Doors Open with Fusion
September 23, 2024 | BUILDING THE FUTURE THROUGH FUSION
- This is the tentative run of show. Time and other session elements may change until September 19.
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Announcer: Ambriel Pouncy, CEO and Founder Fusion Fashion Tech Summit
- Welcoming Remarks
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
Jonathan Schulhof (NYCEDC-Executive Vice President for Innovation Industries)
- Opening ceremony: NYC Fashion Manufacturing Future
Jonathan Schulhof has 20 years of investment experience in venture capital and private equity serving as co-founder and CEO of FootPrint Coalition Ventures, a VC firm with 26 investments in sustainable technology companies; and GTI Capital Group, an India-focused private equity firm. He previously started and monetized several VC-backed sustainable tech companies including ColdWatt (sold to Flex), Glori Energy (IPO on Nasdaq), and Motivate, operator of Citibike (sold to Lyft). In addition to his cleantech work, Jon is a technology angel investor. He serves on the Board of Saturn Technologies, FootPrint Coalition Ventures, and GTI Capital Group, as well as the Urban Resiliency Board for the New York City Partnership. Jon holds a law degree from Stanford and attended Dartmouth College.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Moderator: Jasmin Malik Chua (Sourcing and Labor Editor, Sourcing Journal)
- Threads of Change: Envisioning Fashion's Circular and Sustainable Future
- Sonia Park (NYCEDC-Vice President for Innovation Industries)
- Rachel Kibbe (Circular Services Group and ACT)
- Navroop Sahdev (CEO, The Digital Economist)
- Mel Rose Wild, (Founder, Decision Society and Permaculture Capital)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
This opening session will envision fashion's circular and sustainable future. The session features Sonia Park of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, who will share insights on urban development planning in NYC, the transformation of underutilized industrial facilities, sustainability, and community partnerships. Rachel Kibbe, CEO of Circular Services Group and ACT (American Circular Textiles), Navroop Sahdev, (CEO, The Digital Economist), and Mel Rose Wild, (Founder,Decision Society and Permaculture Capital) will join the discussion to share their perspectives on the path towards a more circular and sustainable fashion ecosystem.
11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Moderator: Martyna Zastawna (European Investment Bank, and woshwosh)
- Exhibition: Gathered Cloths VR Experience
- Mira Musank (Founder and Creative Director of Fafafoom Studio)
- Iris Pan ( VR/XR Experience Designer)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
This session will showcase a VR exhibition from Fafafoom Studio founder Mira Musank in collaboration with XR Experience Designer Iris Pan, highlighting the intersection of fashion, technology, and immersive experiences to counter climate change. The presentation will raise more awareness about textile waste, offering interactivity through a VR game.
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Moderator: Janett Haas (SVP Research and Insights, Forbes)
- How it all breaks down. Is Urban Development Forecasting and Biomimicry the Answer to a Circular Fashion Industry?
- Ann Lee-Jeffs (Founder, Sustainability Women in the World)
- Tricia Carey (Board Member, Transformers Foundation and Accelerating Circularity)
- Amanda Sturgeon (CEO, Biomimicry Institute)
- Michelle Valle (CEO, FinSat)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
This panel will delve into the potential of biomimicry as a solution to the fashion industry's sustainability and circularity challenges.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Moderator: Sarah Kornfeld (Co-Founder, Rising Partners)
- Accelerating Circularity and Transforming Economies Through Remanufactured Textiles and Regenerative Feedstock
- Jo Marini (CEO and Co-Founder, Mothership Materials)
- Cynthia Power (Founder, Molte Volte)
- Elizabeth Aderinola (Senior Garment Technologist and Ethical Compliance Consultant)
- Shannen Kaylia Henry (CEO, Kaylia Group, Founder and Executive Director at Council on Sustainable Fashion and Design of Grenada )
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
This session explores material innovations that are driving a more sustainable and circular fashion future. Speakers discuss remanufacturing textile techniques, regenerative feedstocks and materials, nature-inspired fashion design, and the role of circular technologies in transforming fashion economies. An overarching perspective on these interconnected themes is also provided.
All food must be capable of being digested, and that what produces digestion is warmth; that is why everything that has soul in it possesses warmth. - ARISTOTLE
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Moderator: Jasmin Malik Chua (Sourcing and Labor Editor, Sourcing Journal)
- Regulations Imperative to Our Global Slow Fashion's Future
- Liv Simpliciano (Policy and Research Manager, Fashion Revolution)
- Nina Shariati (Global Trade Expert, United Nations)
- Danielle Corcione (Executive Committee Member, Chair ESG + Sustainability, CSG Law)
- Ann Rosenberg (Sustainability & Responsible AI Advisor & Board Member, SustainabilityIT.org)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
New regulations are increasing transparency and incentivizing circular business models in the US. The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and France's Anti-Waste Law are driving greater ESG disclosure and product repairability standards. Additionally, the EU's Product Environmental Footprint framework and European Green Deal are establishing harmonized impact assessments and emissions targets for fashion brands. Collectively, these policies and initiatives combined with required DPPs implementation are poised to reshape the landscape of slow fashion, by incentivizing more sustainable materials, production, and business practices across the global industry.
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Moderator: Jean Criss (Founder and CEO, Jean Criss Media & CRISSCROSS Intimates)
- Jewelry and Style’s Ethical Transformation: Digital Innovation, Blockchain, Digital Twins, and AI for Good
- Camille Merré (CEO and Co-Founder, Camille Louise Jewellery)
- Aline d'Ambricourt (CEO and Co-Founder, AtriaGem Labs SA)
- Cleo Escarez (Founder and CEO, Redyoos)
- Robin Lim (Co-Founder and CEO, Evermore Labs)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
This session will focus on the ethical transformation of the jewelry and fashion industry, with a focus on the role of AI, DPP, digital innovations and ethical sourcing.
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Moderator: Neha Goel (Founder & CEO Darzy.AI and Chair Women in AI at AI 2030)
- The Eternal Runway: Blockchain, AI, Digital Collectibles, and Waste-to-Textile Innovation: Accelerating Circularity
- Sarah Endline (Founder and CEO, Sazzy and Harvard)
- Marisa Zalabak (Chair, Global Methodologies, Planet Positive 2030 (IEEE.org) & Senior Fellow Applied AI, The Digital Economist)
- Julie Davitz (Founder and CEO Plus Media Solutions)
- Karen Pearson (Chair FIT Sustainability Council Professor | Chairperson Department of Science and Mathematics)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
This session explores material innovations that are driving a more sustainable and circular fashion future. Speakers discuss remanufacturing textile techniques, regenerative feedstocks and materials, nature-inspired fashion design, and the role of circular technologies in transforming fashion economies. An overarching perspective on these interconnected themes is also provided.
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Moderator: Jean Criss (Founder and CEO, Jean Criss Media & CRISSCROSS Intimates)
- Upcycled Fashion: Transforming Waste into Treasure
- Irys Kornbluth (COO, Everywhere)
- Martyna Zastawna (Climate Expert, EIB and woshwosh)
- Mira Musank (Founder and Creative Director, Fafafoom Studio)
- Anne Warren (Founder, Next Season)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
The panel will highlight innovative approaches to upcycling and repurposing textile waste, demonstrating how designers and entrepreneurs are creating value from discarded materials. The discussion will explore the challenges and opportunities in scaling upcycled fashion, as well as the environmental and social impact of these initiatives.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Moderator: Martyna Zastawna (European Investment Bank, and woshwosh)
- A Cultural Renaissance: Preserving Tradition and Fostering Innovation in the Digital Age
- Nayana Kodesia (Founder and Creative Director, NYNA and Dumroo)
- Stuti Jalan (Founder, Women Inspiring Network (WIN)
- Clementina "The Sustainable Latina" (Founder, Circular Fashion Designer, Storyteller and Filmmaker)
- Mahak Agrawal (Global Sustainability Spokesperson of Climate Clock, Founder/Initiator of All Bits Count Initiative, and Steering Board Member of ITACUS)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
This session will examine how fashion brands and designers are finding innovative ways to preserve traditional craftsmanship and cultural heritage while embracing digital technologies. The speakers will share insights on how they are using digital tools and platforms to showcase and celebrate diverse cultural narratives, while also driving sustainability and inclusivity in the industry.
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Moderator: Jean Criss (Founder and CEO, Jean Criss Media & CRISSCROSS Intimates)
- Immersive Fashion in the Metaverse: Exploring XR Gaming, Digital Accessibility and Art in Web3 and Beyond
- Tracy Greenan (Founder and CEO, A.U.R.A.)
- Astrid Pilla (Founder, Meta Fashion House)
- Meenakshi Das (Software Engineer, Microsoft)
- Charlene Nichols (Chief Imagineer, The Omniverse City)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
This panel will explore the intersection of fashion, technology, and art in the Metaverse and how extended reality (XR) gaming and digital platforms are reshaping the fashion landscape, making it more accessible and inclusive. Speakers will also discuss the potential of these platforms to create new types of fashion experiences, digital garments, and virtual shopping environments, and how brands can leverage these innovations to engage with consumers in more immersive and interactive ways.
4:00- 4:30 PM
Moderator: Sally Qiu (Co-Director of Fashion, Energy, and Climate Network Columbia University)
- Driving the Future: Next-Gen Voices on Sustainable Fashion Innovation
- Melissa Martinez ( Junior, Fashion Institute of Technology)
- Acacia Boerboom ( Graduate Student, Founder and Editor, Algae Magazine)
- Ellis O' Brien (Freshman, Fordham University)
- Emerson Rain (Recent Graduate, Dickinson College)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Join us for an inspiring panel discussion, featuring a dynamic group of young sustainability-minded fashion innovators from college students to recent graduates. This panel will explore the challenges and opportunities these future leaders face as they navigate the intersecting worlds of fashion, technology, and sustainability. Through a series of thought-provoking questions, we will explore their innovative ideas, personal motivations, and visions for a more sustainable and inclusive fashion industry. This session aims to highlight the crucial role of the next generation in shaping a circular, equitable, and technology-driven future in fashion.
4:30 PM - 4:45 PM | Presentation and Musical Performance
Moderator: Sally Qiu (Co-Director of Fashion, Energy, and Climate Network, Columbia University)
- Cultural Threads: Dellasie Aning's Impact on Fashion, Music, and Social Change
- Dellasie Aning (Founder, Panalove)
- SDGs Championed
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
During this lightning talk, our guest speaker and performer, Dellasie Aning will explore her multifaceted role as a musician, philanthropist, and innovator. As the founder of the NGO, The Panalove Foundation, Dellasie actively combats the health risks associated with harmful skin lightening products. Her advocacy extends to accelerating the use of decentralized technologies to empower local designers and artists in Ghana and the entire continent of Africa. As the niece of Nobel laureate Kofi Annan, Dellasie continues a legacy of humanitarian and sustainable efforts. Following her talk, Dellasie will close the Fusion Fashion Tech Summit with an electrifying performance, making her presentation a pivotal closing highlight of the summit.
The Future of the Fashion Industry Requires Fusion
Collaboration | Innovation | Inclusion | Slow Fashion