Founder of Krippit Paris, a 3D-printed fashion accessories startup, Melissa Chung shares her journey as an underrepresented founder turning a personal problem into a business innovation. She discusses entrepreneurship, the resilience required to thrive as a woman in the finance industry, and the importance of representation for female founders. As a Canadian immigrant in France, she has learned that innovation has no language barrier—great ideas transcend language. Melissa also emphasizes taking the “dis” out of disability, turning what can be seen as a disadvantage into a personal advantage. She highlights how community engagement, mentorship, and advocacy for ADHD and learning differences can empower other underrepresented founders to succeed in innovation-driven businesses.

Breaking Barriers in Fashion & Finance:
• From finance to fashion – transforming women’s daily struggle in high heels into innovation.
• High heel protectors – tackling a problem women face daily in professional settings.
• ADHD as an advantage – turning challenges into entrepreneurial strengths.
• Advocacy & education – supporting those with ADHD by transforming passions into successful businesses

Connect with Melissa: www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-cs/details/experience/

Visit Krippit: krippit.com

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at podcast@beyondform.io. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Founder of Heymers Academy and Moodi Studio, Mersedeh Heydari shares her entrepreneurial journey as an underrepresented founder merging architecture, fashion, and game design to create immersive creative experiences. She discusses the resilience required to navigate cultural and systemic barriers in Iran, and the importance of representation for emerging creative talent. She emphasizes that there is no perfect world, and that thriving under Iran’s strict social and cultural standards has not only tested her perseverance but also ignited her creativity, shaping the bold, boundary-pushing vision that defines her work today.

Building Creativity & Opportunity in Fashion- we learn how:
• Turning cultural and governmental barriers into opportunities – how to innovate in a country like Iran.

• Fashion meets game design – using interactive storytelling to express identity and culture.

• Students as collaborators – integrating education and industry to nurture emerging talent.

• Shaping our identities and businesses in tandem- informing creative decision-making through lived experience

Connect with Mersedeh on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mersedeh-heydari

Check out Moodi Studio: www.themoodistudio.com

Check out Heymers Academy: www.heymers.com

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at podcast@beyondform.io. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Sehrish Raza, a female fashion founder from Pakistan, shares her journey as an underrepresented founder navigating entrepreneurship in South Asia. She discusses the resilience required to scale her business from 20,000 to 200,000 users. She shares her experience pitching on Shark Tank Pakistan, and having the wherewithal and self-confidence to choose herself over a bad deal. Through BizB, she empowers women entrepreneurs and fosters financial inclusion in the region.

Lessons in Resilience & Growth- What we learned:

• Fundraising and investment realities – the unique hurdles women face when raising capital.
• Shark Tank insights – navigating high-pressure pitching with confidence.
• Confidence as strategy – believing in your numbers and your vision.
• More than 100% Growth Y-oY – achieving exponential success and knowing your worth.
• Operating as a female founder in a male-dominated nation- Outsourcing funding and getting creative

Connect with Sehrish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sehrish-raza-bizb/

Visit BizB: https://www.bizb.store/en

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at podcast@beyondform.io. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io