Alumni Advisory Council

Director of Membership at Ned's Club

Cara Araneta has forged a diverse and dynamic career that spans tech innovation in Silicon Valley, fashion design in New York City, and luxury-hotel launches across the globe. A true Swiss Army knife of creative solutions, she is known for her distinctive ability to adapt, innovate, and lead in these varied industries. She leverages her unique blend of strategic vision, creative expertise, and passion to build meaningful communities and impactful brands.

As membership director at The Ned, a hotel and membership club, and Ned’s Club, Araneta oversees the growth and engagement of a thriving membership community. She is responsible for every aspect of the member journey, from attracting individuals who align with the brand’s ethos to fostering loyalty and connection among existing members. Under her leadership, The Ned has evolved into more than a space for work or socializing—it is a community that members are proud to call their own.

Beyond The Ned, Araneta founded Hello Cara, a creative studio partnering with hospitality brands and female entrepreneurs to deliver strategic and creative solutions. With a portfolio that spans Mexico, Guatemala, Switzerland, Japan, and Brazil, she has redefined brand identities, designed experiential campaigns, and driven innovation for clients across the luxury hospitality sector. Known for aligning brand vision with business goals, her work has elevated countless global brands.

Araneta’s entrepreneurial spirit extends to creating empowering communities. She founded Las Brujas, a platform designed to foster vulnerability, creativity, and collaboration among women. Through experiential events and local partnerships, she built a thriving ecosystem rooted in inclusivity and empowerment, amplifying marginalized voices, and championing meaningful connections.

Her career also includes significant achievements in fashion, where she designed and produced a luxury swimwear line that debuted at Miami Swim Week and was featured in Vogue. In hospitality, Araneta played a key role in shaping the experience strategy for the Auberge Resorts Collection: launching celebrated properties such as the intimate luxury resort Eteréo, Riviera Maya; and consulting on iconic destinations such as Hotel Jerome in Aspen.

With deep expertise in creative strategy, leadership, and creative execution, Araneta brings unparalleled versatility to every project she undertakes. Her career is driven by a passion for innovation, connection, and working with brands that prioritize making a positive impact.

Brand Strategist and Creative Consultant at Shop Talk

Marielle Bobo is an award-winning creative executive, publishing veteran, and trailblazer in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle media, with 25 years of experience shaping iconic brands and platforms. Currently serving as vice president of content at Shoptalk, a leading retail innovation conference, she curates dynamic programming for more than 10,000 top executives and visionaries in fashion, beauty, tech, and more at global events in the U.S. and Europe. Bobo is also contributing her expertise to The Met Museum Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition Superfine: Tailoring Black Style—which explores the Black dandy and fashion's role in shaping Black identities across the Atlantic diaspora.

Through her consultancy, BoboHaus, she crafts innovative creative strategies and narratives for a range of clients. Previously, as editor-in-chief and senior vice president of programming at Ebony, she led a groundbreaking digital transformation, launching a redesigned website with cutting-edge digital covers combining original photography with AI, AR, and video. She revitalized key events like Ebony Power 100, infusing them with fresh energy while fostering partnerships with industry giants like Google and Netflix. Her visionary leadership reestablished Ebony as a premier cultural platform, connecting with a new generation of readers while preserving its storied legacy.

Bobo has played a pivotal role in launching and shaping influential brands. At Sweet July, Ayesha Curry’s lifestyle venture, she oversaw the editorial vision, launched the quarterly magazine, and developed its product and e-commerce strategy. As fashion director at Essence, she expanded the brand’s global fashion footprint, spearheading the Fashion House experiential series in cities such as New York, New Orleans, and Lagos, spotlighting Black creatives worldwide.

Her extensive career includes editorial roles at Allure, Cosmopolitan, and WWD; and her styling and creative direction have graced over 100 magazine covers. Bobo began her journey in fashion at Wilhelmina Models before transitioning to journalism, where her unique vision has influenced the industry for over two decades.

Bobo has brought her fashion and beauty expertise to numerous television outlets and documentaries. In 2023, she was featured in the Vogue YouTube Originals documentary series inspired by the book Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion, OWN’s Time of Essence—a five-part docuseries celebrating the 50th anniversary of Essence magazine, and The Sound She Saw, a documentary feature that spotlights groundbreaking contemporary Black women photographers.

A passionate advocate for diverse storytelling within underrepresented communities, Bobo is currently developing an anthology celebrating the talents of Haitian-born creatives and their vibrant diaspora, a project inspired by her own Caribbean heritage. Through her work with organizations like RAISEfashion, Harlem’s Fashion Row, and Latimer AI, she champions representation and inclusivity across the industry. With her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to elevating diverse voices, Bobo remains a transformative force in fashion, media, and culture.

A dynamic public speaker and media personality, Bobo has appeared on Good Morning America, Today Show, and Entertainment Tonight. She continues to help drive initiatives that champion Black creatives, including Michelle Obama's Reach Higher Fashion Education Workshop, and she serves on the Alumni Advisory Council at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Vice President, Media & Performance at Ralph Lauren

Amanda Bopp joined Ralph Lauren in November 2024 as vice president, media and performance. In this role, she is responsible for full-funnel digital strategy across brand, performance, and customer relationship management (CRM) tactics.

Prior to her role at Ralph Lauren, Bopp spent several years working at Tapestry on the Kate Spade brand, where she oversaw North America marketing and e-commerce. In this capacity, she managed the digital business for two websites, Kate Spade.com and Kate Spade Outlet.com, in addition to overseeing holistic brand strategy and activation in the region.

Prior to Kate Spade, she was employed as vice president, global CRM and performance marketing for Michael Kors, where, among other accomplishments, she launched their loyalty program, KorsVIP. In addition to her experience with American fashion companies, Bopp has worked in beauty and consumer packaged goods, having spent the early years of her career at Nestlé and supporting The Estée Lauder Companies with data-driven consumer-centric strategies during her time with the global customer data science company Dunnhumby.

Bopp holds an undergraduate degree from St. Joseph’s University and a master’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she is also an adjunct professor.

Founder and CEO of New Normal Bureau

Director, Strategic Partnerships at Goop

Lauren Ceravolo is a passionate advertising and marketing leader specializing in the international luxury markets. Ceravolo brings over 15 years of experience working for the world’s largest brands on both the client and publishing sides of the business.

She oversees luxury brand partnerships at the lifestyle brand Goop and is responsible for driving profitable revenue through creative, multi-platform campaigns for prestige global partners. Prior to Goop, Ceravolo was the international fashion director at Hearst Magazines for Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, managing an eight-figure business portfolio across print, digital, and experiential. Before that she was partnerships director at Vice Media Group.

Ceravolo began her career on the brand side, leading marketing and PR efforts for Prada, Valentino, and Tumi. She transitioned into publishing/sales, bringing an invaluable perspective and an understanding of client needs, which she leverages to deliver standout results.

Ceravolo is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology with a concentration in advertising and marketing communications. She continues to grow her French and Italian language skills through ongoing coursework in NYC. She serves as the head of her department’s internship program at Goop and is a board member of The Children’s Rare Disorders Fund.

Owner & Milliner of Binata Millinery

Milliner Rowell Concepcion is the owner of Binata Millinery, a hat label that brings old-world craftsmanship to the fashion-forward, with hats that turn everyday outfits into head turners. Concepcion studied millinery and fashion merchandising at FIT and has done stints at major fashion houses from Balenciaga to Alexander Wang. Every Binata Millinery hat is handmade between NYC and The Philippines, using sustainable and responsibly sourced materials. Concepcion’s clients include Lady Gaga, Janelle Monáe, and Lucy Hale. His work has also been featured in such publications as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Creative Director and Designer at Marisol Deluna New York

Marisol Deluna began her design career in the New York City Garment District in 1989 and founded Deluna By Design, Inc. in 1997 with the launch of her eponymous label, Marisol Deluna New York®. The brand’s American manufacturing initiative—the label “New York Designed. Texas Made.”—can be found at her boutique and online, as well as on the runway during New York Fashion Week.

While running her businesses for over 25 years, Deluna has also designed couture neckwear for nonprofit organizations, notably redesigning items for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Other clientele include the City of New York, Daughters of the British Empire, Association of Junior Leagues International, Wellesley College, Society of Daughters of Holland Dames, American Yacht Club, The Lansdowne Club in London, National Society of Colonial Dames, and the Pilgrims’ Society of Great Britain and the United States. Her designs support scholarships, preservation, and membership enhancement, and have been presented to patrons including Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, and former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain.

While Deluna and her husband call Lower Manhattan, Buenos Aires, and Nova Scotia home, she maintains strong ties with her hometown of San Antonio, Texas, where she is the founder and board chair of the Marisol Deluna Foundation, Inc., a creative educational nonprofit established in 2014 at the La Villita Historic Arts Village. The foundation provides mentorship to students and professionals interested in fashion, art, and design; and inclusiveness is one of its core missions.

Deluna is an avid marathon runner and enjoys sailing. An alumna of the Alpha Phi sorority, she is a member of the FIT Couture Council, Fashion Group International, Texas Fashion Industry Initiative, National Arts Club, New York Athletic Club, and New York Yacht Club. She supports Housing Works and The Metropolitan Museum of Art; and has been awarded a Presidential Commendation by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). She has been inducted into San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame and Alamo Heights School Foundation Hall of Fame.

Author. Entrepreneur. Investor. Build the Good

Sherrell Dorsey is an award-winning data journalist, entrepreneur, speaker, and author, who is shaping stories and big ideas on the future of climate tech, sustainability investing, technology, and the future of work. In 2016, she founded The Plug. It was the first Black data-driven tech news publication to syndicate on the Bloomberg Terminal and was acquired by ImpactAlpha in 2023.

As the host of the TED Tech podcast, Dorsey offers expert commentary on technologies that are transforming society and creating opportunities for underserved communities to participate in the future of work. Her column “Power Up” at Inc. Magazine highlights and amplifies the work of women leaders who are driving innovation and making an impact in the sustainability and climate-tech sectors.

Her book, Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us, published by Wiley in 2021, provides practical resources to help everyday people retrain for high-demand careers in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Sherrell has graced stages as a keynote speaker and moderator at global companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Accenture, and Cisco. Her insights on finance, technology, and ESG have been featured in major outlets such as Vice, The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, The Information, and Columbia Journalism Review. She holds a master's degree in data journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in International Trade and Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Founder of Pretty Connected,
Social Media and Marketing Consultant at Pretty Social LLC

Lara Eurdolian King, @prettyconnected, is an on-air personality and event host, as well as a beauty and style expert, a journalist, and the founder of accessories line Pretty Connected. She is a guest editor and brain-trust member for NewBeauty magazine, and she contributes to several other publications and networks. King is on the Alumni Advisory Council at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She co-founded and runs the beauty donation non-profit Share Your Beauty, which has, to date, donated more than 400,000 unused beauty and hygiene products to shelters in the New York metropolitan area.

After years of honing her expertise in the beauty and fashion industry, working for such brands as Nars, Kiehl’s, and Jurlique, King began privately doing consulting work (PR, marketing and social media, and events) for brands including Avon, Creed, and Skyn Iceland, while simultaneously launching Pretty Connected.
As a much sought-after industry expert, King has partnered with brands such as Sunglass Hut, Swim USA, Covergirl, Olay, Essie, Aveeno, Pandora, American Express, Skype (and more!) on print advertisements and as an ambassador and on-air spokesperson, among other projects.

A well-known figure in New York City, King has been featured on Today, Good Morning America, Extra, Page Six, and CNN; and in Vanity Fair, WWD, InStyle, Bustle, Daily Mail, Popsugar, Shape, Well+Good, Refinery29, New York magazine, StyleCaster, and NewBeauty.

King is the author of the popular children’s picture book Charlie at the Pom Springs Hotel, a story based on her senior rescue dog’s adoption.

Owner/Designer of New York Embroidery Studio

Michelle Feinberg is the founder of New York Embroidery Studio (NYES). The studio began as a specialized embroidery service, delivering exceptional craftsmanship to designers and brands in New York City’s Garment District. Over the years, NYES has grown and expanded its expertise beyond embroidery to offer over 60 distinct design services: including laser cutting, hand-beading, pleating, novelty stitching, 3D printing, heat transfers, appliqué, custom embellishments, and so much more. The addition of a Brooklyn-based factory further expanded the studio’s capabilities, enabling the company to take on large-scale production projects, such as cut-and-sew operations, automated spreading, nonwoven ultrasonic welding, modular garment assembly, quality assurance with ISO certifications, and the manufacturing of PPE and the Navy Working Uniform. NYES produces everything in New York City, exclusively using made-in-the-USA materials to support local manufacturing and ensure the highest quality results.

Designer

From a young age, Madeline Gardner demonstrated an affinity for fashion. She began sewing at just 12 years old. This early passion blossomed into a custom design business while she was still in high school, paving the way for her studies in Fashion Design at FIT and a lifelong career in the industry.

As designer and creative director at Morilee, Gardner has played an instrumental role in growing the brand into a global leader in bridal, prom, quinceañera, and special-occasion fashion, helping make Morilee—and Gardner herself—an essential part of life’s most celebrated moments. Gardner ended her 40-year tenure at Morilee in the second quarter of 2024.

She was an early advocate of designing for women of all body types. Gardner’s superior designs, crafted from unique fabrics, make women all over the world feel unique and beautiful. Using a hands-on, disciplined approach, Gardner specializes in working with lace, embroidery, and intricate beading, combining modern trends with timeless detail to create pieces that are both luxurious and accessible to a diverse range of consumers.

Gardner has been featured in every bridal publication and website: both her designs and wardrobe tips and hints. She has appeared on numerous television shows, including Access Hollywood, where she famously sketched Meghan Markle’s two wedding gowns while watching the ceremony on TV and had them on Morilee’s website within 10 days of the royal wedding.

In addition to her design work, Gardner currently serves as a board member for Morilee LLC. As an FIT Foundation board member, she supports future talent through mentorship and a scholarship program for aspiring bridal designers. Gardner serves as a judge and fabric-sourcing instructor for the High School of Fashion Industries in New York City. With an unwavering dedication to the craft, Gardner continues to contribute to the design community, sharing her understanding of and respect for quality and workmanship.

Marketing Director

Marketing & PR Professional at The Seven

Mackenzie Harding is a 2024 graduate of the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology at FIT, earning a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications with a minor in Film and Media. She currently works as the client relations and social media coordinator for The Seven, a fine-jewelry retailer with stores in Manhattan, Sag Harbor, and Palm Beach.

While at FIT, Harding found her passion for leadership. She served as president of the Black Student Union, vice president of the Residence Hall Association, and secretary of diversity, equity, and inclusion for the Student Government Association. Some of her best memories are of time spent in the Department of Student Life as an Orientation Leader and the off-campus events she hosted as a brand ambassador for Bumble. When Harding has spare time, you’re likely to find her immersed in her book club’s latest read or soaking up the sun in Barbados

President of Digital Innovation of Hero Media
Founder and CEO of LMB Group

Founder and Creative Director of Marsanne Brands

Chloé Marsanne is the founder of Marsanne Brands, an artistic streetwear brand creating one-of-a-kind streetwear through artistic methodology. Established in 2016, everything is handmade in NYC. Clients include Madison Square Garden, Universal Music, Lee Jeans, and more. Marsanne Brands has received recognition from publications like Nylon and Hypebeast and has been worn by people like Rico Nasty, Lil Pump, MarJon Beauchamp and others. Chloé graduated from FIT in 2019 from the Advertising and Marketing Communications program, and has gained industry experience in high fashion public relations and marketing, in her previous positions at fashion houses including Zac Posen and Rick Owens.

Manager of Accessories at Century 21 Department Stores 

Owner and Producer of Gotham Comedy, and Downey's Dream Cars

Chris Mazzilli is the quintessential cosmopolite. A born and raised New Yorker, Mazzilli is, all at once, a comedy club impresario and former stand-up comedian, a TV producer and show host, a savvy entrepreneur, a nationally acclaimed car restoration expert, one of the world’s foremost authorities on Chevrolet Corvettes and other “muscle cars,” the owner of an award-winning classic car collection, a sweepstakes creator, and a philanthropist.

A graduate of NYC’s famed Fashion Institute of Technology, Mazzilli’s on-screen and behind-the-scenes credits include: Sebastian Maniscalco’s What’s Wrong with People Gotham Comedy Live, Riding Shotgun with Michelle Rodriguez, The Lost Corvettes, and his latest, Downey’s Dream Cars—serving, on the last two, as both executive producer and co-host. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Program for Downey’s Dream Cars.

Mazzilli co-created and spearheaded the Corvette Heroes’ “Lost Corvettes” sweepstakes, a national initiative in which 36 classic Corvettes once owned by the Pop Art icon Peter Max were rescued from disrepair, restored, and given away in the sweepstakes, raising millions of dollars for charities benefitting America’s disabled veterans. He is also a co-creator, with Robert Downey Jr. and others, of the “RDJ Dream Cars” sweepstakes, an endeavor in which six classic cars owned by Downey were modified to meet current environmental standards and then given away to help the Footprint Coalition and its partners build a healthier, more sustainable planet.

Mazzilli is a co-owner of Gotham Comedy Club (whose stage is a regular venue for such legendary comedians as Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Sebastian Maniscalco, and the late Robin Williams) and of Dream Car Restorations/CMC Motors in Plainview, New York, one of the country’s premier classic car restoration shops.

Founder of MB Consult

Senior Vice President of Merchandising at Rue Gilt Groupe

Head of Industry at Meta - Fashion, Luxury, Retail

Founder, Investor, & Circular Fashion Expert at Madeleine Club

Julia Viner is co-founder of the Madeleine Club, a social club that brings together visionary leaders and changemakers at the intersection of innovation, impact, investment, and design to cultivate meaningful relationships and drive collaborative action.

She also serves as the director of innovation and partnerships at The Footwear Collective, a collaborative initiative founded by an MIT fiber technologist that aims to accelerate circular solutions in the footwear industry by uniting leading brands and retailers, solution providers, suppliers, investors, and cross-industry leaders. In this role, Viner spearheads strategic operations and partnership development, focusing on cross-sector collaboration to drive systemic change.

Previously, Viner was an investment associate at Closed Loop Partners, a New York-based investment firm leveraging venture capital, growth equity, private equity, and project finance vehicles to scale the circular economy across industries. She supported deal origination, investment due diligence, and portfolio management for early-stage and growth investments, with a focus on sustainable fashion and consumer goods.

Viner holds a BS in Fashion Business Management with a specialization in allocation and planning from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). During her studies, she conducted research on supply chain transparency and the benefits of blockchain traceability from both business and consumer perspectives. Her senior thesis, which focused on the development of adaptive clothing for people with disabilities, was recognized by Amazon Fashion sponsors for its emphasis on inclusivity and its scalable potential within Amazon’s private label business.

Founder and Creative Director of The Evoluer House

Fashion Stylist, Journalist, and Producer