Chloe Capital的动态

The #Impact category of the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards "honors designs, no matter how big or small, that have a major impact." We are on a mission to empower the millions of people with mobility differences to live more freely and independently, and to transform the landscape of #assistivetechnology as we know it. Every day we are blown away by the stories of progress and meaningful outcomes the CIONIC community experiences with the #NeuralSleeve. We've seen that this impact comes in all shapes and sizes - whether it's rising to a challenge at work, returning to a beloved trail that was inaccessible for years, surpassing a mobility milestone, or dancing with a child on their wedding day - it is these moments that are so meaningful for our team and that propel our mission forward. We are in great company - congratulations to the finalists and honorees in this category who are doing so much to transform the world for the better: Amprius Technologies, Inc. Voltpost Multistudio Catapult Design Kohler Co. Riverside Health Consumer Brands Association World Resources Institute Bezos Earth Fund Fox Fold McCann Worldgroup Full write-up from Aimee Rawlins on Fast Company covering all the Impact honorees at the link in the comments! And thanks to our incredible partners on this journey - BlueRun Ventures Caffeinated Capital Enable Ventures EPIC Ventures JobsOhio L Catterton LDV Capital fuseproject #digitaltherapeutic #healthcare #bionicclothing #neurotech #FCDesignAwards #wearabletech #neuromodulation #accessibledesign

NEW HORIZONS: part of the plan for 2024 is for yours truly, as a representative of the House of Upcycling as well as the wider professional upcycling for interiors industry, to engage in more public speaking, to evoke new (hopefully exciting) collaborations and various other business opportunity scenarios, basically to do things a little differently. Maybe it’s because our organisation has been around for a decade, maybe because with everything going on in the world as well as more specifically, within the world of interiors and craft (800+ store,80-year old US arts and crafts retailer Joann Inc filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, who’d have thought) working in the same old way just gets you the same old results and in 2024 we need more than that. We’ve done pretty well over the years, reached and often surpassed goals, even hit targets we didn’t even realise we’d set. The point is though that nothing ever stands still and neither should the way we work at the House of Upcycling. Until the day arrives when everyone who wants to buy or commission an item for their home (or their clients’ properties) considers professional upcycling a viable option, there’s work to be done. My remit involves many things but one of the most important is offering support and advice to those working in our industry. Members of the House of Upcycling receive this free, as part of their membership benefits, but I also offer consultancy to artisans working outside membership as well as those engaged in other crafts. A year ago I became a member of the Women in Furniture Network (WIFN) which has proved a fantastic resource for making new connections, learning how companies are dealing with environmental impact and more besides. WIFN recently launched its own Mentorship Platform and asked me if I would consider being part of this incentive. The Platform will offer Network members the opportunity to connect with and learn from experienced professionals within the furniture industry. I was of course very pleased to agree to being involved and look forward with interest to seeing where this new opportunity leads. New horizons await … #womeninfurniturenetwork #womeninfurniture #mentorshipprogramme #mentors #thehouseofup

I am so grateful to be part of this year's Top 100 Innovators + Entrepreneurs. The magazine is out now! Read the full two-page digital spread from The Official Top 100 Magazine here. https://lnkd.in/gFCTUtQd #innovation #entrepreneur #top100

[A community of builders // AI-soundtrack is not bad] ??? Putting together 6 sets of IKEA’s DIY furniture to expand Hatch’s repertoire seemed like the kinda thing that needed to be documented in hyper-speed and uploaded to the internet. ?? Besides being a darn good way to burn Lunar New Year calories, it brought to mind a couple of reflections - 1?? Practice makes better! I’ve not been in a #startup before, but I see how #entrepreneurs (or #productmanagers) who build and build and build, learn and learn and learn, and get better and better and better! The sixth table was put together way quicker than the first, and was also sturdier. (All tables were later tested and certified stable.) 2?? Every phase of the #operations of building is important, even the recovery. Ops has a messy nature. It’s easy to be caught up in ops-mode, but a responsible, sustainable operation is mindful to do things right end-to-end. In this case, ensuring at the end that cardboard and plastic are disposed and recycled properly. 3?? While there was only one screwdriver (thanks, Dan Lin!) it still took a community to build stuff! A good community is like water, flowing about and finding ways to fit and spread its impact. I am very thankful to wilson ng for the offer of a drink, Kao Siang Chai for helping to recycle the packaging, Sharon Tan for the positive reinforcement and encouragement, and Melesa Wong for being the partner in crime, setter of standards in responsible recycling, and giving much needed creativity to this video that immortalises our random venture of table-building. (Oh and Mok Shao Hong, our Builder-in-Chief for the permission to build.) ?? A video, or it didn’t happen. Even better, crank the volume up to savour an AI-generated soundtrack. ?? Oh and once again, a darn good post Lunar New Year goodies workout.

Optimise for learning! ?? What's your most impactful “Do things that don’t scale” tactic? Here’s mine... In a past life, as founder of byBorrow (a peer-to-peer circular fashion marketplace), I went all-in for six months doing things the hard way: 1?? Collected secondhand clothing: Hit up friends, family, and even strangers to get my hands on their preloved items. 2?? Modelled and photographed: Yup, I styled and shot every single piece myself, including steaming all items ?? 3?? Listed items on Instagram & managed all sale & rental communication & transactions: Over 1000 items, one story post at a time! ?? Tactic: Gather as much secondhand clothing as possible & list in order to learn how to build the best product to will allow people to easily list & make the most money from their wardrobes.? The non-scaling part: ?? ↘ Spent countless hours steaming, photographing, and listing clothes. ↘ My bedroom turned into a full-on storage unit. ↘ Personally packed and shipped every sale and rental. ↘ Made regular trips to the dry cleaners for rented items. Doing all this was a slogggg! ?? BUT.. The learning goldmine: ?? ↗ Valuable insights: Discovered what clothes people are willing to sell or lend, their condition, brand preferences, and styles. 60% still had tags on and 30% were worn just once all made up mainly of occasion wear items. - I learned where the biggest fashion waste was. ?? ↗ Pain points: Got down to the nitty-gritty of listing occasion wear. Learned all about image requirements, lighting setups, and how to make it super easy for people to list from home. ↗ Market trends: Nailed down what items sold best and the hottest rental styles. ↗ Logistics know-how: Figured out the best postal delivery providers and dry cleaning services to partner with. Sometimes, you’ve got to do the unscalable to unlock the scalable. What’s your favourite “Do things that don’t scale” story? #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #CustomerDiscovery #GoToMarket #StartUp #Growth

I'm excited to follow along with the work coming out of the IgniteVC Funding Innovation Lab as they identify critical challenges in the biotech funding model, rapidly test potential interventions, and share results. Cool article by Beth McKeon below. "Ignite VC is a non-profit program, founded by?LabCentral?and led by?Beth McKeon, with a mission to increase funding equity for women and BIPOC founders in the life sciences. IgniteVC’s groundbreaking initiative, the Funding Innovation Lab, convenes and supports innovators from across VC, universities, and entrepreneurial support organizations, as they run rapid design sprints to solve the persistent systemic barriers and bias in the fundraising and capital deployment process. IgniteVC has an open-source policy, sharing the wins and fails from these experiments here on Substack and its podcast with the goal to see widespread adoption and replication of emerging best practices in this field." Let’s be like OXO by Beth McKeon, Senior Director of IgniteVC As I think about the vision for?IgniteVC’s Funding Innovation Lab, I’m reminded of the origin story of OXO, the kitchen tool brand. OXO was founded as a brand that solved an important problem - helping people with arthritis use kitchen tools like jar openers and vegetable peelers - that had previously been hard to hold or manipulate. On OXO’s “about us” page on their website, they refer to the “Universal Design philosophy in which designers take into consideration the greatest variety of needs in order to create products that are usable by as many people as possible.” (Source:?National Museum of American History) The thing is - OXO’s kitchen tools are better for all of us, not just the folks with arthritis. I may have great grip strength and dexterity, but I’d much rather use my OXO can opener than one of the flimsy metal ones that used to be common in every kitchen. By designing for a wider set of needs, rather than a more limited audience with greater privilege or advantage, OXO created a tool that makes life better for everyone. I want to invoke this universal design principle in the work we are doing with IgniteVC’s Funding Innovation Lab. Current practices and frameworks for how we think about the funding process - for both funders and founders - were codified around the realities of a limited group of people, not taking into consideration the way many founders cannot access those advantages. This is a design problem, one that can be redesigned and reconfigured to meet the needs of more people. And when we do, we don’t just create benefits for diverse founders, who are disadvantaged in the current systems. Everyone benefits. This is a win-win for funding equity and health equity.

Reimagining design within protopian futures Early 2024 I had an idea and I started to outline it as a talk for SDN global conference. Alas, it was not accepted... ??♂? However, the topic has grown on me so much so that I feel I have sources, and content (most of it in my head ??) for a course and a book combined! The main premise goes as follows: Post Growth Design (Entrepreneurship & Activism On A Burning Planet) explores the role of designers as both entrepreneurs and activists, advocating for a shift towards regenerative and sustainable business practices. The topic delves into how legitimate businesses can serve as powerful platforms for environmental activism, signaling a crucial transition from extractive capitalism to models that prioritize our planet's health. Key takeaways include actionable strategies for embedding sustainability into entrepreneurship, the importance of design thinking in catalyzing change, and how business can be a leading force in the global movement towards post-growth economies. I am still thinking of working on this further. If you are interested in the content, let me know, connect, and let's talk! Photo by USGS on Unsplash: Green farmland marks a distinct boundary between the Nile floodplain and the surrounding harsh desert. #PostGrowthDesign #Design #Futures #JointFrontiers #DesigningForTheLastEarth

Wondering what Regenerstive Design is and how to implement it? Excited to lead this important conversation. Please join me! Grateful for Portland Design Thinkers for hosting this series. #innovation #planetpositive #naturebasedsolutions #regenerativearchitecture #regenerstivedesign #impactinvesting

Thank you so much to all of the share’s, comments and DM’s about the Early-Stage Founders Retreat! The next one will be taking place in Toronto, March 1st! Are you an early Stage Beauty Founder? Thinking about launching a beauty brand? Been there, and I want to share some of my biggest mistakes, and lessons that I’ve learnt the hard way so you don’t have to. Mistake #1 Product Assortment: Starting with a ton of products might sound like a winning strategy, but it’s a slippery slope. Trust me, I've learned this the hard way with my own journey. Launching with more than 3 products is an expensive mistake and here's why: ? Focus is Everything: When I first started, I thought offering a wide range was the way to go. Nope. It scattered our focus like crazy. We learned that doing a few things exceptionally is way better than doing a lot just okay. It's all about nailing that signature product that gets everyone talking. For Evio, that was our our Support System+, Barrier Replenish Lip Serum. ? Budgets Aren’t Infinite: Oh, the excitement of creating new products! But every new SKU is a bet. Budgets bleed faster than you think, especially when you're trying to juggle too many balls. We had to learn to channel our resources into what really mattered – and it wasn’t having the longest product list. Not only are products expensive to develop, they’re expensive to maintain. With MOQ’s on every replenishment, your working capital can get zapped quick if you expand too fast. ? Listening Leads to Learning: Starting small gives you the chance to actually listen to our customers and adapt. This feedback loop is EVERYTHING. It's how you tweak, improve, and sometimes, pivot. Real growth is about evolving with your audience, not just bombarding them with options. ? Growth is a Journey: Every big beauty brand you see out there started with that one product that hit the mark. Expanding your line is a journey, not a race. Stay tuned into what your customers really want next, not just what is trendy. To all the aspiring beauty moguls out there, remember: starting small isn’t playing it safe, it’s playing it smart. Your flagship products are your best ambassadors. Make them count, and expansion will follow organically. I’m so excited for the next generation of beauty founders. I truly feel they are going to create SO MUCH impact in our industry. I've been through the rollercoaster myself and have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars failing forward, and if my experiences can help even one of you navigate these exciting (and challenging!) waters a bit easier, then sharing this has been worth it ? If you’re an early-stage beauty founder and want to learn more. I’m hosting an Early-Stage Beauty Founder 1 day Intensive in Toronto on March 1st to help you build and scale your beauty brand AND, THERE ARE ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT! Comment ‘Build’ below for the retreat link.

?? Custom Socks: The Perfect Fit for Schools, Corporates, and Startups! ???? Looking to elevate your brand, boost team spirit, or create memorable gifts? Our custom-designed socks are the perfect solution for schools, corporate gifting, and startups. Whether you're building school spirit, appreciating employees, or promoting your brand, we’ve got you covered! Why Partner with Us for Your Custom Socks? ?? For Schools: Create team socks for sports, events, or student giveaways. ?? For Corporates: Personalized socks for employee gifting, client appreciation, or branded merchandise. ?? For Startups: Boost brand visibility with unique, high-quality socks that make a statement. What You Get: ?? Premium-quality socks tailored to your needs ?? Unique designs that reflect your brand ?? Fast production and reliable delivery Let’s make your socks as unique as your brand! Start customizing today and give your audience something they’ll love to wear. ?? DM us to learn more and place your order! #CustomSocks #CorporateGifting #StartupBranding #SchoolSpirit #EmployeeAppreciation #ClientGifts #BrandVisibility #UniqueMerchandise #SocksForTeams