Operations at Levi’s Strauss

I am a content creator, full-time project manager at Levi Strauss, and social media consultant for fashion brands. I am a first-generation student from North Carolina, and relocated to San Francisco in 2022. At Levi's I work at the intersection of retail, technology, and operations, to globalize business practices. Prior to Levi's I was a consultant at McKinsey and Company working on go-to-market strategy for large technology companies, but a large reason for my departure was a desire to create a personal brand online and a desire to work in fashion. Since beginning my content journey on TikTok, I have grown over 20,000 followers across two platforms primarily focusing on fashion, comedy, and lifestyle content. In addition to fashion, I am passionate about sustainability and social justice.

Founder of Metto

Rakesh Tondon is a two-time Y Combinator founder and entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience across fashion, e-commerce, retail, and technology. He is the founder of Metto, an AI-powered commerce platform designed to help retailers better understand shopper intent and improve product discovery and decision-making. Previously, Rakesh co-founded and led Le Tote, a pioneering fashion rental subscription platform that grew to more than 2.5 million members and 200,000 paying subscribers. He later led Le Tote’s landmark acquisition of Lord & Taylor, bringing together digital innovation and traditional retail.

Retail

Elizabeth Hwang is an analytics leader, retail tech strategist, and sustainable fashion advocate working at the intersection of data, strategy, retail, and apparel. Her experience spans management consulting at Bain, BizOps at LinkedIn, and entrepreneurship as a circular fashion tech founder. She also supports sustainable fashion and small businesses, producing grassroots events for the Bay Area fashion community. With a background in business and engineering, Elizabeth is focused on shaping the future of fashion, retail, and e-commerce through technology, consumer insight, and more sustainable models.

Founder & CEO, GemJoy

GemJoy creates beautifully crafted jewelry and accessories that unlock interactive augmented-reality worlds. Its patented technology turns what we wear into an interface for stories, play, and discovery. At the intersection of fashion, technology, and imagination, each piece can evolve long after purchase, making jewelry feel less like an object and more like a little piece of magic. As Founder & CEO, Katie leads GemJoy’s creative vision, product development, and technology strategy. She works across product design, augmented reality, and software to develop GemJoy’s patented physical-to-digital platform and its interactive worlds. She also explores how AI and spatial computing can transform the relationship between fashion, physical objects, and digital experiences.

Founder of Holy Stitch!

Holy Stitch! is an independent denim factory, design studio, and educational workshop based in San Francisco. Founded by multidisciplinary artist and designer Julian Prince Dash, it brings fashion, visual art, music, manufacturing, and storytelling under one roof. San Francisco is the birthplace of blue jeans, yet few jeans are made here today—Holy Stitch! exists to ask why and help change that. The company creates original garments and objects while providing design, production, repair, and customization for individuals, institutions, and global brands. Through Holy Stitch! Factory Fellowship, its nonprofit arm, young people and emerging makers receive hands-on education, mentorship, and workforce training. Holy Stitch! combines art, music, and fashion with community and workforce development to protect, inspire, and transform young lives, while working to rebuild San Francisco’s garment-making culture and create a more imaginative, accessible, and responsible future for fashion.

Founder of Fashion Community Week

Shirin Hashem is the Founder and Board Member of Fashion Community Week, Sustainable Fashion Week, and Fashion Council in San Francisco. With a background in marketing, public relations, and business development, she has represented and launched emerging brands from 66 countries across six continents. Her work focuses on supporting emerging and sustainable businesses through fashion platforms, mentorship, incubation, and international business development. Shirin’s work has been featured in more than 200 global media outlets, including Forbes, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She also serves as an advisor and mentor to international startups and fashion initiatives.