WeLearn Workshop: Unboxing Leadership and Entrepreneurship with Katie Wilhoit
“Oftentimes, people are drawn to entrepreneurship because they want to have an X billion-dollar company. However, there are so many other benefits of growth from personal to creating stronger communities or helping the planet.” — Katie Wilhoit
Katie Wilhoit is a creature-centered designer, ex-founder, and experience creator based in Madrid who believes every person can change the world. Through the dynamism of their education and career, two questions remained constant and guided their path: What is home? How can I make a positive impact in the world?
Katie’s experience growing up all around the world brought them to Northeastern — “a global university where people had passions and wanted to act on them.” They were introduced to the world of design during their first co-op at IDEO, a design and consulting firm with offices in the U.S., England, Germany, Japan, and China. Leveraging the skillsets developed through this co-op, they founded their own company called Unsize — a start-up helping clothing brands fit you online with an ambitious mission to create an environment where everyone fits. Katie’s personal story is what sprouted the idea for this venture. They always felt confined to wear feminine clothing, however, this platform allowed them to overcome those restrictions and express themselves more freely.
(Fun fact: Unsize was a MassChallenge 2018 Finalist and was acquired in 2019.)
The acquisition of Unsize came back to Katie’s question on what next step will make more of a positive impact in the world? They decided to work for the acquirer and focus on reducing waste in the fashion industry. After two fulfilling years, Katie made the decision to move on. With their fruitful experience and understanding of the fashion industry, they are now focusing on a sustainability trajectory, looking to resolve issues in the realms of bridging the gap between conservation knowledge and consumers who want to help.
The WeLearn workshop concluded with a guided meditation. Attendees were left inspired by the theme of choices and stepping out of one’s comfort zones. Katie started the event by sharing the questions that allow them to navigate their life and ended with questions for attendees to consider: what does your comfort zone look like? Intuitively, what in this world makes you smile? With that, we were left energized.
Looking to learn more about global entrepreneurship and about Katie? Check out our resource guide for podcast and book recs, co-op opportunities, and more!
Our last WeLearn event of the semester is on April 14th at 6 PM ET! Join us to learn more about Strategic Crowdfunding with Rachel Domb & Debby Nguyen, two Northeastern founders! 💚
