In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by award-winning VC, entrepreneur, product strategist, and community builder, Lisa Morales-Hellebo.
The co-founder of The Worldwide Supply Chain Federation and REFASHIOND Ventures, as well as an active advocate for organizations that help minorities gain access to opportunities for funding, championship, and growth, Lisa is passionate about helping fashion tech and supply chain startups achieve industry adoption and scale.
Today Lisa will be talking to us about the power of technological invention and innovation; supporting ambitious start-ups; building like-minded communities; and making sustainability a priority, before it’s too late.
SHOW SPONSORS:
GoFreight
GoFreight is proud to sponsor the ‘Women in supply chain™ podcast series, recognizing women’s vital role in the industry and the need to highlight their contributions and experiences. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the supply chain field and are honored to support initiatives that empower and inspire women in their professional journeys.
GoFreight is the world’s leading cloud-based freight forwarding management system. In addition to its comprehensive core features, including business quoting, ocean and air freight processes, invoicing and payments, accounting, and finance, customers highly favor it for providing a customer-facing platform that meets the needs of freight forwarders and their clients and agents.
With GoFreight, tasks such as quoting, booking, cargo tracking, and data reporting, which traditionally required email or phone communication, can now be quickly completed through a user-friendly online platform, similar to booking flights or hotels.
For more information, visit GoFreight.
Supply & Deman Chain
This year, we received over 400 submissions for our Women in Supply Chain award, the highest amount of applications not only for this award, but also for all of our awards. What’s more, 118 of those applications were submitted by male counterparts, nominating their boss, co-worker or associate. Last year, that figure was just at 75. Also this year, 39 women self-nominated, a tremendous uptick from last year’s award, which just saw 12 self-nominations. This shows progress. This shows hope that one day, we won’t need an award like this because men and women in the supply chain will be equal,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “While there’s still more work to be done, what we’re doing is working. That’s why this award is so important to Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. From truck drivers to CEOs, what these winners are doing matters to the future of all supply chains. What these female leaders, entrepreneurs and supply chain professionals are doing continues to push the needle toward excellence, and every year, I feel blessed to celebrate these wonderful women of logistics. And we’re doing just that at this year’s Women in Supply Chain Forum, set for Nov. 14-15 in Atlanta. Go to www.WomeninSupplyChainForum to register and learn more. We’re all better together. Collaboration is key to promoting and supporting women in supply chain.
For more information, vision Supply & Demand Chain.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[06.04] Lisa shares an update on what she’s been up to since her last appearance on the show, and the awards and accolades she’s achieved.
[08.44] What awards mean for Lisa and why they’re important, particularly for women and other underrepresented groups within supply chain.
“It means an additional credential – women and people of colour are always needing to find third party validation of their expertise.”
[11.50] A closer look at Lisa’s organization REFASHIONED, what it does, and the growing portfolio of innovative companies it supports.
“We believe that supply chain and industrial transformation in the climate crisis are opposite sides of the same coin. And we are not going to solve for the problems that are impacting our planet just through software alone – you need to invest in the physical, and the cyber physical, if you’re going to create the changes we need.”
[13.23] A closer look at Lisa’s Industrial Transformation Fund; what makes it different; her disruptive approach; and the businesses that the fund is investing in.
[21.18] The importance of community; and the impact that the community Lisa is building is having on the industry, from innovation to accelerating change.
“People aren’t acting as if our planet is on fire, which it is. We need to accelerate this adoption of technologies needed to drive the paradigm shift, so that we can continue to exist on this planet.”
[23.55] Why sustainability is at the heart of everything Lisa does, and why our systems need to be completely reworked if we have a hope of stopping, and reversing, climate change.
“We need to refashion all of our systems, end-to-end, from raw material inputs to water usage through manufacturing, shipping, distribution, last mile – all of it.”
[28.24] Lisa’s advice for organizations looking to initiate change.
“Think differently. You can’t achieve different outcomes using the same systems and processes you had before. Don’t be afraid to do something differently, and always assess the impact.”
[34.15] A closer look at some of the innovations that Lisa is seeing in the industry, including a spotlight on SIMPLIFYBER, an innovative fashion brand creating the apparel of the future with its proprietary, fully-biodegradable material formula and sustainable additive manufacturing system.
[36.37] Lisa’s role as a mentor at The Founder Institute, and the array of opportunities that are now available for young people coming into the industry.
[39.17] Lisa’s approach to work/life balance and self-care, and the importance of downtime for creativity.
[41.30] The future for Lisa.
“The best way to predict the future is to build it.”
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
You can connect with Lisa over on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
