Skims cofounder Emma Grede, 43, says the real cost of working from home isn’t being talked about enough.
Speaking on the “Leaders with Francine Lacqua” podcast episode released on Monday, Grede said that remote work could have broader social consequences that people are overlooking.
“Working from home is career suicide. And we only talk about the upside of working from home,” Grede told podcast host Francine Lacqua.
The downsides aren’t what people want to hear, but Grede says she believes the effects are already visible in everyday life.
“Think about what’s happening in the world. Declining birth rates, declining marriage rates, and the loneliness epidemic. And we think that none of that is linked to the number of people that like, don’t see people because they’re doing Zoom calls from the living room?” Grede said.
Grede, who is also the CEO of Good American and the first Black female investor to appear on “Shark Tank,” said that it’s “so crazy” not to make that correlation.
“The key to a long and happy life is your close relationships,” she added.
For Grede, being in the room matters from the very start of a career.
“Listen, I did a lot of unpaid internships and I did it while being somebody that didn’t have a lot of money. And that was a real struggle for me,” Grede said.
Despite that, she said she saw the value of those opportunities.
“It was a huge unlock for me, the ability to go into an organization and get under the hood without having any qualifications or right to really be there. I think that there have to be certain protections on it, but I’d like to lift the lid because there’s so much to be learned,” she said.
It’s not the first time Grede has taken a hard line on workplace expectations. In May 2025, she said she considers it a red flag when job candidates ask about work-life balance during the interview process.
“Work-life balance is your problem. It isn’t your employer’s responsibility,” Grede said.
In an April interview with The Wall Street Journal, Grede also sparked an online debate after describing herself as a “max three-hour mum” on weekends focused on creating “high-impact, core memories” with her kids.
Grede is part of a growing number of CEOs pushing back on remote work.
In May 2023, Elon Musk said he views remote work as “morally wrong,” saying it’s unfair for some workers to stay home while others must be physically present to do their jobs.
“It’s like, really, you’re going to work from home and you’re going to make everyone else who made your car come work in the factory?” Musk said.
In March, JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon said that working from home simply “doesn’t work” for many younger employees, who will benefit from in-person guidance from their colleagues.
“They learn by going on a sales call with you,” Dimon said. “They learn by seeing you make a mistake. They learn by how you deal with the mistake.”
Since mid-2025, several major companies, including JPMorgan, Amazon, and Google, have implemented return-to-office policies.