John Harkes, and Joe Theismann. The All Star Feast Cookbook served as a fundraising tool for various charitable organizations, including the Special Olympics, Women's Sports Foundation, and the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis.
Her chance meeting with Marvin Girouard, the chairman of Pier 1 Imports, led to her cookbooks being sold in stores.
Animal Fair magazine
Diamond is the founder and CEO of Animal Fair Media, Inc., a pet lifestyle media platform that combines celebrity culture with animal rescue and welfare. Diamond established the company after adopting her dog, Lucky Diamond, a purebred rescue Maltese, and her cat, Pasha, a Russian Blue. She was moved to action after learning that 12 million animals were euthanized annually and aimed to promote animal adoption and rescue through popular culture.
Bloomberg has described Diamond as the "first to cross-breed two American passions: celebrity and pets." She is the founder and editor of Animal Fair Magazine, which highlights non-profit animal organizations, provides pet parenting and health tips, and showcases celebrities and their pets. It has featured celebrities including Beyoncé Knowles, Halle Berry, Paris Hilton, Jessica Biel, and Serena Williams,
Diamond and Animal Fair gained recognition for promoting rescue dog adoptions through media appearances. They have made appearances on major television networks such as NBC's Today Show, CBS, Good Morning America, and Fox News, as well as media outlets worldwide. During these appearances, they showcase dogs up for adoption and feature lifestyle pet segments to raise awareness about animal welfare issues and promote responsible pet parenting.
Television career
Diamond has appeared on television series including Single in the City on the WE: Women's Entertainment network, Lucky Travels on Animal Planet and Relationship Rehab on the Style Network. She frequently contributes to Today, Fox News Channel, CNN, Good Morning America and has appeared on The View, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Extra (TV series), MTV, VH1, and E!. She was dubbed by The New Yorker as the "Martha Stewart of the Milk and Bone dish",