2021: Changemakers in Action

Co-Founder and President, Studio One Eighty Nine

Abrima Erwiah (based between Accra and New York), with actress and activist Rosario Dawson, is the co-founder of Studio One Eighty Nine, an artisan produced fashion lifestyle brand and social enterprise that has recently won the prestigious Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Emerging Designer Award, the CFDA Lexus Fashion Initiative for Sustainability Award and is in the 2020 Class of CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund A Common Thread. The brand is made in Africa and produces African and African-inspired content and clothing. The brand currently operates a store Accra (Ghana), an ecommerce site, a manufacturing facility in Accra, and supports various community led projects in Africa and in the USA. Studio 189 works with artisanal communities that specialize in various traditional craftsmanship techniques including natural plant based dye indigo, hand-batik, kente weaving and more. Studio 189 focuses on empowerment, creating jobs and supporting education and skills training.

Founder, Co-CEO, and Chairwoman, EILEEN FISHER, Inc.

Fisher ventured into clothing design in 1984. Her original concept—simple, timeless pieces that work together to help women get dressed easily—still defines the company’s collections, which are sold at 66 EILEEN FISHER stores and over 300 department and specialty stores across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, as well as at two Renew stores as part of the company’s innovative recycling program. 

In 2009, EILEEN FISHER started a take-back program—part of a circular system designed to preserve the value of the brand’s clothes at every stage, in any condition. The company has taken back over 1.3 million garments to date, transforming damaged clothes into one-of-a-kind artworks, pillows, wall hangings and accessories using a custom felting technique that requires no water or dyes. 

In spring 2015, EILEEN FISHER announced VISION2020, a bold five-year plan that addresses sustainability and human rights. In keeping with Fisher’s belief in collaboration, VISION2020 calls for partnering with other brands to shift the fashion industry. 

In 2019, Fisher received the Positive Change Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Fisher has also been selected to join the Steering Committee for New York State’s Council on Women and Girls. 

Sustainable Systems Specialist, Materials Reuse Advocate, and Social Entrepreneur

Stacy Flynn is the CEO and a founding partner of Evrnu, a textile innovations company. An accomplished sustainable systems expert, Flynn is committed to developing innovative fiber technologies that reduce textile waste and preserve natural resources.

Under Flynn’s leadership, Evrnu is working to solve the most pressing challenges facing the global textile and apparel industry. In 2019 Evrnu debuted NuCycl, a technology that transforms garment waste into a resource by recovering the raw materials for reuse. Evrnu has been recognized as an organization making notable contributions to the circular economy as well as being named in 2018 Fast Company World Changing Ideas.

Flynn is a TEDx and keynote speaker and a passionate voice of authority advocating for materials reuse for sustainability in textiles. She is an Unreasonable Impact Fellow, along with a cohort of CEOs that are advancing other world-changing ideas.

Prior to founding the company in 2014 with her business partner Christo Stanev, Flynn worked as a global textile specialist for nearly two decades in roles at DuPont, Eddie Bauer, and Target. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Systems from Presidio Graduate Institute and a Bachelor of Science degree in Textile Development and Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Dr. Mark Liu brings science and technology to traditional fashion techniques. He is known for pioneering zero-waste fashion design with his sustainable fashion label. His PhD research established the field on non-euclidean patternmaking, a more accurate way of making clothing based on modern curved mathematics which can interface into computer code. His research explores technologies such as carbon negative algae based fabric, 3D scan to tailored garment algorithms, 3D printed textiles, and STEM education. He is currently trying to bring zero-waste techniques to the medical industry and developing space suit technology.

President, FIT

Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT since 1998, is a highly regarded educator and academic administrator with over 40 years experience in public higher education. She held a number of senior administrative posts at the City University of New York before arriving at FIT, including acting president of Bernard Baruch College and vice chancellor of the university. Prior to her appointment at FIT, she was professor of counseling psychology at the Graduate School and University Center of CUNY. Dr. Brown has also served as a New York City Deputy Mayor during the Dinkins administration. At FIT, Dr. Brown has led an ambitious multi-year strategic initiative that has transformed the college. She has built faculty ranks, increased technology, enhanced student services, expanded the curriculum with innovative new programs, and renovated facilities. She has invigorated the college’s culture with groundbreaking initiatives in diversity and sustainability. Under Dr. Brown’s leadership, sustainability became a key element of FIT’s mission. Her early participation in the Clinton Global Initiative University formalized a commitment to sustainability that was reflected in the college’s physical plant, curriculum, and public programming. She established a Sustainability Council that promotes dialogue, campuswide activities—including the annual Sustainability Business and Design Conference—and manages grant programs for related projects. FIT has been honored by both New York City and New York State for its leadership among public institutions in the field of sustainability.

Sustainable Fashion Thought Leader, Entrepreneur, and Educator 

Swati Argade is a NYC-based veteran sustainable fashion thought leader, entrepreneur, and educator. She has a rare multi-dimensional perspective into the fashion world through her work as a fashion and textile designer, a brick and mortar and online retailer, and a consultant helping designers develop best practices for working with textile artisans in the developing world. She has spent her career working to find solutions for a healthier industry at the crossroads of sustainability, commerce, and technology.

Argade owns and runs Bhoomki (est. 2012) one of NYC’s longest running ethical fashion boutiques which promotes fashion designers with a commitment to environmental and social responsibility. She is also the Creative Director of her in-house direct-to-consumer clothing line Bhoomki, thoughtfully made in partnership with textile artisan communities in India. Swati has lectured at the Parsons School of Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, the Pratt Institute, UC Berkeley, Duke University, and Saint Ann’s School among others. She's led fashion instruction at The School of The New York Times since 2016.

Swati Argade is a NYC-based veteran sustainable fashion thought leader, entrepreneur, and educator. She has a rare multi-dimensional perspective into the fashion world through her work as a fashion and textile designer, a brick and mortar and online retailer, and a consultant helping designers develop best practices for working with textile artisans in the developing world. She has spent her career working to find solutions for a healthier industry at the crossroads of sustainability, commerce, and technology.

Argade owns and runs Bhoomki (est. 2012) one of NYC’s longest running ethical fashion boutiques which promotes fashion designers with a commitment to environmental and social responsibility. She is also the Creative Director of her in-house direct-to-consumer clothing line Bhoomki, thoughtfully made in partnership with textile artisan communities in India. Swati has lectured at the Parsons School of Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, the Pratt Institute, UC Berkeley, Duke University, and Saint Ann’s School among others. She's led fashion instruction at The School of The New York Times since 2016.

Founder and CEO, Another Tomorrow

Vanessa Barboni Hallik is the founder and CEO of Another Tomorrow, an end-to-end sustainable luxury design company and platform for discovery and action committed to transparency and a circular economy. She is also an investor in early-stage companies with strong ESG commitments catalyzing system change. Vanessa serves on the Board of the Accountability Counsel and the Advisory Boards for the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the Trust for Public Land. Prior to founding Another Tomorrow, Vanessa was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, where she held several leadership roles in the emerging markets institutional securities business. While at Morgan Stanley, she served as a Trustee on the Board of the Morgan Stanley Foundation and represented the firm at the Council on Foreign Relations. She likewise chaired the Fixed Income Philanthropy Committee, during which she initiated and subsequently led the firm’s mentoring program with East Side Community High School, in partnership with PENCIL.org. Vanessa holds a BA in Economics from Cornell University and is an MS Candidate at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. She resides in New York City with her family and two dogs.

Founder and CEO, Remake

Ayesha Barenblat is a social entrepreneur with a passion for building sustainable supply chains that respect people and our planet. With over a decade of leadership experience promoting social justice and sustainability within the fashion industry, she founded Remake to ignite a conscious consumer movement. Remake’s films, stories, and immersive journeys rebuild human connections with the women who make our clothes. Barenblat is passionate about where things come from, who made them, and what their lives are like. She has worked with brands, governments, and labor advocates to improve the lives of the women who make our clothes. 

Barenblat led brand engagement at Better Work, a World Bank and United Nations partnership that sought to ensure safe and decent working conditions within garment factories around the world. She was head of consumer products at BSR, providing strategic advice to brands including H&M, Levi Strauss & Co., Marks and Spencer, Nike, the Walt Disney Company, and Pou Chen on the design and integration of sustainability into business. She holds a master’s in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Senior Sustainability Reporter, Fashionista

Whitney Bauck is the Senior Sustainability Reporter at Fashionista, where she's been championing coverage of the environmental and human rights impacts of fashion production for years. She's written about fashion, culture, religion, and the environment for publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Financial Times, and more. Whitney was named an Environmental Reporting Fellow at the Metcalf Institute in 2020.

Model, Social Activist, and Documentary Filmmaker

Gelila's modeling career began in 2006, when she appeared in leading magazines, beauty campaigns, and numerous publications. Gelila is a devoted advocate for young girls' right to equal opportunities in her homeland of Ethiopia, as well as globally.

Gelila began her narrative and documentary film career in 2013. Two of her most recent films focus on the issues of fundamental rights— particularly access to clean water, education, and the role climate change plays in gender inequality: Mai: Life is Not Honey (director) premiered at the 2019 Cannes film festival Pavillion Afriques; Anbessa (producer) premiered at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival.

Gelila is the author of the photography book Guzo (2018), which features intimate views of the lives of six Ethiopian indigenous tribes.

Fashion & Beauty Executive, Activist, Founder of One Love Community Fridge

Asmeret Berhe-Lumax has more than 15 years of experience in buying, production, sourcing, and product development. Most recently she served as Head of Product for Saturdays and has also held impactful roles at Balenciaga and J. Lindeberg. She co-founded Blush in 2005, an early beauty online retailer, content platform, and brick-and-mortar space, which she successfully exited. Asmeret is a long time advocate for social justice initiatives and supports organizations that work towards achieving equality, mainly focusing on girls' empowerment, education, and health. She was honored as a UN Women Champion of Change and serves as board chair of DreamMaker, a 501c3, which includes the Phenomenal Girls Club, devoted to fostering leadership among girls of color. She is on the founding team of the African Chop House, a platform dedicated to celebrating African culture through food, music, and people. Asmeret is an avid runner who has completed multiple marathons, ultra marathons and triathlons, which she dedicates to her two young daughters. She holds a BA in Finance. Born in Asmara and raised in Stockholm, she now lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Associate Professor, FIT; Research Associate, American Museum of Natural History

Deborah Berhanu is actively establishing innovative materials science curriculum at FIT.  She is also creating a laboratory for research at FIT and has recently acquired a Scanning Electron Microscope, funded by an award from the National Science Foundation. She focuses on nurturing students’ curiosity, instigating critical thinking and giving them the necessary scientific background required to better understand the complex world that they live in.  Providing opportunity for students to engage in authentic research experiences is central to her mission as a scientist and educator.

Her research expertise lies on materials characterization in inter-disciplinary contexts, varying from the medical and cosmetic application of nanoparticles to the characterization of carbon inclusions in meteorite impact glass. Her current research focuses on the incorporation of nanoparticles in sustainable fashion and investigating new ways to apply nanotechnology in a circular fashion industry. 

President, Firefish USA 

Beth is a senior business leader with over 20 years of insights driven brand and strategy development focused on startups, innovation, and turnarounds. A passionate globetrotter and champion for CEO social activism, she has been the lead on several international projects with hands-on experience in over 10 countries. Beth achieves high standards from her teams and has a talent for focusing on the key issues, connecting insights to the strategy, generating enthusiasm and ownership, and making the resulting ideas actionable

Co-founder and CEO, Algiknit

Tessa applied her creative nature to the world of textiles by beginning her career in the fashion industry with a degree in Fashion Design and Knitwear from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Throughout and following her undergraduate work, she strove to apply the abstract ideas of scientific principles into practical and marketable works. By utilizing research and collaboration within disparate fields, she aims to create innovative works and methodologies for real world applications. Having grown up on the shore, Tessa values the ocean above all, and seeks to transform and utilize its abundant resources to create positive change on a global scale.

Influencer, Model, and Sustainability Advocate

A graduate of political science and history, Doina Ciobanu has gained widespread recognition as a leading fashion influencer, creative mind, and model, known for her dedication to sustainability.
Named as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and “one of the most influential fashion icons” by Harper’s Bazaar, Doina continues to garner attention from leading media outlets including Vogue, WWD, ELLE, The Guardian, and The Times.
Following her recent graduation from Cambridge University’s sustainability platform, Doina has been appointed ambassador to No More Plastic and works with the United Nation’s Global Survey on Sustainability campaign. 

Coresight Research

Marie Driscoll is a highly experienced and respected industry analyst focusing on apparel brands, apparel retailers, and luxury goods. She has served in key analytical and business development roles in leading financial research firms. Marie was recognized three times in The Wall Street Journal’s “Best on the Street” analyst survey, including first place ranking for stock selection in the clothing and accessories industry.  Marie has been a part of Coresight Research since 2014 as a consultant to the firm and joined on a permanent basis as managing director, Luxury & Retail, in 2018. Marie is a noted subject matter expert and researcher in fashion, in particular luxury goods, works directly with Coresight’s retail and brand clients, is frequently quoted in the press and speaks at industry events.Marie started Driscoll Advisors in 2011 to provide consulting services to academia, industry, investors and nonprofits. She has contributed content to The Robin Report, Sourcing Journal, and ICSC publications and consulted with Shoptalk. As a thought leader, her contributions include white papers for CohnReznick, Luxury Daily, and Deloitte’s Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2014, and content development at LIM College. She joined FIT in New York in 2016 to teach in the International Trade and Marketing Department and the Center for Continuing and Professional Studies; in 2021 she joined FIT’s Entrepreneurship Program at the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology. She is also an adjunct instructor at CUNY’s Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, and Parsons School of Design.

Logan Duran is a sustainability management professional who helps organizations measure, reduce, and communicate their environmental impacts across the value chain. His experience covers several ESG related subject areas including sustainability strategy, circularity, product responsibility, product claims substantiation, supply chain responsibility, traceability, carbon accounting, renewable energy, stakeholder engagement, communication, B Corp certification, and reporting. Logan started his career in corporate sustainability at Coach, and has held various roles of increasing leadership and responsibility at several companies, including Patagonia, PVH, and most recently Tapestry, where he leads ESG programs across all three brands. Originally from a suburb of Chicago, IL, he holds a master’s degree in sustainability management from Columbia University in New York City and a joint BA in Environmental Studies and Geology from Middlebury College in Vermont.

Associate Professor, Photography, FIT

Keith Ellenbogen is a renowned wildlife photographer focusing on underwater ecosystems.  Keith is an Associate Professor of Photography at the Fashion Institute of Technology, a Senior Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, Fellow at the Explorers Club in New York, Affiliate Partner, Mission Blue - A Sylvia Earle Alliance; the recipient of an Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Award, and a TED Residency. 

Senior Fashion News Writer, Vogue 

Emily Farra is a senior fashion news writer at Vogue, where she covers emerging designers, reviews new collections at fashion week, and leads Vogue's sustainability coverage. In October 2020, she became the co-editor of Earth to Us, Vogue's first-ever climate change vertical.

Emily has reported on assignment from China, India, Saudi Arabia, Paris, and beyond. Prior to joining Vogue in 2015, she was an assistant editor at Style.com. Emily graduated from Indiana University in 2013 with degrees in Journalism and Art History.

Dr. Yuly Fuentes-Medel is a catalyst of creative ideas and an ecosystem builder. Now working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as Program Manager  of Fiber Technologies and Founder of Value of Science, she created DESCIENCE, a global collective of designers, scientists, and  technologists, connecting the worlds of science and design as one. She was selected as “Human of the Year” by Motherhood Magazine in 2018 and received the 2015 Boston Business Magazine “Woman to Watch” Award. She graduated with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and was a Postgraduate Associate at the MIT Sloan School.  She is energetically involved in fostering international innovation ecosystem and career diversity.  She currently serves as Board President of the Chile-Massachusetts Alliance to support the international exchange of investment, technological business, talent, and social impact, and is a past Board member of the FIT/Infor Design and Technology Lab and Aji Challenge, a Chilean accelerator that fosters the success of technological companies in global markets. During her time as a PhD student, Yuly pioneered the co-organization of the International workshop called “Small Brains Big Ideas” presenting biomedical Insights from invertebrate neuroscience research, held in Santiago, Chile. This initiative has successfully trained almost 100 Latin-American students. Trained as a biochemist at University of Concepcion in her native Chile, she is constantly in search of the opportunity to support young talent and technologies needed to make an impact in global markets. 

Founder and CEO, Mission Magazine

Karina Givargisoff was an English stylist; now she is a social entrepreneur. She is a graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins school in London where she studied fashion, communication, and promotion. During her studies, Givargisoff interned internationally at WWD, W, The Face, Arena Homme Plus, and Vogue Italia. After graduation she accepted a position at W magazine as a fashion assistant, but within a year she was named the fashion editor of the cultural pop magazine The Face. A personal tragedy brought her back to New York for the third time 17 years ago. Givargisoff worked as a freelance fashion editor for various cutting edge U.S. and international titles. Her friend’s diagnosis with breast cancer and subsequent mastectomy was the catalyst for Mission Magazine. In 2014, she stopped styling and taught herself how to build a business and charity from the ground up—learning what “P&L” and KPIs were, how to use InDesign and Photoshop, and more. Givargisoff launched Mission in 2017—the first-ever fashion philanthropic interactive digital media brand. Tina Brown was its first cover story; subsequent covers have featured Doutzen Kroes and Chella Man. An accompanying podcast has featured guests such as Lauren Bush Lauren, David Mayer de Rothschild, Amanda de Cadenet, and Francisco Costa.

Co-Founder, Ethical Creators and Open Apparel Registry 

Ethical Creators trains and supports the next wave of content creators to become catalysts for change in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries. Championing access to open data and transparent practices, Natalie has worked for a decade to launch innovative solutions to complex problems in the apparel sector. She is currently Executive Director of Open Apparel Registry, an open source, free registry, and interactive map of global apparel facilities and she co-founded Project JUST, an online platform to help to bring transparency to fashion supply chains and empower consumers to shift their purchasing behavior. She is an Acumen Fellow, an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer), and a graduate of Georgetown University (BS) and Cornell University (MBA).

Founder and CEO, Parley for the Oceans

Cyrill is an award-winning designer and brand and product developer. In 1998 he created a method called Cross Intelligence, which brings a culture of collaboration to major organizations. In 2012 he decided to focus on a new client vital to us all: the oceans.

He founded Parley as a collaboration network for creators, thinkers, and leaders to create awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and to develop and implement strategies that can end their destruction. Gutsch was named 2017 Environmentalist of the Year by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association for his tireless work for the oceans. In 2018, Parley was named Environmental Organization of the Year at EARTHx and Gutsch was honored with a Special Recognition Award for Innovation by the British Fashion Council.

FIT Alumni 

Mitchell Henderson is a recent graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology where he received degrees in Fashion Design and International Trade and Marketing, as well as minors in Ethics and Sustainability and International Politics. He uses his interdisciplinary studies to participate in solutions to the ethical and environmental problems within the fashion supply chain. His work includes research in material science, zero-waste design, and life cycle assessments. He currently serves on the FIT Sustainability Council, and plans to attend university this fall to pursue a Masters in Sustainability Management.

Founder, President and Creative Director, Mara Hoffman

Mara Hoffman founded her label in 2000 after graduating from Parsons School of Design in New York City. As president and creative director of her privately owned company, Hoffman hopes to foster mindful consumption habits and encourages consumers to reevaluate the relationship society has with clothing. The brand’s approach centers on sustainable materials, processes, and production in order to improve and extend each garment’s life. Hoffman commits to presenting collections devoted to color, each inspired by and in celebration of women.

Headquartered in New York, she is an active member of the CFDA and serves on the boards of the artisan-focused nonprofit Nest, the community organization Glam4Good, and the youth empowerment charity ArtStart. In 2017, Hoffman was awarded the 2017 Positive Impact Award for Brand Leadership in Advancing Sustainability by the Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Hoffman now lives in Brooklyn with her husband, artist Javier Piñon, and their son, Joaquin.

Senior Director, Innovation and Integrated Marketing, Tommy Hilfiger 

Sarah Horton has over 15 years of experience as a marketing professional. She honed her skills at global brands including Calvin Klein, Gap, and Banana Republic, in retail, wholesale, and international franchise roles. For the past seven years, she has been at Tommy Hilfiger, diversifying her experience with omnichannel, consumer engagement, and integrated marketing roles. Sarah has overseen many best-in-class initiatives, including the Cleo Award-winning TOMMYNOW Snap app, virtual and IRL pop-up shops, and runway and gaming special projects. Additionally, she led the launch team of the brand’s groundbreaking Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive collection, a line designed with and for people with disabilities. Since its launch in 2016, the inclusive collection and its brand creative have been recognized by the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and named one of Fast Company’s most innovative lines in the style category. Sarah resides in New York City.

Influencer and Advocate 

Blair Imani is a critically acclaimed historian, social activist, public speaker, educator, and influencer. She is the author of two historical books: Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History (2018) and Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream (2020). The New York Times praises Blair Imani’s unique “brand combining progressive lessons with vibrant visuals and a perky, quirky delivery.” Her work centers women and girls, global Black communities, and the LGBTQ community. As an influencer and historian, semi-retired organizer, and public speaker, Blair Imani is dedicated to making the world a better place and amplifying the voices and work of those fighting the good fight.

Sustainability Lead, Allbirds 

Hana Kajimura leads sustainability at Allbirds, pushing the brand to integrate environmental and social sustainability into all aspects of the business including product, supply chain, and operations. She also shapes Allbirds’s innovation narrative and storytelling, translating sustainability initiatives into engaging consumer-facing stories.

Prior to joining Allbirds, Hana worked in management consulting at Bain & Company, advising Fortune 500 clients across industries including technology, healthcare, private equity, and energy. Hana has also worked with Google X and Environmental Defense Fund on clean energy projects.

Hana holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences at Stanford University.

Retired FIT Faculty and Distinguished Service Professor 

Dr. Arthur "Artie" Kopelman is a population ecologist whose research interests since 1987 include the study of fin, humpback, and other whales of New York and New England; and since 1995, the population dynamics of pinnipeds of NY. Through the use of photo-identification, Dr. Kopelman has been examining the site fidelity of harbor seals at Cupsogue Beach Park in Westhampton Beach, NY, since 2006. He received his PhD in Biology in 1982 from The Graduate School and University Center of CUNY. Dr. Kopelman was a Full Professor of Science in the Department of Science and Mathematics, Fashion Institute of Technology of the State University of NY. He retired in July 2020. Dr. Kopelman was named to the position of Professor Emeritus of Science and became only the ninth Professor Emeritus in FIT's 75 years. Dr. Kopelman is now a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, and an Adjunct Lecturer in Marine Mammals at SUNY Stony Brook.

Vice President of Sustainability, Ralph Lauren 

As VP of Sustainability at Ralph Lauren, Devon leads the company’s product and environmental sustainability strategy, including setting and driving progress against our public commitments to design, source and operate more sustainably. Devon has worked inside major corporations where she led product and supply chain initiatives and consumer facing marketing campaigns. She has also worked in the sustainability field with leading NGOs such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the Environmental Law Institute and in government posts at the Environmental Protection Agency and on Capitol Hill. Devon holds an MBA in Strategy and Marketing and an MS in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute as well as a BA in Environmental Policy, Government and Art History from Colby College.

Founder & CEO, BIOFABRICATE

Suzanne is a designer turned pioneer of biotechnology for fashion. She started growing materials from microbes for the fashion industry in 2003 coining the term "Biocouture™". Today Suzanne is the founder of Biofabricate, a global network serving the needs of biomaterial innovators, consumer brands and investors. Biofabricate's vision is "A sustainable material world. Built with biology, not oil". Suzanne is the author of "Fashioning the Future: tomorrow wardrobe". She is a special advisor to Parley For The Oceans and Fashion for Good on biomaterials, a TED Senior Fellow, and a Launch Material Innovator - an initiative of NASA, Nike, USAID and the US State Department. From 2014-2019 Suzanne was the Chief Creative Officer of Modern Meadow, a biomaterials startup in New York.

Multimedia Journalist and Video Director

Sophia Li is a New York–based multimedia journalist whose mission is to humanize a story, product, or character through immersive storytelling and conscious content, focusing on issues such as sustainability and global tech trends—redefining how news is communicated in the 21st century.

Sophia’s journalistic reporting has appeared on CNN, in Vogue, and at the United Nations. She has created and directed conscious campaign videos for brands such as Adidas, Maybelline, and Theory. Dubbed an innovative storyteller in the fashion industry and beyond, Li has interviewed notables spanning across fashion, tech, and culture from names like Arianna Huffington, Pharrell Williams, and Céline Dion to Nobel Peace Prize recipients. She is the former entertainment media editor at Vogue.com where she worked on creating and launching Vogue's social and digital voice as part of the founding team of Vogue.com.

Li is Chinese-American, growing up between four U.S. states and two countries as a child and finds herself most at home while on the road.

Program Development Manager, Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation 

Estela was diagnosed with a progressive form of neuropathy called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) when she was four years old. Her sister contracted the disease two years later. Estela graduated from FIT in 2002 with a Bachelor’s in Interior Design. Her professional background in interior & product design, marketing, trend forecasting, and creative direction brings an unexpected approach to connecting the disability community to wellness, empowerment, and health. After volunteering for eight years, Estela joined the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation full-time in 2018 as their Program Development Manager. Later in 2018, she testified in front of the FDA on the patient experience and importance of funding CMT studies and potential therapies. As the moderator for the CMT-Connect webinar series, Estela enjoys sharing resources and expert information with CMT patients on a wide range of valuable topics as well as interviewing community thought leaders as the co-host of the EmBrace It Podcast which aims to empower women living with disabilities. Estela and co-host, Lainie Isbia, also provide an original workshop series called, “How to Communicate with Anyone About Disability” and have had the honor of speaking at Pinterest Headquarters, Lockheed Martin, the Abilities Expos, and the annual Health Union Conference. In 2019, Estela gave her first TEDx talk titled, “RePurpose Your Pain” on the art of turning adversity into life’s most beautiful work. She currently co-teaches inclusive and adaptive design at FIT for its Design for Social Impact program and is represented by Gamut Management, an all-inclusive talent agency.

Inclusive Design Lead, Wunderman Thompson

Christina Mallon leads Inclusive Design at Wunderman Thompson, where she consults brands on how to implement inclusive design practices into their business strategies. Christina is a woman at the forefront of an important movement towards inclusivity in design and advertising. She has a unique and special voice, championing individuals often ignored by these industries—particularly those with disabilities. At the start of Christina's professional career, her arms slowly became paralyzed. The transition to “disabled” was challenging but has never slowed her down for a second. As a young digital marketing professional starting her career with a “disability” she felt under-represented as a consumer. Rather than being discouraged, she recognized the opportunity to grow awareness and make a measurable impact within the industry. This realization inspired her to start an inclusive design practice at Wunderman Thompson and lead one of the only incubators focused on wearable tech for people with disabilities called Open Style Lab at MIT & Parsons. She has partnered with brands like The Wing, Macy's, IKEA, Tommy Hilfiger, and Microsoft on how to make their customer experiences more inclusive.  Christina’s work around inclusive design has received world-wide attention and has been featured in Fast Company and Vogue, and on NBC News, PBS, Hulu, and BBC. She also received such awards as LinkedIn Top Voice in Design 2020, Smithsonian's Emerging Designer of the Year 2019, Ad Age 40 under 40, D&I Champion of the Year, Adweek Creative 100, Yahoo’s HERoes Role Model 2020, and Business Insider’s Rising Stars.

Partner Manager, YouTube

Danielle Milton is a Partner Manager at YouTube leading Fashion & Beauty brand and creator partnerships. Before that, Danielle led advertising and marketing strategy with Google’s largest and fastest growing fashion brands, looking to grow in both market share and performance objectives. She excels at helping brands with authentic storytelling and crafting partnerships that engage and inspire. Danielle is a proud Texan and lover of all things art, food, and fashion.

Grace Miquelon (she/they) is an FIT alum with a bachelor’s in Textile Development and minors in Sustainability/Ethics and Economics. At FIT she served as a chairperson on the President’s Sustainability Council and Director of the Natural Dye Garden. Her contributing research on the Life Cycle Assessment of Microbial leather is to be published later this month by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Filmmaker 

Andrew is an internationally recognized filmmaker focused on telling stories for a better tomorrow. His experience includes a broad range of work that spans narrative and documentary storytelling for multiple film and new media projects. His work has been filmed and released all over the world through partners including HBO, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. The New York Times described his unique style as “gentle, humane investigations” and Vogue Magazine wrote that it is “evidence that each of us can act as a catalyst for change within our own lives and work together toward a greater good.”

Assistant Chair of Footwear and Accessories Design , FIT  

Sarah Mullins teaches accessories product design and development, Adobe Illustrator and senior thesis. Sarah was the curriculum leader for Sneaker Essentials, an online certificate program from FIT, featuring Complex and leaders from across the sneaker world. In addition to teaching, she is a designer specializing in handbags, print & pattern design and children’s products.  She has co-authored several books on making handbags and belts.  One of the most specialized product Sarah makes is the hyena paws for the Broadway and touring productions of the Lion King.

Global Sustainable Product Manager, Kontoor Brands 

Danielle Nkojo is a sustainable product manager and a circular economy strategist. Her 15-year career has been a steady march toward encouraging sustainable consumption and helping to lay the foundations of a more circular economy. She is the global sustainable product manager for Kontoor Brands (KTB) where she supports both the Wrangler and Lee brands in the development and sales of more sustainable products. That work includes validating the sustainably attributes of KTB products and supporting the design and sourcing teams in making more sustainable choices. In addition to her role at Kontoor, she is a member of the Accelerating Circularity Brand and Retailer Working Group, a technical advisory board member for the Looptworks Foundation, and the outgoing board chair of the DC Sustainable Fashion Collective. Before joining Kontoor, Danielle was a part of the Urban Sustainability Team for Washington, D.C., where she launched and led ReThread DC, the city's first textile recovery and reuse initiative, and served as the Global Circular Economy Club City Coordinator.

Founder, Custom Collaborative

Ngozi Okaro advocates for a fashion industry that honors the planet and people. She founded Custom Collaborative to support immigrant and low-income women launching sustainable fashion careers. Custom Collaborative serves U.S. designers who want to design and produce locally, fashion-industry workers, and consumers who want ethical fashion. Among other distinctions, Okaro was named one of the 2020 World-Changing Women in Conscious Business by Conscious Company Media and Kate Spade; the NYC Fair Trade Coalition named her a 2019 Changemaker of the Year; and she was awarded the 2019 Spirit of Entrepreneurship award by New York Women's Foundation. 

She is certified by New York University’s Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising, was a 2014 Environmental Leadership Program Fellow, and is a graduate of the Coro Leadership New York program. Okaro is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and Morgan State University, and she is licensed to practice law in Louisiana and New York.

Professor, Science and Math, FIT

Karen Pearson, PhD, is a professor of Science and Math at FIT and is the co-chair of the college’s Sustainability Council. She has won a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, has been noted as one of the 100 most inspiring women in STEM, and is a recipient of FIT’s President’s Award for Excellence. Pearson has extensive work in the development of interdisciplinary STEAM curricula and programming at FIT and is the recipient of multiple research/program awards, including those from the National Science Foundation and National Endowment of the Arts. Her research outside of the classroom is focused on the design, synthesis, and application of new materials that have potential in low energy devices such as thin film transistors (TFTs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Costume Designer 

Arianne Phillips is one of the most unique creative forces in the fashion and entertainment industries. As a multi-dimensional visual artist, she brings her exemplary vision to film, fashion, theater, opera, music, and media. Known for her cutting-edge designs, Phillips’s costume design work has been recognized with Oscar nominations for Jim Mangold’s Walk the Line, Madonna’s W.E., and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She received a Tony nomination for the Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch and a BAFTA nomination for Tom Ford’s A Single Man as well as seven Costume Designers Guild Award nominations. Arianne has worked closely with Madonna on creative projects including music videos, album covers, photo shoots, special performances, and designing costumes for six of her world tours.  Arianne’s most proud accomplishment was being an inaugural member of the Times Up coalition and being asked by Reese Witherspoon to design “something for the men to wear” on the 2018 Golden Globes red carpet. She designed the Times Up pin, which has become the now iconic logo. A year later, she launched RAD (Red Carpet Advocacy) with her co-founder Carineh Martin, a social progress enterprise that partners talent with brands for philanthropy and advocacy on the red carpet and beyond, changing the conversation, creating community, and empowering talent to use their platforms for progress and social good. By the close of 2020, RAD had helped to raise well over $2 billion for charity and causes.

Co-founding Partner, BPCM

Maxwell Osborne, Public School NY
Dao-Yi Chow, Public School NY

Public School is a New York Story. Born and raised in New York City respectively, designers Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow represent the restless energy of the city in which they live and work. Founded in 2008, Public School is redefining the landscape for menswear and women’s wear through their specific New York state of mind, blending ideas of convergence, reappropriation and disruption.

Chow and Osborne design and manufacture the majority of their collections in New York City, incorporating fabric from the best Italian, Japanese and American mills.

It’s paramount to the Public School brand DNA that it keeps its production roots in New York, supporting local tailors, pattern makers and skilled garment workers. It is these genuine and personal experiences throughout the development process along with their design mantra “finding perfection in imperfection,” that epitomize the brand and its commitment to create high quality clothing.

Senior Brand Creative Director, Women's Polo 

Michael Rider is the Senior Brand Creative Director, Women’s Polo. He oversees the design and image of the brand and in partnership with Marketing and Digital team, all Polo Women’s creative assets and messaging. Mr. Rider reports to Mr. Lauren and joined the Company in 2018.

Assistant Professor Ecology, FIT

Evelyn Rynkiewicz (PhD) is an Assistant Professor of Ecology at FIT. Before coming to FIT, she earned her PhD from Indiana University and subsequently conducted research as a postdoctoral research scientist at the University of Edinburgh (National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow) and Columbia University. A disease ecologist by training, Evie’s research investigates co-infection in wild mice, focusing on how parasites and pathogens interact with each other and with the host immune system. Evie collaborates with ecologists, bioinformatician, and immunologists to address her research questions. Evie teaches classes in ecology and biology, with her overall goal to increase science literacy among non-science majors and to give students the confidence to bring ideas of the scientific process and understanding of the natural world into how they think about their careers. She collaborates with scientists, designers, and artists to develop innovative tools, labs, and activities in the classroom. Evie is also the FIT faculty advisor for the Biodesign Challenge program (since 2019) where she advises students in the development of innovative projects combining science and design to solve current and future problems in sustainability.

Founder and CEO Runway of Dreams Foundation 

Mindy Scheier was inspired to start the Runway of Dreams Foundation in 2014 after her son Oliver, who has muscular dystrophy, dreamed of wearing jeans like everyone else. After using her design skills to adapt a pair that met his needs, she went on to conduct extensive research to develop modifications that would meet the needs of the largest minority in our world−people with disabilities. Following its launch, Runway of Dreams partnered with Tommy Hilfiger on the first mainstream adaptive clothing line for kids. Founded on the basis that clothing is a basic human need, Runway of Dreams develops, delivers, and supports initiatives to broaden the reach of mainstream adaptive clothing and promote people with disabilities in the fashion industry.  Due to the overwhelming amount of requests Mindy received at Runway of Dreams from a multitude of brands and industries, in 2019, she created Gamut Talent Management to represent people with disabilities and create a marketplace where businesses and industries can connect to this target audience. Gamut is rebranding the way PWDs are viewed, marketed to, and represented in the mainstream world. Mindy has been featured in ​Newsweek’s “The Creative Class of 2019: Innovators,” ​People magazine’s “Heroes Among Us,” and on PIX 11’s “Changemaker: Making the Fashion Industry More Inclusive.” She has also been featured in USA Today, Parents, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and on NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America. Mindy studied fashion design at the University of Vermont and Fashion Institute of Technology.

Assistant Professor, FIT and Co-founding Scientific Director, AlgiKnit

Theanne Schiros guides students to rethink materials through nature, technology, circularity, and life cycle impact assessment. She is also a materials scientist exploring biofabrication of sustainable textiles. She has received international awards and recognition for her work, including the 2017 National Geographic Chasing Genius Award (Sustainable Planet), the 2018 Postcode Lottery Green Challenge, and the overall prize in the 2016 International Biodesign Challenge Summit. She is a co-founder of AlgiKnit, a start-up that has developed a kelp-based bioyarn. 

Schiros is engaged in international sustainable development and educational outreach with Engineers Without Borders (Haiti), the Finca Morpho Permaculture collective (Costa Rica), and There Is No Limit Foundation (West Africa). Schiros has served as a United Nations ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Fellow for Sustainable Energy Engineering, a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA Fellow), and an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) Fellow at Columbia University, developing sustainable energy systems, photocatalysts and next generation solar energy technology.

Founder and CEO, Slow Factory

Céline Semaan uses fashion as a medium for social change; fashion activism is a term she coined in 2013. As an internationally recognized expert in sustainability and human rights, she writes, convenes, educates and inspires across industries. Her background is in design, communications, and media arts. Semaan has been an MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, and her work has been acquired by and displayed in the Museum of Modern Art, de Young Museum, SFMoMA, and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Semaan was born in a war in Lebanon where she and her family escaped as refugees to North America, then returned to live in Beirut. She has since become an ambassador for cultures in the East and West, exploring postcolonial theories and solutions inspired by indigenous knowledge and wisdom in engaging and mobilizing on climate and culture around the concept of social and environmental justice studied in tandem.

Founder and CEO, Recurate

Adam Siegel is an entrepreneur building Recurate, a branded recommerce startup. Formerly, he was senior vice president of Innovation, Research, and Sustainability at the Retail Industry Leaders Association, where he led RILA’s Retail Innovation Center and Retail Sustainability Initiative. His role at RILA was to accelerate the next phase of innovation and growth for traditional consumer brands, and to enhance the industry's sustainability and ethical sourcing practices. An engineer with an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, Siegel previously consulted for numerous companies in the retail, transportation, and energy sectors. He has experience with government and nonprofits like Environmental Defense Fund, where he worked with the private equity firm KKR & Co., Inc. and its portfolio companies

Journalist, Broadcaster, and Opinion Leader

Lucy Siegle is a journalist, broadcaster, and opinion leader who specializes in climate and nature stories. She is a familiar face on UK television where she has brought many environmental stories to mainstream audiences including the problem of single use plastic. Her book, Turning the Tide on Plastic: How Humanity (And You) Can Make Our Globe Clean Again was published in 2018. Also known as an authority on the environmental and social footprint of the global fashion industry, her book To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing out the World?, was also the basis for the hit Netflix documentary, The True Cost, (she is co-executive producer). In 2014 she co-founded the Green Carpet Challenge with Livia Firth. From 2004 to 2018 she wrote a weekly “Ethical Living” column for The Guardian/Observer. Lucy has recently chaired sessions for the UN’s Virtual Ocean Dialogues, a major launch for the United Nations Development Programme, and a webinar series for the ocean clean up charity Healthy Seas. She works with the singer, producer, and activist Ellie Goulding on climate advocacy. Lucy has interviewed many a natural world hero, most recently Sir David Attenborough for her weekly podcast on telling climate stories,  So Hot Right Now, produced by Sony Music. She recently left London for the suburbs and now lives next to the Thames, from which she collects plastic daily from her kayak. She is a trustee for the environmental NGO, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and chair of the Real Circularity Coalition, a global organization spearheading the change to a real circular economy. Lucy is an ambassador for The Circle, the women’s

Founder, Sustainble Fashion Forum

Passionate about the sustainable fashion industry but unsure where she fit in the conversation, Brittany Sierra recognized that there was a lack of events, conversation, and community among sustainable fashion enthusiasts and industry leaders. In 2017, Sierra responded by creating the Sustainable Fashion Forum, a wildly popular online platform, and growing national conference. Sierra's naturally curious and courageous nature, coupled with a background in public relations and digital marketing, resulted in the Sustainable Fashion Forum gaining global visibility within four years.  

With hundreds of attendees and speakers from brands such as Nordstrom, Adidas, Eileen Fisher Renew, Vogue, Athleta, The North Face, thredUp, Fast Company, For Days, and Mara Hoffman, the Sustainable Fashion Forum is a fully immersive and highly interactive conference for slow fashion advocates of all industry levels. Sierra is extremely passionate about creating digital and offline experiences that spark conversation and foster community.

Founder and CEO, Package Free

Disability Lifestyle Influencer

Lolo, is a disability lifestyle influencer, Film Independent Spirit Award–nominated actress, model, public speaker, and social media content creator. She has a YouTube channel titled Sitting Pretty and hosts her own weekly Instagram TV talk show called The New Narrative where she interviews guests with varying disabilities who are creating a new narrative for the disability community through their work and how they show up in society.  She stars as Tracy Holmes in the John Cassavetes Award–winning film Give Me Liberty. The film premiered both at Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals. Her performance was listed as one of the top performances of Sundance Film Festival 2019 by RogerEbert.com. She has been featured in popular media outlets like CNN, The New Yorker, AOL, HuffPost, Buzzfeed and more. She’s modeled in campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive and Zappos Adaptive. She’s been a panelist at the YouTube Accessibility Summit, Los Angeles Abilities Expo, VidCon, and Cannes Lions, the world’s largest advertising conference and awards. Her ultimate goal is to give an honest perspective of life as a disabled person dispelling myths and stereotypes of how disability lifestyle is perceived and experienced by creating content and pushing for inclusion and representation in the entertainment and beauty industries.

Assistant Professor, FIT

A multidisciplinary fashion designer, consultant, and educator, she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1997 with her BFA and again in 2019 with her MFA. Her graduate work in the first cohort of FIT’s Fashion Design MFA program focused on common human forms utilizing body scanning and custom avatar development, partnered with dynamic patterns designed to be highly adaptable and easy to sew in an on-demand environment.  She is currently exploring upcycling and alternative manufacturing systems while also pursuing 3D printing technology as a tool for fashion customization.Prior to teaching at FIT, Amy worked as a fashion designer for more than a decade for many mass-market brands such as The Gap, Juicy Couture, and Delia’s. Shifts in intent lead her to focus on fashion design projects that aid consumers and support healing or treatment. She successfully helped launch the children’s wear line SOFT, a fashion product explicitly developed for children with sensory sensitivity.She has successfully collaborated with doctors and specialists on several projects and is currently working on a multi-institution cancer garment that will result in clinical trials starting in 2021. She also recently launched an open-source fashion avatar database for designers to use in 3D development tools. The project is sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and is available to use at www.fashionavatars.org. In her free time, she is developing 3D character costumes for a science fiction world of her design.

Founding Member, Women's March, and Fashion Designer

Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs is an award-winning designer, artist and organizer. She is an advocate for sustainability, fair working conditions for garment workers as well as ethical fashion. Tabitha does racial equity consulting with fashion brands. She is the co-founder and designer of Tabii Just, a zero waste womenswear clothing label. Tabitha has been featured on MTV, in MarketWatch, Al Jazeera and WWD for her work with Tabii Just. Tabitha also co-founded LIVARI Clothing, a platform that marries art and activism that launched in 2018. LIVARI Clothing has been featured in WWD, NowThis, LA Times, Forbes, Nylon, Bustle, NY1, Huffington Post, Nylon, Sourcing Journal among others. She has held talks about the intersection of art and activism at several educational institutions including the Fashion Institute of Technology, St. Francis College, Gettysburg College, George Washington University and DePauw University, to name a few. Tabitha has also been a panelist about the topic of sustainable fashion and/or activism at Yale University, the Sustainable Textile Summit, NY & NJ Minority Supplier Development Council Sustainability Summit, the Women's Convention, Go Green Convention and more. Tabitha was named one of 200 Women Who Will Change The Way You See the World. She was named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year 2017. Tabitha also writes about racial justice and corporate accountability. 

Sustainability Advocate and Actress

Amber Valletta appeared on her first Vogue at age 18 and is one of the few top models that holds the record for the most U.S. Vogue covers in history—a total of 13. She has appeared as the face of Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Gucci, and Giorgio Armani, and also star in films like Hitch and What Lies Beneath, and TV shows such as Revenge and the recent Blood and Oil. Seeking to blend her love of fashion with her values led to the launch of Master & Muse by Amber Valletta, an online store that offers stylish, cutting-edge, responsibly made fashion, that is created and produced by sustainable designers. 

Capitalizing on the awareness building that Master & Muse brought to the world of sustainable fashion, Valletta began speaking at global conferences about fashion and sustainability. She has worked with international organizations and events such as the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award, Sustainable Brands Conference, and SXSW Eco. She also lends her mentorship to the CFDA Sustainable Fashion Initiative and is on the advisory boards of Cradle to Cradle (Fashion +), Environmental Media Association, and Nest.  

She co-founded A Squared Films LLC, producing projects to entertain, educate, and inspire social change. Her credits include Driving Fashion Forward for Lexus’s L/Studio; Who Made Your Clothes? a Fashion Revolution Week viral video; Reinventing Power for The Sierra Club; and The Changing Room, a global campaign and short film (in development) to ignite change.

Program Director of Biodesign Challenge

Veena Vijayakumar is the Program Director of Biodesign Challenge, an international education program and competition that pairs high school and college students with artists, designers, and scientists to envision, create, and critique transformational applications in biotechnology. She studied Art History and Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and received an MA in Museum Studies from San Francisco State University. Veena has focused on audience development and public programming at museums such as the Exploratorium and The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her research, programs, and writing highlight the value of inclusive interdisciplinary education, namely its potential to make learning richer and more accessible to all audiences.

Founder, CEO and co CMO, Period

Karla Welch is the founder, CEO, and co-CMO of Period, the sustainable period underwear company founded by herself and Sasha Markov. Karla is also one of the world’s most influential fashion stylists, who co-founded the online styling app The Wishi. She has been profiled by The New York Times and The New Yorker, as well as Fast Company and Forbes, in addition to countless other publications. Through her own brand, x karla, and the production company, Meritocracy, that she shares with her husband and creative partner Matthew, they have brought to life collections with Hanes, Levi Strauss & Co., Eddie Bauer, Express, adidas, Tiffany & Co., Stella Artois, Prada, and more. The cornerstone of all x karla collaborations is the social justice and financial component of each project, with contributions to date of over $1.3 million to organizations that Karla supports.