With three decades of experience in the fashion and lifestyle industry, Jeanine Ballone harnesses her vast experience and knowledge of building results-driven solutions to create a of responsibility has helped her cultivate expertise in global sourcing, product development, technology innovation, production, and business analysis. She creates innovative, cutting-edge solutions that pioneer innovation and maximize brand objectives and profitability while maintaining levels of sustainability that improve the social and environmental impacts of the fashion industry.
As Managing Director of Fashion 4 Development (F4D), Ms. Ballone spearheads a global platform that works to establish and launch responsible materials, technology, and product development in the fashion and lifestyle industries. Fashion 4 Development is a private sector global platform that launched in 2011 in cooperation with the Office of the UN Secretary General. F4D supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as well as the “Every Woman, Every Child” Initiative. She works with various United Nation offices including the building of a new platform in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The goal has always been to build a better world, using her experience and knowledge to push the industry forward. With multiple patents and creative development strategies, Ms. Ballone has championed environmental sustainability practices at all levels of the industry.
Her expertise has been instrumental in developing the World Collective, a globally minded supply chain resource hub for transformative innovation. Through innovation, action, and communication, the World Collective harnesses the economy of scale, invests in regenerative practices, and works toward the goals of sustainability. Additionally, she leads quarterly digital publication, reClothe that works to inform and educate fashion and lifestyle industry professionals on the next generation of circular economy and how to positively impact the value chain. Built by industry professionals, experts, scientists, and academics, reClothe provides solutions, technology, fabric suppliers, dye houses, and finishers currently working on sustainable and scalable standards.
Ms. Ballone has spent two decades of her career leading product development, supply chain, and innovation for some of the largest global apparel brands (including The Otto Group, Calvin Klein & Tommy Hilfiger.) Additionally, she has built & led international product development and supply chain operations, specifically in Asia, India, Turkey, and Germany. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, American College of London & the Harvard University Design Thinking Program.
Her time in India especially opened her eyes to the need for more responsible and sustainable practices, and in 2011 she founded the non-profit Zero to Hero to provide better living and working conditions for the women and children involved in the rural cotton industry. Ms. Ballone has used her experience and expertise to drive sustainability and champion environmental and social practices throughout the fashion and lifestyle industry. She continues to believe in the industry’s ability to build a better world.
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.
With a decade of working with luxury companies, start-ups, and non-profit organizations, I am supporting Fashion companies towards responsible business operations and Circular Economy models. Driving business transformation through Supply Chain strategy, disruptive innovation, and best ESG practices. I am influenced by a multicultural background and recognized for delivering results, leading new initiatives, and change with a love of learning and collaborating on positive impacts projects.
Amol Bhorkar is a seasoned executive with end-to-end experience across the value chain and brings forth a unique duality with his fluency across fashion & technology.
With 20+ years in progressive leadership roles, he has led cross-functional teams across continents and unlocked business value through a relentless focus on product innovation, supply chain efficiencies and strategic partnerships, with some of the world’s leading brands, retailers, and manufacturers. He currently heads the US liaison office of a large manufacturing group where he is responsible for growing their revenue pipeline and directing the overall strategy across product development, sourcing, and supply chain operations.
Amol holds a degree in manufacturing technology from NIFT India and most recently completed a post-graduate program in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from UT Austin. As a lifelong learner, he has expanded his sphere of knowledge and applications in areas as diverse as Blockchain, IoT, AI via programs from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Fashion & Sustainability from London College of Fashion & Agile Product Management from Product School and brings a diverse toolkit as an enabler of digital transformation projects.
Amol is passionate about leveraging technology to solve fashion and retail’s hardest problems and playing an active role in building retail’s new tech-stack as the industry reinvents itself.
Sharn Sandor, founder of Stratagreen Solutions, has spent the span of her career focusing on a combination of supply-chain, packaging and trims, compliance, regulatory and sustainability initiatives. Sharn received her BS in Fashion Merchandising Management from The Fashion Institute of Technology and her MA in Fashion and the Environment from the London College of Fashion. Sharn has worked with multinational corporations and startups, having worked and lived across the USA, Europe and Asia. Sharn has held leadership roles with multi stakeholder groups such as AFIRM and BAHP. Sharn believes in doing what’s right for the people and planet, and naturally the power of collaboration plays a key role in her work.
Kathleen Livingston is a marketing and creative team leader who supports forward-thinking companies with missions that include fostering positive social change and environmental responsibility. She develops marketing strategy, leads creative development, and drives organizational success by linking output to the team’s mission. Website: https://klivingston.biz/
Chloe Goldman is a 2022 graduate from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology with a B.S. in Fiber Science and a minor in Design and Environmental Analysis. Her expertise is in the analysis and development of fibers, fabrics, and textiles including natural, synthetic and non-woven materials and environmental implications throughout the supply chain As World Collective’s Operations Coordinator and now their Innovation Platform Analyst, Chloe is able to pursue her passion for material innovation and sustainability while helping to evolve the apparel industry.
