Emily Hikade is the Founder and CEO of Petite Plume, a luxury sleepwear and home company.  In 2024, Emily was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year. Also in 2024, Petite Plume was included in the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. 

Prior to launching Petite Plume, Emily spent over a decade undercover in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), focusing on Counterterrorism. Serving mostly in austere conditions, Emily was on the frontlines of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) collection in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. After a near plane crash during a mission, Emily made the decision to seek out a significant career change. 

In 2015, while still living and working abroad, she bootstrapped and launched Petite Plume. With no prior retail experience, Emily built Petite Plume from the ground up and eventually evolved the business into a luxury sleepwear brand for the entire family to now a full lifestyle brand that includes home, bedding and linens. Today Petite Plume is available in over 600 stores nationwide, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus and is beloved by the Royal Family, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Hart, and so many more. In 2023, Esquire declared Petite Plume "The Best Damn PJs on the Planet."  Petite Plume is currently 100% founder-owned and has been profitable since launch.  Emily’s specialty is self-defense and she has trained in Krav Maga and Muay Thai kickboxing, skills which she has used minimally since starting Petite Plume.