Join Karla Gallardo, CEO of Cuyana, in a candid conversation about how to build a compelling brand narrative that resonates with customers and investors.

Cuyana started in 2013 with a $20,000 loan and a handwoven panama hat. Using brand storytelling as their competitive advantage, Cuyana went from bootstrapping to raising $1.7M from Canaan Partners and establishing a cult following beloved by professional women and celebrities like Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel.

Co-founders Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah launched Cuyana to offer luxury essentials for women at an affordable price point. Tapping into consumer desire for well designed products made to last, their tagline “fewer, better things” encourages buyers to buy less, but with more intention. More than a slogan, it’s a brand philosophy that guides Cuyana in deciding what to design, how to operate their business and which suppliers to choose.

Today, Cuyana has expanded on this idea of “less is more” into a movement with their Lean Closet initiative and design collaborations with Marie Kondo, arguably the global ambassdor for conscious consumerism.

This session is for:

• Pre-launch (idea to protoype)
• Launch (product/service being used by customers)
• Growth (scaling customers, products/services and markets)
• Hyper Growth (growing your team and expertise at the same time as products/services and customers)
• Legacy (long-term business sustainability, exit strategies)

This session will cover:

• Why Cuyana spent 18 months crafting the perfect tagline and how it dramatically increased word-of-mouth marketing for their brand
• How to effectively communicate your brand identity and values across every touch point in the customer journey
• Ways to leverage digital platforms to tell richer, more engaging stories

Spaces are limited and offered first-come, first-served. By registering you agree to our terms of use.*

OUR SPEAKER | Karla Gallardo

Karla Gallardo is the co-founder and CEO of Cuyana. Karla started Cuyana with the vision of creating a global design house that inspires intentional buying through pieces that are crafted with integrity. After growing up in Ecuador, Karla moved to the United States where she earned her MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and her Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from Brown University. She previously worked at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Group and at the Apple Online Store as a Business and Strategy Analyst. The name Cuyana means “to love” in Quechua, Karla’s native language, symbolizing her love of fashion, travel, and giving back.

About the Whole Entrepreneur:

Based on our research and interaction with thousands of global entrepreneurs, the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center has identified seven essential founder attributes: Creativity, Vision, Independence, Organization, Communication, Self-Confidence, and Leadership. Our programming is rooted in this philosophy by providing individualized learning paths for founders focused on their abilities as a leader to create long-term, sustainable growth.