16 of 31|Brenna DeBartolo | Sacramento, California| Deaf Women Herstory Month 2020

Image Description: White female with long wavy dark blonde wearing white shirt, moon earrings, and smiling at the camera.

Bio:

“Brenna DeBartolo is a multimedia artist and entrepreneur based in California, that is known for her photography, art, and graphic design. She is also recognized for her role as the founder of Forest Souls, a socially conscious apparel company.

Prior to founding Forest Souls, Brenna spent more than 20 years studying art and developing a growing list of professional achievements.  While attending Rochester Institute of Technology from 2008 to 2012, Brenna co-founded Tiger’s Next Top Model, a non-profit organization, and trained International students to think like artists as they worked on photo shoots.  During this time, she also took on the role of sole graphic designer/co-founder for an apparel company that displayed and sold clothing across the nation. In 2013, while showcasing some of her personal photography at Gallery 1 in San Francisco, she was noticed by the Sugar Art & Fashion Show Company from Los Angeles, who offered her a job as their primary photographer. She toured with them across America, photographing some of the most exclusive and world-renowned underground fashion designers, artists, and models.

In 2016, Brenna launched the socially conscious apparel company Forest Souls. Her philosophy is that we are put on this earth to study living things, and that nature is the key to unlocking our capabilities as we learn how to connect with the world around us. She now travels deep into forests across America seeking inspiration, and has designed over 70 unique products that capture the natural essence of her environment. Brenna’s mission is to make each Forest Souls’ customer feel inspired, refreshed, and connected with nature while wearing her clothing line. She has partnered with multiple non-profit conservation organizations, including American Forests, working to protect and restore forest ecosystems around the world. Brenna’s success with Forest Souls has earned her significant recognition. Her story was featured by Seek The World, an adventure and travel vlogger, in 2018.  She additionally was published in “The Light of Deaf Women”, a book created by Global Deaf Women. In October 2019, Brenna was asked to attend the Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness (SERID) Conference, as their presenter to share her expertise and perspective with the participants in Huntsville, Alabama.

Brenna’s message for all women out there: “Listen and stay connected to your inner soul at all times for your queendom to exist, and never stop maintaining it.”