Episode 33: Lisa Morales-Hellebo
Today we are speaking with Lisa Moreles-Hellebo, a long-seasoned entrepreneur specializing in fashion supply chains.
Hello, Lisa, welcome to the Pandocap show.
Q: Can you share a bit about your journey with our audience?
A: I have 25 years in tech, having started my career in branding for Herman Miller. I have had a lot of experience in data science, user experience, product strategy, and technology. I went from a design degree at Carnegie Melon into venture capital. I think we are at an exciting time for investment, with the big opportunity being the digitization of the supply chain. The legacy enterprise companies have been slow to adapt and we are pioneering the localization of PPE here in the United States. We started with apparel but are now focused on PPE; this has been a boost for our operating company and now for our fund.
Q: As a Latina entrepreneur what are your recommendations for our community and the next generation?
A: We need to embrace who you are, and I say this from my own personal experience. I grew up in Westchester New York facing a lot of racism. They told me how I should be, how to fit into the box of who they wanted me to be. The moment I recognized that my value lies in who I am - including the differences - I was able to attract and find my people. Not just other Latinos but people who recognize your value and your worth. I have been through many programs from advisors that told me to change my look, but I knew they would figure out that I am Latina and can’t change that. Embrace who you are, rather than be forced into someone else's idea of who you should be, which will never show your value or worth.
Q: What’s next for you for the rest of the year and beyond?
A: We are learning, building, and seeing innovation in the supply chain. We discovered a new way to do SEC complaint commodity trading on the blockchain. We finance the supply chain by turning your raw materials into an asset class that is available for investment. There is no one standing in the way and we are leading and orchestrating the innovators within the Global Supply-Chain Federation and Refashion Ventures. They have been there and none of the legacy companies have really given them a chance to shine. Now the leadership from those companies is coming and we are enabling their growth by forging strategic partnerships from existing relationships. On the fund side, we are welcoming Simon Campbell who comes from Procter and Gamble, where he was interim COO and later built a number of companies. We are an unstoppable team!
Thank you for joining us on Pandocap and we look forward to having you back.