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The Social Impact Startup


Jul 13, 2020

Deanna Cook is the founder of LIYA Collective, a sustainable fashion accessory brand. Canadian born, Deanna was always curious about the world and different cultures and pursued a multidisciplinary degree in International Management, International Development, French and Spanish. After college, she taught English in Taiwan, but felt more drawn to working to support international educational initiatives rather than being a teacher herself. She worked for a non-profit in rural Tanzania, followed by a US aid project in Southeast Asia. Her travels and work experience allowed her to learn about brands, global supply chains, as well as the negative effects of globalization, like where the things that we discard end up. With an increasing interest in sustainability, the seeds for LIYA Collective were planted. Deanna wanted to build a company that promoted sustainable living on the side of the consumer, but also maintained beneficial partnerships with the experts in production around the world. Wanting to find the balance between modern and traditional, her first collection of Thai silk scarves embodies that balance beautifully. In our conversation, we discuss the parallels between traveling and building a social impact company, how to develop sustainable partnerships, and what it’s like running a startup with global supply chains remotely. We also discuss the value of routine, her advice to other founders in the ecommerce / social good space, and why it’s important to stop overthinking, and start doing. In Deanna’s words, “Something I suffered from was just spending time thinking about it, and not actually doing, but it’s in the doing that we learn and grow.” If you’re looking for inspiration to start making an impact, this is the conversation for you.

 

https://liyacollective.com/

https://www.instagram.com/liyacollective/?hl=

Our podcast theme song is "Pico & Westwood" by Esbie Fonte. For more info, visit https://www.esbiefonte.com/