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Episode 8

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Published on:

21st Apr 2024

The Fabric of Innovation: Pioneering paths with fashion guru Jessica Couch

Jessica shares her journey in the fashion industry, from her early experiences with custom clothing to founding her own store, Luxor and Finch. She discusses the importance of diversity and personalization in fashion, and how technology can bridge the gap. Jessica then explains her latest venture, Looks AI, a peer-to-peer shopping platform that matches users with their digital doppelgangers based on body type and style. She emphasizes the need for education and a customer-centric approach in the fashion industry to drive innovation and inclusivity.

Jessica Couch discusses the need for fashion brands to listen to their customers and adapt to their preferences. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the consumer and creating products that solve their problems. Jessica also talks about the role of education in the fashion industry and how she is involved in developing curriculums and teaching younger generations. She shares her passion for sharing knowledge and making a positive impact in the industry. Jessica also discusses the importance of sustainability in fashion and suggests ways to improve sustainability, such as designing for longevity and balancing supply and demand.

About Jessica Couch...

Jessica Couch stands as a luminary in the Retail and Retail Tech industries, renowned for her exceptional leadership and expertise. With over a decade of experience as a Marketing and Innovation Strategy Consultant, she is celebrated for her pioneering approach in User Experience and Human-centered design for commerce. Jessica's extensive experience encompasses a broad spectrum of areas, including technology integration, agile development, product management, design thinking, and consumer insights across fashion, beauty, CPG, health, wellness, and tech sectors. Her impressive client portfolio includes industry giants like Nordstrom and Amazon.

Recognized as a trusted authority in retail tech, Jessica has provided invaluable advice to a multitude of companies, brands, and retailers. She is the mastermind behind Women of Color Worldwide, an influential community organization dedicated to women of color at the nexus of creative and technological fields, known for its signature annual brunch. Additionally, Jessica is the creator of Canna Conversations, a groundbreaking series spotlighting women in the cannabis industry.

As the founder of Looks, a pioneering personalized peer-to-peer shopping platform, Jessica continues to push the boundaries of retail innovation. Her academic and professional contributions are as remarkable as her business achievements. She has served as a former Dean’s Young Alumni Council Member at NC State Wilson College of Textiles and as an advisor for the MIT Kinetic Program. Her mentorship extends to students for whom she has developed cutting-edge curriculums in Fashion Tech. A guest writer for WWD and a Board Member of the Carnell Couch Foundation, Jessica's insights and expertise are widely sought after.

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About the Podcast

Diversity Matters
The show where every voice is welcome, and every story is celebrated.
In this podcast series, Mike moves away from the traditional DE&I rhetoric, to get a better understanding of what diversity, equity and inclusion actually means for us as individuals. Are we seeing real change? Do you feel a greater sense of belonging in your workplace and community? Each week Mike and his guest open an honest dialogue on a specific DE&I topic, some discussions will be inspirational, others might be a little uncomfortable but hopefully all will be interesting and thought provoking.

About your host

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Mike Sealy

Mike is currently the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director with a world leading exhibition and event organiser, he leads, coordinates, and champions the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging efforts across the business to ensure the long-term sustainability of the D&I strategy in relation to the company’s colleagues, customers, content and communities.
Through his own lived experiences, he is deeply passionate about fairness, equity, and inclusion for all. He is a dedicated coach, mentor, motivator, and podcaster who regularly speaks at events and on discussion panels both to corporate colleagues and students in education. He speaks candidly on his work and social experiences to create awareness of the issues and opportunities within diversity and inclusion as well as to help build confidence, freedom, and motivation in others.
Mike is British with Afro-Caribbean heritage. He is thought leader with a strong client centric and customer experience mindset and has demonstrable experience of leading teams across complex international matrixed organizations possessing a strong track record of delivering results. He has held senior leadership positions at Hewlett Packard, Microsoft and the BBC, leading and setting up businesses and organizations and has won awards for management and execution excellence in the process.