The co-lab career stories – Details, episodes & analysis

Julia Maimone-Medwick is a mission-driven marketing leader with deep experience in brand strategy, events, and social media. As Senior Director of Marketing & Events at Modern Luxury, she leads campaigns for top luxury brands in New York and the Hamptons. With a background in both agency and in-house roles, Julia blends strategy and execution to create memorable, high-impact experiences.

In this episode, Erica Guider chats with Julia about her path from political science major to media strategist, interior designer, and co-operator of her family’s winery. Julia shares honest reflections on agency vs. brand-side life, sustaining meaningful professional relationships, and navigating imposter syndrome.

Alexis Carey is a social media and influencer marketing specialist with over 4 years of experience in the beauty, food and beverage, and lifestyle industries. As a Campaign Manager at Foodie Tribe, she drives brand growth through influencer partnerships and strategic campaigns. Outside of work, she creates fashion, fitness, and travel content on her blog, @fashiontoflow.

Since this interview, Alexis has stepped into a new role as a Campaign Manager for an agency. In this episode, Emily Mi Landri talks with Alexis about breaking into the social media world, building experience across the fitness, wellness, and beauty industries, and balancing creativity with business strategy. Alexis also shares actionable tips on content creation, influencer marketing, and tapping into trends to drive success.

Jennifer Cook has spent well over a decade in the fashion industry, working across wholesale, retail, and merchandising functions at companies such as Zac Posen, Suno, and Westerlind. While most of her career has been spent launching international brands in the North American market, she has recently pivoted into buying with a role at ONS Clothing. On the side she writes Mom Friend, a lifestyle publication focused on the intersection of motherhood, fashion, style, and life in Brooklyn.

In this episode, Sarah Shapiro chats with Jennifer Cook about her journey from working at Abercrombie as a teen to becoming a SoHo boutique buyer. Jennifer shares insights on her transition from PR to wholesale, her experiences in the fashion industry, and the creation of her Substack newsletter, Mom Friend, as a creative outlet and community space.

Monica Botkier is a pioneer and leader in the accessories space Founder and Creative Director of Botkier New York. Exited 2018 Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Chosenwoven luxury merino lingerie. Author, Harper Collins Design.

On this episode, Monica speaks with her co-founder Olga Kapustina about the gamble she took to start her own handbag company, parting ways with it and the lessons she's put to use in starting over building a new company.

The Belarusian born, Brooklyn raised designer started her eponymous line in 1999. Her work was featured in Barneys for a decade along with numerous exclusive boutiques across the US.  Her clothes have been worn by celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Kim Kardashian, Katie Holmes, Brittany Spears and Rachel Bilson, among others. And her work was featured in major publications including Elle, Vogue, Bazaar, In Style, Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan,L’officiel , and Marie Claire.

In 2012, Kapustina, craving a life-change, closed her popular line and returned to her love of biological systems and engineering. After completing a degree in chemical engineering in 2017, she decided to marry her two passions with her unique ability to understand the languages of design and engineering. Kapustina taught sustainable design systems and materiality futures at the acclaimed Parsons School of Design.

In 2023, Kapustina launched Chosenwoven with her business partner Monica Botkier. A perfect amalgamation of her love of good design and engineering. Chosen woven creates luxuriously knit lingerie with one of her favorite materials: Merino Wool. 

On this episode, Olga speaks with her business partner Monica Botkier about how her decision to delay applying to medical school for a year paved the way for a career in fashion rather than the one she'd planned as a surgeon.

For 23 years, Greg Baratte has been a notable leader and innovator in the Digital, e-commerce and CRM space of the luxury goods industry.

Greg is currently working in the newly created Global Open Innovation team of Chanel, focusing on investing and supporting existing start-ups or building bespoke ventures; prior to this role he led http://Chanel.com globally and created the house’s first Global integrated Digital Services team.

In his positions at LVMH then Chanel, as well as creating and advising start-ups, Mr. Baratte has spearheaded multiple innovative initiatives and global programs. He contributed to the launch of the first multi-brand e-commerce platform for luxury goods in early 2001 when E-luxury.com was acquired by LVMH, then pivoted it into the arts & culture platform, nowness in 2008 ; launched the brands first e-commerce enabled websites, first CRM programs, digital and social media and marketing campaigns, influencers strategy, and omnichannel retail and customer service across multiple regions. He is now focusing on AI, Web3, other strategic emerging technologies and business models.

He currently shares his time between Paris, London and New York where he lives with his wife, and 2 dogs.

Iwona Waluk specializes in Beauty, Wellness, Fashion, Interiors, and Hospitality. Her creative process is to develop brands and their visual identities with a personal, contemporary sensibility, informed by the multicultural identity, a love for nature, arts, and the evocative power of objects.

She serves fearless entrepreneurs and companies to help them move in the direction they want. She wants to work with inspiring brands with a sincere interest in design, commitment to quality, sustainability, purpose, and “good” growth, so they can create a better community they serve.

On this episode, Iwona speaks with Emily Yeston about the beauty and benefits of a non-linear career path full of pivots.

Emily is the co-founder and CEO of modern French pharmacy skincare brand, Doré. After 5 years of working with her current business partner Garance, she became her business partner and COO of the media company Atelier Doré in 2016. Her previous experience includes working with both brands and publications such as Lucky Magazine, WWD and Oscar de la Rent across production, editorial and public relations. Emily has been invited to speak at conference and universities on the intersection of content and commerce.

In this episode, Emily speaks with Iwona Waluk about how the interview she thought she'd screwed up led to a career full of pivots despite the fact she hasn't switched jobs since.

As Senior Vice President of Global Direct Sales, Jennifer Parker was responsible for the strategic sales planning, execution and management of Peloton’s 140+ retail locations and inside sales representatives. Her team of more than 500 employees cultivate Peloton’s direct sales business of in-store experience, phone and chat introducing new customers to the Peloton Bike, Bike+, Tread, Row, Digital, Accessories and Apparel.

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Since joining in 2016, Jen grew Peloton’s retail footprint by 500%, largely contributing to the company’s rapid overall growth. With nearly two decades experience in corporate retail strategy, Jen has held roles at contemporary and luxury fashion labels such as Bloomingdales and Theory/Helmut Lang, where she served in several positions, including Vice President of Retail Operations and CRM, Vice President of Full Price Stores and Director of Retail Planning. Jennifer holds a BS in Marketing from Fairfield University. In her spare time, she can be found working out with Peloton, project managing her 3 kids’ life and sports schedules, and creatively trying to teach her kids how to earn their own money by creating their own businesses.

In this episode, Jennifer talks with Lilly Minkove about how her experience working in her parents' candy store set the stage for her career.

Lilly Liu Minkove is a consumer-obsessed marketing and strategy leader with over 20 years of experience leading and advising luxury, retail, consumer and technology brands. She is the founder of boutique strategy consultancy ArtLogica Group, and has been an advisor to brands like Spanx, Timbuk2, Kohl’s, CVS, Birdies and Invisalign. A quant geek turned luxury retail operator and strategic marketer, she has worked at best in class companies like Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Coach, Louis Vuitton, and Hair Cuttery Family of Brands. Lilly crafts tailored growth strategies for clients using a mix of data and experience, art and logic - giving ambitious brands a clear roadmap to growth.

In this episode, Lilly speaks with Jennifer Parker about how she has navigated a career path full of pivots and moves, whether from one company or one city to another, and the experiences that have allowed her to do so.