All Experts

<p>Steggys Henley&#x27;s COO &amp; Co-Founder Matthew Laken is no stranger to Perfection. An embodiment of his Philadelphia roots, Matthew brings grit, determination and his signature enthusiasm to everything he does. Matthew never hesitates to take a challenge head on, demonstrated by his unmatched success in a wide range of industries, including sports marketing, entertainment, fine dining, education, fashion, and more. Whether you see Matthew outfitting Philadelphia’s finest scholars in uniforms or cultivating brand new partnerships one thing is for sure, Matthew will be feeling comfortable, looking ripped and ready for any &amp; everything in his Perfected Steggy&#x27;s Henley. </p>

<p>Born in 1987 in New-York to well-traveled parents, Chef Jean-Georges and Muriel, Louise would spend her childhood days growing up in both New York and the south of France where she studied and practiced ballet. In 2005 she went to Washington DC to study finance at American University and after working for her father’s business for about 3 years at Mercer Kitchen as a manager, she returned to France to pursue her MBA at ESSEC Business School in Paris.</p><p>After living in Dubai and Hong Kong, Louise returned to New York City. Since her return, New York has been graced with two of her restaurants under the Chefs Club name. In 2016 Louise decided to establish the Food Dreams Foundation with her family and to pursue her philanthropic endeavor by helping students access education and jobs within the culinary industry. Since then, more than 60 students have been participating in the program, students from every parts of the world.</p><p>Louise married in 2018 to Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder of Chobani and they welcome their first son Miran later that year. After Miran’s birth, Louise decided to create a brand that care for the environment, respects the people making it, and that looks and feels good while being accessible for all. Clothes that would care for the planet and for the environment while not compromising on the comfort, look and feel of the clothes. It took 2 years for Louise, 2 years of research to perfect the best technologies and blends of materials to make earth friendly clothes for kids. </p>

<p>Patricia Davis is the creator and owner of several companies, including sntHOME Interior Design, Silver Needle &amp; Thread Custom Sewing, TAG Custom Bridal, CATA (Consumers Against Toxic Apparel), and The Jacksonville Organic Business Directory. She is also the Textile Verifier for The Pure Integrity Seal Certification Program and Co-Founder of the Live Happy, Be Pure Sustainable Wellness Home Project. Her company CATA was the pilot business used by The Green Team Project (LEEDS) to define a Sustainable Workplace Designation 4 Leaf Accreditation (the highest) in 2015.</p><p></p><p>Ms. Davis is a Clay County Chamber of Commerce member, USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), Partner with Cotton Leads (Sustainable Cotton Program), and many other groups and organizations.</p><p> </p><p>When it comes to textiles for fashion or home, Patricia has over forty-eight years of experience. Her career spans years of working for the fashion industry in upper management, design, visuals, sales, and production. Her most recent career choice ended in 2020 due to Covid was in Interior Design. When the company closed, she decided to open her own retail Interior Design Showroom and combine all her companies in one space creating a one-stop location for all things creative, fabric, and design.</p><p></p>

<p></p><p>A fashion industry vet, Rachel has worked in apparel for nearly years, first cutting her teeth at Authentic Brands Group in 2004. From there she worked her way through the industry— eventually becoming Oscar de la Renta’s Head of Product, after years of learning her craft at Ralph Lauren, The Row, and Ralph Rucci. The pandemic sparked a new entrepreneurial chapter for both Rachel and her team— the March 2020 launch of their non-profit ‘Garment District for Gowns,’ aimed to help under- served healthcare workers, led to the eventual formation of their company ‘Goldatech,’ which manufactures uniforms, medical, and surgical apparel for state agencies and the Department of Defense (U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard). Rachel&#x27;s team were the first awardees of Empire State Development&#x27;s Covid Retooling Grant out of 40,000 applicants, and was awarded the 2021 NYS MWBE Innovation Award. Rachel has now launched Welles, an ESG-focused scrubs company on a mission to reset technical performance and environmental accountability standards. </p>

<p>Jamie Banks spent many years as Design Director of Ready-to-Wear and Swimwear for iconic brands such as Kate Spade, Shoshanna, and Milly. She is a working mom of three young kids – she gets the struggle.</p><p></p><p>Her passion is designing for real women, and inspiring confidence through product. Like any good relationship, she believes that clothing should feel effortless and uplifting.</p><p></p><p>Jamie founded Change of Scenery because she wanted sophisticated, tasteful, and uncomplicated pieces and could not find them: Breezy dresses you can throw on between making breakfast for the family and checking email. Swimwear that makes you feel excited to head to the pool with your kids in tow or off to the beach with friends.</p><p></p><p>She has high expectations for her swimwear—and thinks you should, too.</p>

<p>Pritika is truly a modern day supermodel - the Columbia Business graduate, business owner and Operation Smile Ambassador has starred in campaigns for makeup brands and international magazines, is known for her iconic street style, and hailed as a runway trailblazer and the world’s most fabulous financier.</p><p></p>

<p>Peri has been an integral part of the design team for over twelve years, working on Glamorise&#x27;s core product, as well as Glamorise Sport, and the Bramour collection.</p><p>Formally educated at the University of Richmond (Bachelor of Arts) and FIT (Masters in Fashion Design), where she is now a visiting professor of intimate apparel.</p><p>Peri has designed for other intimate brands such as Maidenform and Warners and intimates for other designer brands, including Donna Karan, Betsey Johnson, and Vera Wang. Peri has also designed swimwear for companies, including Vitamin A.</p>

<p>Woman, Daughter, Big Sister, Niece, Friend, Academic, Designer, Fashionista, Entrepreneur, Change Agent, Global Citizen, Consultant, Strategist, Photographer, Innovator, Designer, Artist, Writer, Servant Leader, World Traveler, Philanthropist...</p><p></p><p>...are some of the adjectives that can be used to describe Lola Banjo. Above all, she is passionate. About people, the world, giving back and going for your dreams. It is this passion that propelled me to fulfill an almost decade long dream by launching Silver &amp; Riley.</p><p></p><p>Being a global citizen is a way of life and Lola has been fortunate to have been able to travel to over 100 countries (and counting). She fully immerses herself in various cultures and ways of life, and seek to have deep, meaningful experiences, all from which she has drawn inspiration. From the streets of New York, Lagos and Milan, to the shores of Rio de Janeiro, Honolulu and Okinawa and the hills of Auckland, San Francisco and Valparaíso, she continue to study diligently and soak up the best of various cultures and street fashion. </p><p></p><p>Lola a lifelong student, always learning at every opportunity. In terms of traditional education, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering and Mathematics from Rutgers University, a Masters of Science in Financial Engineering from New York University (NYU), and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategy, Finance and Decision Sciences from Emory University. She has also studied at business schools around the world including (FGV) Rio (Brazil), (WHU) Koblenz (Germany), (RSM) Erasmus (Netherlands), The London School of Economics and (SDA) Bocconi (Italy).</p><p></p><p>Each Silver &amp; Riley product has been designed in a way that combines her passion for problem solving and building things better (through my experience as an Engineer and now as a Corporate Strategist) with her affinity towards fashion design - which was picked up from my mother, whom the brand is dedicated to. Lola draws, conceptualize and then works with my manufacturers to bring all Silver &amp; Riley items to life. She is very attentive to detail, especially when it comes to designing functionality that make moving around much more seamless, but doesn’t compromise on style or timelessness.</p>

<p>Social-Environment Impact Entrepreneur devoted to reimagine fashion&#x27;s extractive industry into one that inspires both humanity &amp; regenerates nature.Jeff Scult designs, writes, and creates beautiful visual representations of life. As a Fashion Proactivist and brand soul “Conscultant”, his life purpose is to live his inner-gold, contagiously illuminating others to also shine and share theirs. </p><p>A risk-tolerance example of never too late, Jeff pivoted his journey at age 51 from a life amplifying other’s visions to finally expressing his own creations, now a first-time clothing designer at age 57. Jeff’s purpose-driven mission is One Golden Thread, the environmentally-regenerative fashion brand whose ethical materials, golden message, and regenerative model are devoted to connecting one to self, community, and to nature. </p><p>Jeff’s spoken-word prose ignited his personal freedom journey, and his soul consultancy Drops of Gold supports leaders to raise the bar on their mission and language. Jeff believes, &quot;When we come into right-relationship with themes of interconnectedness, anything is possible. Everything is medicine. Everything is energy. Transcending the greatest lie - the illusion of separation - is we, nature and us, as one.”</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p>

<p>The story of LACSON RAVELLO begins with strong family roots in the garment industry. Kristina Lacson McConnico was born to Filipino parents and descended from a long line of dressmakers and fashion designers—grandmothers, aunts, and cousins. Upon establishing her own brand, she incorporated her surname, Lacson, and her grandmother’s maiden name, Ravello. For her, this family name captures the heritage and values that define her clothing line—a tradition of strong craftsmanship and quality materials, combined with a modern and design-driven approach.</p><p>Originally from St. Louis, Kristina knew at a young age that she wanted to follow her family’s path in the fashion world. A skilled visual artist during her teenage years, she moved to Los Angeles to attend Otis College of Art &amp; Design. Early exposure to leaders and icons in the fashion industry had a profound influence on her evolution as a designer.</p><p>After college, she relocated to San Francisco and worked as a designer for large retailers such as Gap Inc., Bebe, and Target Corporation—in addition to building her expertise as a design consultant for smaller fashion labels and startups. Her two decades of industry experience have led her around the world numerous times, from production facilities in Asia to buying and research trips in Europe and all over the U.S. This global perspective followed Kristina as she created the LACSON RAVELLO brand. Her dedication to being a citizen of the world while keeping a relaxed California sensibility continues to inform her life and her work.</p><p>Kristina currently lives in Oakland with her husband John of Bespoke Watch Projects and their cats Coco and Clementine. She is also a breast cancer survivor and thriver.</p>

<p>Luke Winter, the founder, has been involved in the retail industry since 2003. He started as a proprietor of a fashion clothing boutique and started Woodzee sunglasses on his day off on Sundays to satisfy his need for creativity &amp; design. He launched the brand with three different sunglass designs that utilized natural materials like wood, hence Woodzee.</p><p></p><p>Soon after, Woodzee became a full-time passion and business in 2013. Since then, Woodzee has created over 30 designs that utilize natural materials. Examples of the raw materials used to make sunglasses have included: recycled wine/whiskey/tequila barrel staves and authentic recycled skateboard decks to create unique and special sunglasses, not like any other offerings.</p><p></p><p>Woodzee has had its most tremendous success with recycled skateboard sunglasses. It is the only company to collect authentic skateboards and then transform them into truly one-of-a-kind sunglasses as each one is different. The recycled skateboard sunglasses are impossible to duplicate as each board collected cannot replicate the usage and look.</p><p></p><p>Currently, Woodzee is utilizing plant-based plastics that are biodegradable that possess the best of both worlds in terms of high quality and durability. In keeping with the company&#x27;s commitment to producing products that look good yet are the best option for sustainability to do its part to have the most negligible impact on ecology.</p>

<p>Michelle Keefe is the Co-Founder and CEO of MomUp, a unique staffing and talent acquisition company specializing in part-time and full-time business professionals.</p><p></p><p>MomUp provides an alternative source of talent for businesses looking for competitive staffing options to support growth and diversity goals. Our candidates consist of professionals with bachelor’s and/or advanced degrees with eight or more years of experience in areas such as Finance, Sales &amp; Marketing, Administration, HR, Data Science, Engineering and other business functions. We connect women looking for impactful, interesting opportunities with organizations looking to fill part time &amp; full time roles or accomplish project-based work. </p><p></p><p>We are redefining the landscape of work enabling companies to move faster. </p><p>We connect organizations with the world’s greatest untapped resource to get more done with fewer resources. </p><p>Our process will save you time, save you money, and accelerate your business. </p><p></p><p>If you are interested in exploring how hiring part-time or full-time flexible professionals can be the right staffing solution, please contact Michelle at michelle@momup.com or leave me a message here on Linkedin.</p>

<p>Sloane Gibney Grossberg is the founder of and sole designer for shortyLOVE bags. A Jersey girl always and forever, she’s devoted to her husband and two children, stays close to her sisters, walks her dogs daily, and falls hard for a smart, stylish bag — that’s why she designs them for a living! </p>

<p>Jenny is the founder of LACE by Jenny Wu, the leading 3D printing fine jewelry brand. She is also a partner at the award winning architectural firm, Oyler Wu Collaborative, and the winner of the 2021 Arts and Letters Award in architecture from the Academy of Arts and Letters and the 2013 Design Vanguard Award from Architectural Record. Jenny was named one of the 4 design visionaries by Porsche and Dwell Magazine in their &quot;Powered by Design&quot; documentaries, showcasing her pioneering work in 3D printing.</p>