Renata Philippe is the Chief Designer and Founder of Black Squirrel Company; a graphic and fashion design company. As a military brat, she’s called many places home to include NYC, Philly, and DC but her cornerstone can be found on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Despite an ever-changing landscape outside her bedroom window she always dreamed of being a designer. After completing her first semester of design school, she faced the reality that her mother couldn’t afford college. With that, college was put on hold and she decided to follow in her father's and grandfather's footsteps of serving her country. After years of service and saving, she returned to school completing her B.S. in Apparel Design from the University of Delaware.