The worlds of fashion, media, and entrepreneurship have always been driven by people with the vision to spot opportunities and the courage to act on them. From the fast pace of retail fashion to the evolving landscape of broadcasting and digital media, success often comes from those who bridge creativity with strong business sense. JoAnna Levenglick is one such individual, a versatile entrepreneur, media executive, fashion designer, and author, whose career exemplifies originality and adaptability.
She is best known as the founder of Kids News Network, the creator of Pet Cab NYC, and the author of the children’s book Igby Goes to NYC. Her decades-spanning work, covering fashion retail, television broadcasting, digital networks, and pet services, demonstrates how entrepreneurship can be successfully combined with artistry, innovation, and purpose.
From Style to Strategy: Foundations of a Career
Levenglick’s professional journey began in fashion, where she developed a strong foundation in merchandising, design, and client engagement. After studying at the University of Wisconsin from 1972 to 1977, she joined Ohrbach’s executive training program for buying in 1977 and later advanced to Bloomingdale’s, where she became a buyer. Her time at Bloomingdale’s (1979–1984) provided her with deep insights into retail operations, trend forecasting, and customer-focused strategies.
By 1984, Levenglick transitioned to couture fashion at Swee Lo Couture, serving as design assistant, sales manager, and public relations manager. Her growing passion for design led her to launch her own label, JoAnn Molkenthine Designs, which she operated until 1991. The company specialized in custom clothing for models, professionals, and television productions. Her contemporary sportswear collections reached high-end department stores, and she became one of the early designers to popularize leggings in the 1980s. Her designs appeared in films, department store displays at Henri Bendel, and publications including Cosmopolitan, McCall’s, Glamour, The New York Times, Daily News, and San Francisco Chronicle.
This phase of her career highlighted her ability to combine creative design with practical business insight, setting the stage for her future ventures in media and entrepreneurship.
Giving Children a Voice: Kids News Network
In 1991, Levenglick founded Kids News Network (KNN), a project that empowered children to become junior reporters. The program allowed young participants to conduct interviews and report on events from their own perspective, providing a platform that was both educational and media-savvy.
Over nearly two decades, Levenglick conducted thousands of interviews with celebrities, authors, athletes, and cultural figures. Notable interview subjects included Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Fred Rogers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ruth Handler, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Rosie O’Donnell, The Corrs, Patricia Polacco, Todd McFarlane, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and many others.
The network emphasized curiosity, communication, and confidence, giving children hands-on experience in storytelling while bridging generational and cultural conversations.
Women, Broadband, and the New Media Frontier
With the media industry shifting toward digital platforms in the 2000s, Levenglick continued to anticipate change. In 2006, she launched Sexy Sassy Smart TV, one of the earliest broadband networks targeting female audiences over the age of 40. Later, she joined HollywoodOnlineTV as Executive Producer and Host (beginning in 2010), demonstrating foresight in moving from traditional television to online streaming. She also served as a press judge for the Software Publishing Association’s WebAwards, reflecting her credibility in the emerging digital space.
Reinventing Pet Care Through Entrepreneurship
In 2016, Levenglick entered the pet industry with Pet Cab NYC, a transportation service offering safe, reliable travel for animals across New York City and the Hamptons. The service quickly gained recognition from publications like the New York Post and Air Mail by Graydon Carter and was used by high-profile clients including Anna Wintour and Jane Rosenthal. The service also appeared in country artist Kelsea Ballerini’s Madison Square Garden promotional video.
She further expanded her pet-focused ventures with Doggie Loo, a portable toilet for dogs prepared for retail distribution, and PetCabNews.com, a platform offering information and stories related to pet care. Iphography.NYC represents another recent creative pursuit, focusing on photography captured in Manhattan and across New York City using her iPhone. Most recently, she launched probiotic gummies for dogs under the brand Gummy Dogs.
Storytelling with Heart: Igby Goes to NYC
Levenglick’s book, Igby Goes to NYC, continues her legacy of combining creativity with empathy. The story follows a dog exploring New York City, reflecting her lifelong passion for animals, media, and education. Like her previous projects, Igby emphasizes independence, curiosity, and adventure, qualities that mirror Levenglick’s career.
A Legacy of Creativity and Reinvention
Across fashion, media, and entrepreneurship, Levenglick demonstrates a rare combination of adaptability, innovation, and empathy. She has successfully moved between industries while remaining authentic to her vision: creating platforms that empower, educate, and solve real-world challenges.
Her ventures consistently reflect her ability to identify gaps, whether in children’s media, women’s digital content, or pet services, and to build solutions with creativity and care.
JoAnna Levenglick married Martin Levenglick in 1983 and divorced in 2005. They have two children, Elliott and Diandra Levenglick, who lives in New York City. Levenglick divides her time between New York City and Florida, continuing to build ventures that combine innovation, storytelling, and entrepreneurship.
