PANELISTS :
Ayesha (@abarenblat) is a social entrepreneur with a passion for building sustainable supply chains that respect people and our planet. With over a decade of leadership to promote 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. Ayesha 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.She led brand engagement at Better Work, a World Bank and United Nations partnership 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.
Jill Fraser is CEO and CMO of Jill Milan, a luxury designer of handbooks and fashion accessories made in Italy. Launched in 2011, Jill Milan was voted "Vegan Brand of the Year." Their bags have been featured in W, Vogue.com, The Zoe Report, The Knot and US Weekly. Jill Milan's handcrafted Italian handbags have been carried on the red carpet by Amy Poehler, Eva Longoria, Anne Hathaway, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Lawrence, Carrie Underwood and countless other A-List celebrities. They have appeared on "Gossip Girl," "Scandal," "Billions," and at the Oscars, the Emmy awards, Golden Globes, the Met Ball, SAG Awards, CMAs and VMAs.
Before founding Jill Milan, Jill headed up marketing for a number of private and venture-backed technology and consumer product companies. She was a co-founder of a consumer goods company, RAZCAL, which owned Virgil’s Root Beer, the only drink ever to be named “Outstanding Beverage” three times by the International Fancy Food Show. She also associate produced the movie “Free to a Good Home” about animals in Los Angeles shelters. Jill is a vegan and an animal advocate with an interest in rescuing horses at risk of going to slaughter. She holds bachelor's and master’s degrees from Oxford University, England, is a member of MENSA and served as a founding board member of the International Institute for Film Financing.
Kathrine is a start-up founder, international development professional, and sustainable fashion consultant. For five years she led the strategy, marketing, and operations for LOZENA, an ethical luxury womenswear brand that achieved recognition with style influencers, publications such as Vogue and ELLE, and on the runways of international fashion weeks. Prior to realizing her own passion for entrepreneurship, Kathrine managed and provided technical content expertise to high-profile U.S. State Department-led programs for women entrepreneurs in emerging markets. She earned an M.A. in international trade and finance from the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies and a B.A. from Marquette University.
Kathrine now provides consulting services for emerging brands, NGOs, and organizations seeking to incorporate ecological and socially responsible practices in their business operations. She is well-versed in strategy development and execution; project and event management, as well as advising startup fashion entrepreneurs in the areas of business planning, sustainability, marketing and distribution, brand positioning, and crowdfunding and grant writing.
Leslie Fong is the Founder & CEO of VENIM, a customizable denim jacket brand based in San Francisco, CA. VENIM jackets are ethically produced in Los Angeles from the excess yardage of other designer denim brands and are then completed to customer specifications on a made-to-order basis.
Sarah Liller is a fashion designer, who started her eponymous clothing line in 2012 after attending Parsons design school in New York City. She is known for her comfortable yet sophisticated approach to fashion. She believes that gorgeous, comfortable clothing can give women confidence to live their best lives.
Sarah Liller clothing is handmade in San Francisco with domestically milled, buttery soft fabrics to preserve U.S. manufacturing and lower the carbon footprint. The rayon/Lycra fiber found in the fabric is made from sustainably harvested birch trees and processed in a closed loop system, minimalizing the chemicals used and minimizing wastewater and emissions.
Sarah has been featured in Travel + Leisure, The San Francisco Chronicle, WWD, countless fashion blogs, and has been worn by celebrities like Claire Danes and Daphne Oz. She sells online at sarahliller.com and to over 40 specialty retailers across the US.
