Background and career
Jane Ruth Buckingham (née Rinzler; born 1968) is an American author and businesswoman who founded the consumer insights firm Trendera. She is known for writing "The Modern Girl's Guide to Life" book series, which spawned the television series of the same name. She was convicted in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal.
At the age of 16, Buckingham wrote the book Teens Speak Out, a report from teens on their most intimate thoughts, feelings and hopes for the future. After working in advertising at BBDO New York, FCB/Leber Katz New York and Houston Effler Boston, she started her own youth-focused trend-forecasting firm, Youth Intelligence, in 1996.
Youth Intelligence is a youth-focused consumer insights company that focuses on "Generations X and Y" (i.e. ages 14–39 ). While running Youth Intelligence, Buckingham published The Cassandra Report, a trend forecasting study used by large companies. The company worked with clients including Chanel, Fox Broadcasting, MTV, Levis, and Procter & Gamble. In 2003, Buckingham sold Youth Intelligence to the Los Angeles based talent and sports agency Creative Artists Agency.
Buckingham wrote The Modern Girls Guide to Life (Regan, 2004), The Modern Girl’s Guide to Motherhood (Collins, 2006) and The Modern Girls Guide to Sticky Situations (Collins, 2010). She has addressed subjects including parenting tips in the series, and predictions about the future for businesses in What's Next. The Modern Girls Guide book series was turned into a television series that ran for 36 episodes for the Style Network in 2003. The show was hosted by Buckingham along with Eva LaRue, Claudia Jordan and Jess Zaino.
Buckingham left the Intelligence Group in 2009 to start Trendera, a trend forecasting, consulting, research, and multi media company. Buckingham consults companies and individuals to help them reach out to diverse age groups.
Buckingham has been the subject of in-depth profiles in The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, 60 Minutes, and Good Morning America. She has appeared on numerous programs including, The Today Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show, and The View. Additionally, Buckingham has been a keynote speaker and panelist at events such as ASME, SIMA, and BlogHer., and L2. Buckingham is currently a contributing editor at Glamour, and The Huffington Post, and makes regular appearances on Good Morning America and The View.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
