The Hype Woman Building a People-First Culture and Making the World Healthier with Durana Elmi, Founder & COO of Cymbiotika

Woman Inc.

Durana Elmi, Founder & COO of Cymbiotika

If not quite a story of rags to riches, the story of Durana Elmi’s rise to success certainly comes close. Born in Afghanistan, Durana witnessed poverty, injustice, and oppression everywhere she turned, especially towards women who sought freedom and equality.

Wanting more for herself and her future family, Durana immigrated to the United States to pursue her creative passions and make a name for herself. Durana quickly climbed the corporate ladder and became the Director of Marketing at AT&T. With her invaluable experience and business and relationship management skills, Durana decided to change course and pursue her passion for health and wellness. Shortly after, Durana became the Founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Cymbiotika, where she transformed the company inside and out. Incredibly innovative, Durana created the world’s first custom subscription bundle platform and broke massive records. Under Durana’s leadership, Cymbiotika’s growth skyrocketed. In just the last four years Cymbiotika has achieved record-breaking numbers, doubling their customer subscriptions to a total of over 150,000 subscribers and increasing annual revenue from $1 million to over $100 million. Furthermore, Cymbiotika added over 40 SKUs to the company’s product offering in the last three years. Always looking for ways to improve, Durana transformed Cymbiotika’s call center from an offshore facility to entirely in-house and moved its headquarters to a state-of-the-art facility in San Diego, CA.

Cymbiotika has been awarded Fortune’s Great Places To Work for three consecutive years. The company also achieved the 187th position on Inc. Magazine's 2023 list of America's Fastest Growing Companies for two consecutive years within its first two years of eligibility. With over 150,000 subscribers and a rapidly expanding team, Durana is, and always will be, a people-first leader. She has garnered recognition through prestigious awards, including San Diego Business Journal Business Woman of the Year, Female Executive of the Year, Globee Female Leader of the Year, and Dynamic Woman of San Diego. Despite her challenging upbringing as an Afghan immigrant, she remained focused on her goals and passions. As a champion for women, her unwavering dedication creates an environment where women thrive and lead with confidence.