2019: Innovation In Sustainability

Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT since 1998, is a highly regarded educator and academic administrator with over 40 years experience in public higher education. She held a number of senior administrative posts at the City University of New York before arriving at FIT, including acting president of Bernard Baruch College and vice chancellor of the university. Prior to her appointment at FIT, she was professor of counseling psychology at the Graduate School and University Center of CUNY. Dr. Brown has also served as a New York City Deputy Mayor during the Dinkins administration. At FIT, Dr. Brown has led an ambitious multi-year strategic initiative that has transformed the college. She has built faculty ranks, increased technology, enhanced student services, expanded the curriculum with innovative new programs, and renovated facilities. She has invigorated the college’s culture with groundbreaking initiatives in diversity and sustainability. Under Dr. Brown’s leadership, sustainability became a key element of FIT’s mission.   Her early participation in the Clinton Global Initiative University formalized a commitment to sustainability that was reflected in the college’s physical plant, curriculum, and public programming. She established a Sustainability Council that promotes dialogue, campuswide activities—including the annual Sustainability Business and Design Conference—and manages grant programs for related projects. FIT has been honored by both New York City and New York State for its leadership among public institutions in the field of sustainability.

Christina Agapakis is a biologist, writer, and artist and the creative director of Ginkgo Bioworks, an organism design company based in Boston. Ginkgo designs microbes for sustainable innovation in food, agriculture, medicine, materials, and more. As creative director, Agapakis focuses on imagining and communicating the future potential of synthetic biology, with—among other activities—collaborative and interdisciplinary work with artists, designers, social scientists, and engineers. She has a PhD in synthetic biology from Harvard University, where her research focused on developing design principles for engineering new bioenergy pathways in E. coli and new ecosystems. She was named one of Fast Company’s most creative people in business in 2016 and her
current large-scale collaborative project to revive the smell of extinct plants is currently on view at the Centre Pompidou and the Milan Design Trienniale and soon to be included in the Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial opening May 10.

As the liaison between the president, the college, and outside organizations, Arbuckle develops and expands partnerships and collaborations nationally and globally for the college. She works closely with the executive director of the FIT/Infor DTech Lab to integrate the work of the lab with the schools and other divisions of the college. Arbuckle served as dean of the School of Art and Design for over a decade. As dean, she was responsible for all school operations, departmental development, special programs, fundraising, student enrichment initiatives, and faculty recruitment. Previously she served for five years as assistant chair of FIT's Fashion Design department. She became an associate professor in 2002 and a full professor in 2006. In 2003, she won the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. An industry professional with more than 30 years of experience, Arbuckle worked as a designer and merchandiser before becoming president of the fashion industry consulting firm Design Integrity. She served for seven years on the nominating committee of the prestigious Earnie Awards in children’s wear. Arbuckle co-authored the book Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry and contributed to the Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. She earned her Master of Arts in educational administration in higher education from New York University, her Bachelor of Science in fashion design at the State University of New York Empire State College, and her Associate in Applied Science in fashion design at FIT.

Jeanine Ballone is the sustainability-driven managing director of Fashion4Development Solutions, who is on a lifelong mission to create positive change within the fashion industry as we know it. Both self-driven and compassionate, she firmly believes that by advocating for environmentally-friendly and socially-conscious fashion, we are making this world a better place to live in. Throughout the span of over three decades, she has garnered extensive industry experience, holding multiple patents and taking on various mindful initiatives. Since day one, the
creative process and innovation have both been her ultimate driving forces. In addition to her vast leadership background, she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and studied Fashion Buying, Merchandising, Apparel, and Textiles. Outside of her creative career, Jeanine Ballone enjoys traveling across the globe.

Jaime Bartholomai is a marketing professional recognized for her record of progressive promotion and experience with industry relations, multi-channel marketing, and cross-functional team projects. With a background focused in PR, digital marketing, and communications, Jaime has worked for fashion start-ups, licensing and intellectual property ownership firms, and has now entered the advanced manufacturing industry as Internal Sales & Marketing Manager at Stoll America Knitting Machinery, Inc.– North American subsidiary to parent company H. STOLL AG & Co. KG. She is most passionate about content marketing, brand strategy, consumer behavior, and sustainable business practices. Jaime is a Cum Laude Alumni of LIM College for which she established herself as Editor in Chief of the Lexington Line magazine, Head of Reporting & Events, President of the Writers’ Circle, and a proud Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society member." data-title="Jaime Bartholomai | Internal Sales & Marketing Manager, Stoll America Knitting Machinery, Inc.

Maxine Bédat is the founder and director of The New Standard Institute, which uses a systems approach to address environmental and social challenges within the $2.5 trillion apparel industry. Prior to NSI, Maxine co-founded and was the CEO of Zady, a fashion brand and lifestyle destination creating a transparent and sustainable future for the apparel industry. For its work in sustainability, Zady was named one of the world’s “Most Innovative Companies” in retail by Fast Company. Bédat has been recognized by Oprah in her Super Soul 100, for leaders elevating
humanity, serves as an ambassador for Rainforest Alliance and is on the Council of NationSwell. She has spoken at some of the world’s leading conferences, including the WWD Apparel/Retail CEO Summit, and has been regularly featured as an expert by Bloomberg, Forbes, Business of Fashion, CNN and the Huffington Post. Bédat began her career in international law working at the Rwandan Criminal Tribunal and received a Juris Doctor with distinction from Columbia Law School.

Déborah Berger is a French graduate of École Polytechnique and Sciences Po Paris. She started her career in senior public service. She then joined SCOR, one of the world global reinsurance leaders. In 2017, she decided to give more meaning to her career and joined Chargeurs Luxury Materials to help to launch Chargeurs’ eco-responsible and traceable wool label, Organica Precious Fiber. Berger launched Amédée 1851 in December 2018, a Chargeurs brand of luxury scarves dedicated to millennials and made in France with Chargeurs’ Organica wool.

Michael Beutler joined Kering as the Director of Sustainability Operations in September 2011. Prior to Kering, Michael served 6 years at SAP in Senior Management positions including his last role as Global Director of Sustainability and Strategy for 3 years, and has worked at international corporations DHL, PWC and Ford over the last 20 years in Finance and Operations. During his tenure at Kering, Michael has been integral to developing an operationalizing Kering’s comprehensive sustainability strategy. He oversees and manages a team to implement cross-cutting innovative approaches to help manage and reduce the environmental impacts from Kering’s Luxury and Sport & Lifestyle brands. This includes being responsible for implementing the brand’s individual Environmental Profit & Loss Accounts (E P&L) which was consolidated as a Group E P&L, and as a core part of the E P&L methodology development which was open-sourced in May of 2015. In addition, Kering was the first in its
sector to implement a Science based target and is looking to expand beyond climate change to set SBTs across other impact areas keeping the principles of planetary boundaries in mind. His team has been instrumental in embedding
sustainability across all of the Group's brands and making it a key part of their business activities, as well as for being recognized by external rating agencies and publications for Kering’s sustainability program excellence.

A native of New York, Christopher Bevans began his career apprenticing at a local tailoring house where he eventually became the owner at the age of 19. Bevans’ roots as an expert tailor developed into a passion that carried him to FIT. During his time at FIT, Bevans’ studied textiles while learning the ropes from Jack Sauma, owner of Mood Fabrics, one of the largest fabric retailers in the world. Following his time with Mood, Bevans worked with top brands such as Billionaire Boys Club, Head, Sean John, Yeezy, Smithsonian, New York Cosmos, and the MacArthur Foundation. From 2003 to 2007, he served as the design director of Nike’s Blue Ribbon Sports Division where he was instrumental in initiating Roger Federer’s now famous “RF” logo. In January of 2013, Bevans was named an MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow alongside CNN commentator Van Jones and distinguished film director J.J. Abrams. In recent years, Bevans was awarded the 2017 Woolmark Innovation Prize and named a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award. He was also awarded a membership with the Council Fashion Designers of America. In addition to heading the brand DYNE, Bevans has also created bespoke designs for clients such as Jay Z, Pharrell Williams, LeBron James, and John Legend. He’s consulted for emerging and established companies such as sustainable brand, Save the Duck, SPYDER, and BeastMode, a sportswear brand for Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch.

Hannah Bronfman has over 10 years of experience as a sustainability and green building expert, including a background in program implementation and communications with a special focus on corporate real estate and hospitality. She has worked with organizations to incorporate sustainability across their business practices, from corporate-level initiatives and policies to building-portfolio management. At SH Hotels & Resorts, Bronfman works with property and corporate teams to enhance their sustainability strategy, implement new programs, and ensure that their sustainable business and building strategies bolster the 1 Hotels brand. Bronfman joined SH Group from WSP USA (formerly YR&G) where she was the director of the corporate sustainability team. Key clients included Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Tishman Speyer, The Dust Organization, and the U.S. Green Building Council. Prior to WSP, she held technical positions within MEP engineering firms, working specifically on green building design and operations of buildings. Bronfman is currently an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University teaching courses on sustainable construction management.

Lauren Bush Lauren is the founder and CEO of FEED. A native of Texas, Lauren attended Princeton University where she majored in Anthropology. As a sophomore, Lauren had the opportunity to travel with the UN World Food Programme. While visiting regions across Central America, Asia and Africa, Lauren witnessed firsthand the realities of poverty and hunger that people are facing all over the world. Using this experience as an inspiration, Lauren founded FEED as a tangible way for her peers to make an impact in fighting childhood hunger. She lives in New York City with her husband and two sons.

Kristy Caylor is an entrepreneur, fashion innovator, and sustainability visionary. She brings a unique understanding of the circular economy and an extensive background in fashion to her newest endeavor, For Days. For Days is a zero-waste, closed-loop apparel company selling 100 percent organic T-shirts made in L.A. Caylor is also the co-founder of Maiyet, a pioneering luxury brand that integrated world-class design with a transformative social philosophy. Deeply committed to sustainability and entrepreneurial from the start, Caylor spent her early career launching and growing businesses for Gap, Inc., including Banana Republic Petites and Banana Republic Japan, and was instrumental in leading Gap’s Product (RED) division. Caylor has consulted for global brands including All Saints and Band of Outsiders, for which she also served as president. She continues to serve as an advisor for emerging sustainable companies including Tuulikki, Studio 189, Maison de Mode, and Tome. As a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Caylor sat on the Lexus Fashion Initiative advisory board, and has previously served on leadership committees for Cradle to Cradle’s Fashion + and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Textile Initiative. In 2014, she was recognized by the Voss Foundation as the Woman Helping Women Honoree and regularly participated with the U.N. Foundation. In 2016 Caylor was appointed to the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Consumerism, and was invited to speak on the SXSW 2018 panel Sustainability of Bust: The Future of Brands.

A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Maisons in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watchmaking: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo, Qeelin, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, as well as Kering Eyewear. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Maisons to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow's Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination.” For Kering, sustainable business is smart business. It does not respect convention, instead, it respects innovation, pioneering business models and outside-the-box-thinking. As our world closes in on its limited resources, new challenges will continue to arise for our Group, our industry and beyond. Driven by this conviction, we propel our brands to lead with business practices that contribute to a better
world economically, environmentally and socially. We believe that the payoffs of becoming a more sustainable business to create positive value for our people and our planet, make the endeavors not only worthwhile but also essential.

One of the most celebrated fashion designers in recent memory, Francisco Costa has been an instrumental force in defining the look and feel of modern American beauty. During his 13-year tenure as the creative director of the women’s wear division for Calvin Klein Collection, Costa introduced sculpture, sensuality, and minimalist architectural codes to one of the most iconic American brands of the past century. His imaginative use of materials and artistic eye won him international critical acclaim. He was awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2006 and 2008. In 2009, the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum honored him with the Fashion Design Award for excellence and innovation. His designs have been worn by some of the most admired women in the world, including Lupita Nyong’o, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lawrence, and Julianne Moore. Over the years, Costa has collaborated with artist Ellsworth Kelly, international contemporary ballet choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and architect John Pawson. Following his departure from Calvin Klein in 2016, Costa returned to his native Brazil to explore the natural splendor of the Amazon rainforest. Local healing rituals and the untapped wealth of curing properties from native ingredients instilled a new sense of discovery and a powerful understanding about the urgent need for conservation. The results of his wanderlust became Costa Brazil, a sustainable beauty brand that combines the raw power of the natural world with Costa’s unparalleled eye.

Leading with her instinctive passion for beauty and sustainability, brand building and people development, Barbara De Laere is the Senior Vice President, Global General Manager for Aveda, the prestigious beauty and hair care brand that lives by The Art and Science of Pure Plant and Flower Essences. With a childhood ambition to lead a successful, purposeful company and serve winning teams, Barbara honed herself as a forward-thinking, disruptive strategic leader. She developed her deep hair and skin care expertise at L’Oréal, where she held senior international leadership roles in the Professional Products Division for more than 17 years. Her responsibilities included driving revenue growth, brand building and portfolio integration for multiple brands across the U.S., Western Europe and Asia/Pacific. To be a success, Barbara believes in the strength of the whole and taps into the proficiency of all talent within a company, and inspires them by example. Inspired by data and guided by intuition, she makes decisions on what is best for a brand through what she sees its customers want and appreciate. Her focus is on global brand integration, social/digital storytelling and a seamless omni-channel brand experience for the customer. For Aveda, Barbara’s vision is to become the beauty destination for the conscious consumer and enhance their lives with Aveda’s high-performance naturally derived products and unique salon experiences.

Paul Dillinger is responsible for leading groundbreaking sustainable product and design initiatives at Levi Strauss & Co. Focused on developing front-end methods for applied sustainability in the design process, Dillinger led the team that created the WELLTHREAD collection – a result of his fellowship at the Aspen Institute – and he is the first fashion designer to earn a First Movers Fellowship with the renowned organization. Dillinger also served as designer-in-residence for the Rhode Island School of Design through a program sponsored
by Levi Strauss & Co. He previously served as faculty at California College of Artand the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. Paul has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Levi Strauss Foundation, and is currently on Board of ReMake.   Born in Tacoma, Washington, Dillinger received his BFA in Fashion Design from Washington University in St. Louis. After graduation, he moved to Milan as the first Fulbright Scholar in fashion design, researching the influence of emerging luxury markets on high fashion design directions and commercialization. Concurrent with this research, he earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Domus Academy in 1995.

Lydia Dishman is a business journalist who writes about the intersection of tech, leadership, commerce, and innovation. She is a regular contributor to Fast Company and has written for CBS Moneywatch, Fortune, The Guardian, Popular Science, and the New York Times, among others. She is coauthor of the book Survive to Thrive. Over the course of her career, she’s interviewed a variety of well-known executives including Diane Von Furstenberg, Gregg Steinhafel, former CEO of Target, Mickey Drexler, former CEO of J.Crew, Christopher Bailey of Burberry, Mary Barra of General Motors, Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Records, Alexis Ohanian of Reddit, Tony Hsieh of Zappos, and other luminaries such as Adrian Grenier, Romany Malco, and Tom Brokaw.

Keith Ellenbogen is a celebrated underwater photographer with a focus on environmental conservation. Through his images, he showcases the artistic beauty of nature and elicits an emotional connection to the underwater world.  Keith is an Assistant Professor of Photography at Fashion Institute of Technology; Visiting Artist at
MIT; Sr. Fellow, International League of Conservation; Fellow, The Explorers Club; Affiliate Partner, Mission Blue - A Sylvia Earle Alliance; the reciepient of Hollings Ocean Awareness Award and a TED Residency that included a TED Talk to raise environmental awarness through photography.     In the Fall 2019, Keith Ellenbogen will co-teach with Dr. Kopelman at FIT an Interdisciplinary course entitled SC/PH254 Ecology and Photography Sustainable New York that can be applied to the Ethics and Sustainability Minor.

Evie Evangelou is the President and Founder of Fashion 4 Development (F4D) and Founding partner of Sustainia Living. She first introduced F4D’s global awareness campaign and the First Ladies Luncheon initiative in 2011, inspired by her career in the international arena of cultural diplomacy and international relations, specializing in Entertainment, Arts, Fashion, Beauty, Travel and Tourism, and Trade Development. Previously, Evie served as interim Deputy Secretary General for the World Federation of the United Nations in NYC, where she worked with more than 100 UN Member States and Countries and Missions, as well as numerous non-governmental bodies focused on education, cultural affairs and humanitarian causes. She received the appointment by Kensaku Hogen, a former Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Public Information, as a Special Consultant for Cultural and Educational Affairs and programs within UNDPI, one of the nine departments comprising the United Nations Secretariat. She was also appointed as a strategic consultant to the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for the United Nations themes “Dialogue among Civilizations and Diversity is Beautiful”. Throughout her career she has received acknowledgements by the U.S. Senate and honored by several international governments as well as served as Goodwill Ambassador. In 2013, Fashion Group International presented Evie Evangelou with the Humanitarian Award for her work of creating positive social change for humanity.

Chantal Fernandez is Business of Fashion's correspondent in New York. She was previously senior editor at Fashionista and started her career at Condé Nast's Vanity Fair and Lucky.

A creative technologist, researcher, artist, and educator, Michael Ferraro’s career spans the worlds of software development, virtual reality media production, fine art, commercial entertainment, and higher education. He came to FIT from Lehman College/CUNY where he spent 12 years as an associate professor in the digital media program of the art department. In 2015, working with students, he won a New York Emmy for graphics and animation supervision for a series of PSAs titled Best of the Bronx. In 1996, Ferraro co-founded Possible Worlds, Inc., where he invented the innovative real-time animation technology known as Kabuki, which has been used by media outlets such as Cartoon Network, Disney TV, MTV, and Warner Brothers. In 1986, he co-founded Blue Sky Studios, a computer animation studio where he was VP System Architect. Prior to Blue Sky, Ferraro was part of the R&D team at MAGI/Synthavision.

Vanessa Friedman was named the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The New York Times in March 2014. In this role she leads global fashion coverage for both The New York Times and International New York Times on all platforms. Before joining the paper, Ms. Friedman was the inaugural fashion editor of the Financial Times, beginning in 2003. Along with editing the Style pages and the Luxury360 vertical, she wrote a weekly column for the Saturday FT and created the FT's annual Business of Luxury conference. Previously, she was the fashion features director for InStyle UK, from 2000 to 2002. Before that she worked as a Fashion Correspondent for the FT, as an Arts Contributor at The Economist and was the European Editor at American Elle. In addition she contributed regularly to Vogue, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly. She is the author of "Emilio Pucci" (Taschen) as well as an honorary professor at Glasgow-Caledonian University. She was the recipient of the 2012 Front Page Award for fashion writing, as well as the 2013 Fashion Monitor Journalist of the Year award. Ms. Friedman received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University.

Susanne Goetz is an Associate Professor in the Textile/Surface Design Department at FIT. Originally from Germany, she worked as a textile designer, lecturer, researcher and project manager in Germany, Thailand and the UK before moving to the USA. Her expertise is in printed textile design, sustainable textiles, and artisanship, with a focus on both digital and traditional approaches to design and production. Her research and teaching practice focuses on global sustainable design, manufacturing and business practices, as well as innovative interdisciplinary work within the overlap of design and science. Susanne holds a MSc in Textile and Apparel Technology Management from North Carolina State University and a BA in Textile Design from Hof University of Applied Sciences, Germany. She is a Fulbright Alumna and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Dr. Gary Halada, a professor in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook University, has led research efforts in environment-materials interactions, environmental cleanup and ‘green’ technologies, and novel materials design for applications ranging from medical and energy uses to advanced manufacturing for 25 years.  Most recently, he has helped lead a collaborative effort with faculty at FIT to develop environmentally-benign methods for recycling of cotton textiles to support a circular economy.  He has served as Principal Investigator for multi-year programs supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation related to both materials science and engineering education, resulting in over 100 peer-reviewed publications.  In addition, he has been a Member of the National Academies Committee for Development and Implementation of a Cleanup Technology Roadmap for DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, been named a Fellow of the NSF-supported SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) program, has led the SUNY focus group on Digital and Additive Manufacturing for the Network of Excellence on Materials and Advanced Manufacturing and has served on a steering committee on additive manufacturing for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.   He is currently the director of Additive Manufacturing Materials, Prototyping and Applications Center (AMPAC) and the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates site for Nanotechnology for Health, Energy and the Environment at Stony Brook.

Nicole Heim is a creative director and interdisciplinary designer recognized for her forward-thinking approach. Passionate about bold vision and discerning design, she helps brands of varying scales envision and execute cohesive narratives and sound strategies across brand creative, product design, and sustainability. She is the cofounder of award-winning womenswear brand, Cienne, and has worked in luxury fashion, sportswear, and non-profits. In 2016, Nicole was named one of “Five Designers Breathing New Life Into Sustainable Fashion” by W Magazine and one of “9 People Revolutionizing Their Industries” by Brooklyn Magazine. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, Vogue Italia, Porter, Fast Company, Forbes, Elle, and more.

State Senator Brad Hoylman represents New York's 27th State Senate District, which covers much of the heart of Manhattan, including the neighborhoods of Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, the Upper West Side, Midtown/East Midtown, Columbus Circle, Times Square, Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village, the East Village and Lower East Side. Brad was first elected to the State Senate in November 2012. Prior to his election, he had a long career in nonprofit law. Brad is the chair of the Policy Committee for the Senate Democratic Conference and the Chairman of the the Judiciary Committee. Senator Hoylman is a strong advocate for government reform, tenants’ rights, neighborhood preservation, public education, the environment and mass transit. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School, West Virginia University and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes scholar. Brad lives in Greenwich Village with his husband David Sigal, a filmmaker, and their two young daughters.

Amy Johnson lives in LA, near the beach with her two free-spirited teenaged daughters and their two small and loud dogs. She wears a variety of colorful hats, but spends much of her time working as an “Integrator." As an Integrator she helps individuals and businesses launch cutting edge creative projects and map the most effectively efficient path to their greatest impact. Amy’s unique blend of problem solving and business acumen forged as she rose through the ranks in Hollywood. As an Entertainment Executive at New Line Cinema, she was instrumental in producing and acquiring films at Academy Award winning level.  She has over 30 years experience producing films, theater and entrepreneurial endeavors. She is currently Executive Director of Master & Muse by Amber Valletta, the premier lifestyle brand for responsibly made fashion. Out of this this collaboration, Amy co-founded A2 Films with Amber, which also focuses on sustainability through producing film and media projects such as Driving Fashion Forward for Lexus’, and Reinventing Power for Sierra Club, and The Changing Room with The Copenhagen Fashion Summit. She serves as a CFDA + Lexus Fashion* Initiative, mentor to young fashion brands, and she serves as a board member for the Environmental Media Association. Through her "Integration" business, Amy Johnson Company, Amy uses executive level “best practices” from her work in media, production, sustainability, fashion, and being a mom to help clients integrate their values into all they do, including business and home life - promoting balance through creative solutions and a seamless flow between work/home life.

Dr. Arthur Kopelman is a population ecologist whose research interests include the populations of fin and humpback whales of New York and New England. Since 2006, using photo-identification, Dr. Kopelman has been examining the site fidelity of harbor seals at Cupsogue Beach Park in Westhampton Beach, NY. He received his BA from Queens College, CUNY, and his PhD, from The Graduate School and University Center of CUNY. Dr. Kopelman is the president (since 2005) of CRESLI (Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island). Dr. Kopelman is also board member of Save the Great South Bay. Dr. Kopelman is a Full Professor of Science in the Department of Science and Mathematics, Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY). In May 2010, Dr. Kopelman was appointed a Distinguished Service Professor by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. Distinguished Professorship is the highest honor conferred upon instructional faculty in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

Prior to joining Conservation International, Khoo was the chief marketing officer for the Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest organization dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer equality. She led historic marketing efforts associated with three U.S. Supreme Court cases, federal legislation ranging from the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don’t Tell' to the introduction of the Equality Act, five election cycles and many other media moments that have helped change the course of history. Khoo was the architect many of HRC’s high-profile public relations campaigns, including its “red equal sign” campaign, which Facebook declared was one of the most successful viral efforts in the site's history. Khoo is a popular commentator on marketing and digital media issues giving interviews in a wide variety of publications including Today, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post. She’s given celebrated presentations at conferences like The Guardian’s Activate London Summit and SXSW, and she volunteers her time to share what she’s learned with other socially minded nonprofits and brands. Her work has garnered top honors including Mashable's Best Social Media Campaign; PR Week's Best Digital Campaign; PR News’ Best Social Good Campaign; and SXSW’s Best Digital Campaign, Best Social Media Campaign, and its highly coveted Best in Show. Khoo has also received a wide variety of accolades including Digital Innovator of the Year, Gamechanger, and PR News’ Top Women in PR.

Amy Lemmon, PhD, is Professor and Chairperson of English and Communication Studies at FIT, where she teaches courses in writing, literature, and creativity studies. The recipient of a SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and the FIT Faculty Excellence Award, Lemmon is the author of five collections of poetry, most recently The Miracles, forthcoming from C&R Press in May. Her poems, essays, and translations have appeared in The Best American Poetry, Rolling Stone, Verse, and many other magazines and anthologies, and her work has been translated into Chinese and Spanish. Lemmon has received a number of fellowships and awards for her writing, given talks and performances at numerous venues, and has served on the faculty of the West Chester Poetry Conference (PA). Co-creator and editor of The CDC Poetry Project, she has judged the Poetry Out Loud NYC regional competition since 2015 and in 2019 judged the New York State Finals. In 2017 she and Dr. Arthur Kopelman were awarded an FIT Sustainability Grant for Communicating Climate Change, a cross-curricular program focusing on strategies for communicating the causes and effects of climate change to a wider audience.

Since joining charity: water in 2010, Lauren Letta has played a key role in helping build the organization from a bold vision into a 75+ person enterprise that has brought clean water to more than 8 million people around the world. As Chief Operating Officer, Lauren has been instrumental in creating the framework that has enabled the organization to grow into the leading nonprofit that it is today. As COO, Lauren has been a driving force in shaping charity: water’s employee-centric culture and non-traditional structure. Under her leadership, the organization has remained committed to encouraging bold creativity, collaboration, and innovation. She’s built an entrepreneurial-minded team that is as passionate about the mission now as it was on day one. Lauren’s role currently includes overseeing major campaigns, special projects and production, with an emphasis on marketing and brand development. She ensures all departments are working together effectively and empowers teams to find new ways to solve problems, become expert storytellers, and push boundaries to create the best possible experience for charity: water supporters. Lauren was recently named to Crain’s New York Business’ list of “40 Under 40” in recognition of her career achievements. Prior to joining charity: water, Lauren worked in fashion and entertainment. She managed global campaigns and partnerships for companies like Warner Bros., Saks Fifth Avenue and Swarovski. An Ohio native, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Dayton. Lauren lives in Brooklyn with her husband Michael and their daughter Siena.

Phillip Lim was born in Thailand in 1973 to Chinese immigrant parents who later fled to Southern California to escape Cambodia's civil war, where his mother found work as a seamstress and his father became a professional poker player. While his mother clearly had an early influence on his ethos, Lim didn’t fantasize of being a designer. Instead he studied finance for three years at California State University of Long Beach, but soon found himself switching to a degree in home economics. Phillip Lim debuted his eponymous brand, 3.1 Phillip Lim, in the fall of 2005, with business partner and friend, Wen Zhou, bucking the ostentatious runway trends of the time. His line of youthfully elegant wardrobe classics with a twist, was an instant sensation and adored by critics, fashion editors and customers alike. Widespread recognition of Lim’s talent and accolades quickly followed, including the 2006 Fashion Group International Women’s Designer ‘Rising Star’ Award, the 2007 CFDA Swarovski Award in Womenswear, the 2012 CFDA Swarovski Award in Menswear, and the 2013 CFDA Award for Accessories Designer of the Year. After nearly fifteen years in business, Lim as creative director and co-founder of 3.1 Phillip Lim, finds himself at the helm of a pioneering modern luxury brand, designing women’s, men’s, accessories, and footwear - making him one of the most talented and successful young designers today.

Meghan Marsden is one of three female co-founders of Veil Intimates. Meghan knew from a young age she wanted to impact business and eventually run her own companies. Within a few short years of working for others, she founded several of her own companies by her mid-twenties. Her career path has always been influenced with improving sustainability, creating efficiencies, and minimizing environmental impact in varying industries from logistics, healthcare, and real estate. Veil Intimates provides inclusive sizing support in women’s foundations and
sports bras with a mass customization approach, bridging the gap between the traditional support of an underwire and the consumer’s desire for comfort. Through engineering simulation, VI has leveraged the knowledge of
biomechanics for a more thoughtful approach of customized support. VI utilizes on-demand additive manufacturing to provide existing brands a component that is easily integrated into their existing product line and designs, while minimizing excess inventory.

Suzanne McGillicuddy is an Assistant Dean of Students at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she also serves as Co-Chair of the President’s Sustainability Council. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Vermont and a Master of Science in College Student Personnel from the University of Rhode Island. At FIT she spearheaded establishment of the "Think Big Challenge," the campus incubator for student applications to the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) through which she advises applicants and mentors FIT's Natural Dye Garden, campus compost projects, FIT Hives, and other teams that have attended CGI U since 2014. She is Chair of the Community Advisory Board (CAB) for WFUV Public Radio. The CAB determines the themes for WFUV Strike-a-Chord campaigns which bring awareness to community issues and organizations each quarter. Since she’s been on the CAB, they have featured a sustainability-related theme at least once a year including a recent campaign on reducing waste and an upcoming one on energy conservation. ACPA: College Student Educators International recently appointed her Chair of Pre-Convention programs for their 2020 conference in Nashville. In December 2017 City & State named Suzanne as one of the Responsible 100, an award that honors recipients for being among the 100 New Yorkers who are “setting new standards of excellence, dedication and leadership in improving their communities and making transformative change in New York.”

From 2015 to 2019, Caroline Palmer was the director of editorial strategy, social media, and video for Amazon Fashion where she worked to develop, create, and execute the brand's innovative digital marketing strategies. Prior to her tenure at Amazon, she spent seven years as the editor of Vogue.com, working directly with Anna Wintour on translating the iconic brand’s business for a new digitally engaged audience, a role that included spearheading the launch of site. Palmer has also worked for The New York Times, Real Simple, Seventeen, Vogue, and the Public Theater. She is a three-time Webby Award winner and an inductee to Media Industry Newsletter’s Digital Hall of Fame, and she sits on the Board of Directors of the FIT Foundation.

Karen Pearson, PhD, is a Professor of Science and Mathematics at FIT and the Co-Chair of FIT’s Sustainability Council. She is SUNY Chancellor’s award winner for Excellence in Teaching, has been noted as one of the 100 most inspiring women in STEM and is a recipient of the FIT’s Presidents Award for Excellence. Pearson has extensive work in the development of interdisciplinary STEAM curricula and programming at FIT and is the recipient of multiple research/program awards, including the National Science Foundation and Nation Endowment of the Arts. Her research outside of the classroom is focused on the design, synthesis and application of new materials that have potential in low energy devices such as thin film transistors (TFTs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Grażyna Piłatowicz is a full-time faculty member in the Interior Design Department at FIT/SUNY where she is teaching design studios, research and programming, and a course based on her book: Eco–Interiors: A Guide to Environmentally Conscious Interior Design. She initiated, developed, and launched the Sustainable Interior Environments Graduate Program at FIT. She is one of the leaders of sustainability efforts at her college and served as a co-chair of the FIT President's Sustainability Council. Her professional practice includes work as an in-house
interior designer for one of the nation’s largest non-profit substance abuse education, prevention, and treatment agency. She holds an MA in Art History from KUL in Poland, and a BFA in Interior Design from FIT/SUNT. She is NCIDQ certified, LEED accredited, and an active professional member of IDEC, IIDA, and US GBC.

Cynthia Power is the Director of Renew, the take back and resale program of EILEEN FISHER, Inc. Renew brings back worn and torn EILEEN FISHER clothing and keeps it at its highest value and best use through resale and reuse.

Ajoy K. Sarkar is a Professor in the Textile Development and Marketing Department at FIT. He holds undergraduate degrees in chemistry and textile chemistry from the University of Mumbai and MS and PhD degrees in textile sciences from the University of Georgia. His expertise includes fibers, textile coloration, finishing, product development, textile testing and analysis, and applying textile technology to design. His areas of research are sustainable textiles and smart protective textiles. Sarkar is the author/co-author of over 45 publications and has presented at numerous national and international conferences. He also serves as an associate editor for the AATCC Journal of Research and is a member of the International Textile and Apparel Association.

Theanne Schiros, PhD, is an assistant professor of Science at FIT. She served as FIT’s coordinator and faculty lead for the international Biodesign Challenge from 2016 to 2018, guiding students on how to rethink textiles through technology, biology, and sustainable design. Schiros is also a principal investigator in the Columbia University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). In the MRSEC, Schiros leads a highly collaborative multidisciplinary program applying synchrotron-based techniques to investigate 2D nanomaterials for next-generation, low-power electronics, and she explores biofabrication of materials for sustainable textiles and biomedical applications. Schiros is engaged in international sustainable development with organizations such as Engineers Without Borders (Haiti), There Is No Limit Foundation (West Africa), and the Finca Morpho Permaculture Collective (Costa Rica). She has published her work in numerous peer-reviewed journals and has been the recipient of multiple grants to support this work, including the National Geographic Chasing Genius Award and the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge Award for development of a kelp-based bioyarn for circular lifecycle textile applications, and has served as a United Nations ECOWAS Fellow or Sustainable Energy Engineering (West African States), a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Fellow, and an Energy Frontier Research Center Fellow for sustainable energy systems and next-generation photovoltaic devices in the area of nanomaterials science and engineering.

Jessica Schreiber is the Founder of FABSCRAP, which provides convenient pickup and recycling of fabric scraps from businesses in New York City and creates opportunities for reuse. Prior to launching FABSCRAP, she was responsible for New York City’s textile recycling and e-waste recycling contracts and programs as a Senior Manager in the Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability at the Department of Sanitation. She has a Master’s degree in Climate and Society from the Earth Institute at Columbia University and was recently featured in Apparel Magazine’s Top Elite Under 30.

Marybeth Schmitt has been an influential voice in the fashion industry for over 25 years. She is best known for shaping, elevating, positioning and branding some of the most iconic names in the worlds of both high fashion and global mass fashion. After graduating from FIT, Marybeth launched her career at leading fashion communication and
creative services agency KCD. She followed that with a successful stint in media as a senior fashion editor at both Elle and Allure magazines. Marybeth then returned to KCD to lead the PR team, working with high fashion luxury designers including Donatella Versace, Tom Ford, YSL and Marc Jacobs. She then turned her eye toward mass brands working with close friend handbag designer Kate Spade and later Tommy Hilfiger. From 2011 to 2019 Marybeth
was North American Communication Director for H&M where she led all strategic communications, collaborations, partnerships and sponsorships. Marybeth is currently launching a new consulting venture that will focus on brand collaborations, social/environmental sustainability, cause marketing and philanthropic initiatives in the fashion and art worlds.

Céline Semaan is a Designer, Advocate, Writer and Founder of both Slow Factory and The Library; her focus is on sustainable literacy in the fashion industry and beyond. Céline is a MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, and shares her research on publications like The Cut, Elle, Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, and Refinery29, she has coined the term #FashionActivism and is the curator of Study Hall Conferences an open education non-profit who collaborates with MIT Media Lab and the United Nations Office for Partnerships.

Tabea started her fashion career working on the product side for several start-ups and small businesses in New York in 2007. In 2011, she moved to Los Angeles and started the Ethical Style column at GOOD magazine. By 2012, she led Reformation's west coast office as development and production manager - before the company had a website. By 2015, she had worked her way up to Head of Product, leading all sourcing, development & production as the company's revenues grew over 10-fold. From there, she co-founded Futuremade, a sustainable innovation agency that implements better practices along the supply chain of established apparel companies. She also recently started Product Guild which merges the considerations of relevant design, excellent product and sound supply chain operations into holistic and viable solutions for start-up fashion brands. She loves the question: how can we make excellent product - for people, planet, profit? Today, she strategically advises and consults on product and business strategy for digitally-native CPG start-ups, as well as operational sustainability strategy for larger corporations.

Melanie Steiner is a senior retail and apparel executive with over 25 years of experience in risk, strategy, and sustainability. In 2012, she was appointed the chief risk officer for PVH, a $9 billion Fortune 500 global apparel company with iconic lifestyle brands including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Heritage Brands. As a member of PVH’s senior management team, Steiner is responsible for managing all of PVH’s risk functions globally as well as several regional operational functions that together include internal audit, cybersecurity and data privacy, insurance, enterprise risk management, crisis management, inventory management, and procurement. She also leads PVH’s corporate social responsibility group and is a globally
recognized expert in the field. Prior to PVH, Steiner held a leadership position at EY Canada in the advisory practice where she developed the client-facing climate change and sustainability services practice. She began her career as an attorney, specializing in international environmental law and policy. Steiner is passionate about using her platform to mentor, inspire and develop talent, as well as to give back. She currently serves as a member of the PVH Inclusion and Diversity Council, was a founding member of the company’s Women’s Leadership Council, and is the executive sponsor of the Working Parents Business Resource Group (BRG). She is also an active board member and advisor to a number of organizations.

Nadja is the first female member of the Executive Board of
Swarovski, the world’s leading crystal manufacturer, which was founded in the Austrian alps by her great-great-grandfather Daniel Swarovski in 1895. Nadja’s career at the family business started in the mid-1990s, and her collaborative relationships with a series of exceptional creative talents have established her as one of the 21st century’s most significant patrons of design. Today she drives the brand strategy of the company, which turns over €3.5 billion a year. Since 2012, Nadja has also led Swarovski’s global sustainability efforts, embedding responsible, ethical and environmental standards in the company’s business practices. Products such as its pioneering lead-free Advanced Crystal, for example, are manufactured using methods that minimize harm to people and the planet. She continues to advocate for conscious luxury and strives to ensure that sustainability is built into all key business decisions to align Swarovski’s efforts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2017 the company published its fourth Sustainability Report, setting out its vision for the future - aligning luxury with a drive for positive change. Nadja is also Chairperson of the Swarovski Foundation, which she established in 2013 to consolidate
Swarovski’s long-term commitment to charitable giving, by supporting projects that foster culture and creativity, promote human empowerment and conserve natural resources.

Danielle Trofe is the founder of Danielle Trofe Design, a Brooklyn-based design studio that creates innovative solutions at the intersection of science, technology and design, Danielle aims to encourage a departure from conventional materials and production techniques in search of long-term, sustainable solutions. With an emphasis on biofabrication and biomimicry, much of her work upholds a fundamental value of nature and embodies a systems thinking approach that benefits all life on this planet.

Amber Valletta appeared on her first Vogue at age 18 and is one of the few top models that holds the record for the most U.S. Vogue covers in history—a total of 13. She has appeared as the face of Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Loewe, David Yurman, Gucci, and Giorgio Armani as well as appearing in multiple Prada and Versace campaigns. Seeking to blend her love of fashion with her values led to the launch of Master & Muse by Amber Valletta, a premier online store that offers stylish, cutting-edge, responsibly made fashion, that is created and produced by sustainable designers. Valletta is a highly respected speaker at global conferences about fashion and sustainability. She has worked with international organizations and events such as the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award, Sustainable Brands Conference, and SXSW Eco. She also lends her mentorship to the CFDA Sustainable Fashion Initiative and is on the advisory boards of Cradle to Cradle (Fashion +), Environmental Media Association, and Nest. She co-founded A Squared Films LLC, producing projects to entertain, educate, and inspire social change. Her credits include Driving Fashion Forward for Lexus’s L/Studio; Who Made Your Clothes? a Fashion Revolution Week viral video; Reinventing Power for The Sierra Club; and The Changing Room, a global campaign and short film (in development) to ignite change and vitally address the impact of the fashion industry on the climate crisis.

Karen Wood is the founder of Neu Nomads, a sustainable women’s wear collection based in New York. She is also the head of merchandising, marketing. and oversees daily business operations. Prior to founding Neu Nomads, she served as vice president of sales and development for Maiyet, a sustainable and ethical women’s brand. As head of sales, she also oversaw all wholesale partnerships, including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-a-Porter, and Lane Crawford. Prior to Maiyet, she was head of business development for Fleur du Mal, providing executive leadership, strategy, and organizational expertise to launch the brand through direct to consumer and wholesale channels. Working directly with the CEO, Wood established an infrastructure, recruited talent, managed internal and external resources, third party logistics, and public relations. She led the brand launch into major retailers and played an instrumental role in merchandising. Earlier in her career as sales director for The Globe Showroom, Wood developed and executed a strategy that expanded wholesale distribution for women’s contemporary and CFDA designers. During her tenure, she expanded the portfolio from six to 20 brands and oversaw all business operations, encompassing sales, marketing and merchandising. Wood began her career with the prestigious UBS Investment Bank as an investment banking analyst. As part of the financial sponsors group, she performed business analysis and due diligence on potential investments and financings for private equity firms and built complex financial models to evaluate IPOs, leveraged buyouts, and debt/equity transactions.

Best known for his role in setting up—and then taking down—the cyberwarfare firm Cambridge Analytica, Chris Wylie has been listed in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Politico’s 50 Most Influential People in Politics and Business Insider’s 100 Coolest People in Tech. Wylie’s revelations exposing the rampant misuse of data rocked Silicon Valley and forced numerous Fortune 500 companies to overhaul cybersecurity and user privacy practices. With his neon hair and candour, Wylie engages audiences around the world and makes AI understandable, disturbing, and yet somehow compelling. His stories about the power of weaponized algorithms and information warfare have garnered audiences of over 15,000 people at leading global events, including Web Summit, the Royal Institute for International Affairs, the European Commission, and Forbes 30 Under 30. As director of research for H&M, one of the world’s largest global fashion brands, Wylie is working to quantifying fashion style with AI systems is already having a major impact on the fashion sector. A recognized expert in cultural trend forecasting, Wylie also writes for the youth culture and fashion magazine Dazed and has been featured in Vogue, GQ, Esquire, and PAPER.