Alibaba Empowering Women Contest

 

When I found out I was chosen as the winner of the #EmpowerWomen Contest through Alibaba.com, I had no idea that it was going to be a life changing experience! They informed me I was going to be flown to San Francisco and New York to be personally mentored by 5 incredible women. It sounded too good to be true! 

It was true. I just returned back to State College from SF, and had the most incredible week of my life. I was housed in a beautiful hotel, graciously hosted by awesome employees from Alibaba, and was introduced to the most inspiring women I have encountered. When I arrived, I had meetings from the point I woke up everyday until I went to sleep, and found myself smiling uncontrollably all day long. I was so empowered by being surrounded by such inspirational women and felt so blessed to be given this opportunity. Thank you so much to Alibaba, the incredible mentors, and everyone I met while I was in the Valley! 

 Mentored by Jacqueline Linder, CEO of Lunchbots. She helped me tremendously by sharing her experience in product development, building a team, outsourcing, and branding. She had an phenomenal ability to help identify which aspects of my business I need to improve and helped me instantly with awesome feedback. It was incredible to hear her story of success and it was a pleasure to meet her!

 Mentored by the VP of Women 2.0, Sepideh Nasiri. Sepideh was generous enough to share her incredible insight on starting a business as a young entrepreneur, growing quickly, and perspectives on being a women in tech. It was awesome to see their office in a co working space in SF! There was so much energy and passion in the office.

Mentored by Rieva Lesonsky, CEO of GrowBiz Media. Rieva gave me awesome insight into how to pursue your dream. I was inspired by her story of becoming the first female editor of any business magazine (she was the Editor for Entrepreneur Magazine). My favorite quote from Rieva: "There is no such thing as balance: it is just constant calibration." 

 Delicious lunch with the Clark and Eddie, the founders of Fluzzle Tube. They shared their story of success as fellow young entrepreneurs and inspired me tremendously. They were able to design, patent, and get their product into big box stores in one year! Pretty amazing!

 Survey Monkey HQ for Founder Friday by Women 2.0. It was awesome to network with like-minded women who have passions in all different fields!

The lovely illuminated streets of Palo Alto. I fell in love with this town instantly! 

 Google HQ with Candice Huang,  the U.S. PR manager for Alibaba Group.  She was an absolutely incredible host and introduced me to her friend who works for Google who gave us a tour of their beautiful campus. Candice was so generous with her time and she truly wanted to help me succeed. I feel so lucky to have met her!

A dream come true visiting Google HQ!

Google HQ Android Building

The Avatar Hotel in Santa Clara

Santana Row for a beautiful outdoor dinner

ROADTRIP RECAP

So after 42 hours of driving with John (he drove 39 of those hours...), 11 states, and 14 days, our journey is finally winding down! I have compiled a photo graphic of our trip below and hope you enjoy. 

I want to thank everyone who graciously hosted us along the way! It was an absolutely incredible journey and am so fortunate to have been able to take it. We did the whole trip in 7 days and for the past 7 days I have been helping John settle in to his new apartment. I am loving this California weather and can't wait to move out here after I graduate!

I also just updated my website and am holding a Back to School Sale where everything is up to 50% off! So now is the time to get your SmartPurse while it's on sale. John is also helping me write a script for a video, so I will share that with you ASAP! 

I fly home on Wednesday and then move to Penn State on Friday, so once I get back to school I will be able to consistently blog again. Thank you again to everyone who hosted us on our incredible trip!

ROADTRIP

Tomorrow, I embark on a cross country road trip with my boyfriend! Here is the route we will be taking. I look forward to updating you on our journey!

Day 55: BYE BYE NYC

Inspirations: So this is my farewell to New York City...for now. A few short months ago, I was given  a life-changing opportunity to reside in NYC for the summer while working for a fabulous fashion startup called Keaton Row. Even though it was only a little over 55 days, I have learned so much about New York, myself, and my business. I have been able to connect with a myriad of wonderful people, make friends who I am sure will last a lifetime, spot breathtaking sights every day, and experience things that I believed only happened in the movies! 

Reflecting back on this summer, I compiled a collage of all the pictures I took as inspiration for this blog. Every single picture holds with it a cherished memory and something that I may never have captured if I didn't embark on this personal challenge. I truly searched for beauty every single day and was able to observe a new facet of New York even on my routine walk to work.

I also wanted to thank all of you who have read this blog and given me such wonderful support and positive feedback. I appreciate your love and encouragement tremendously and would not be where I am today if it weren't for each of you!

 For the month of August, I will be going on a cross country road-trip with my boyfriend to help him move to LA. I will do my best to post pictures whenever I get Wi-Fi, but we have plans to camp in Kansas...so I am not counting on that! I won't be sewing until I return from the trip, however upon my return I plan to start a new Challenge and am excited to announce what that will be! 

Thank you again, and I hope that this blog can be an inspiration to seek beauty in every situation, everyone, and everything!

Purses.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 54: EMPIRE STATE

Inspiration: My friend interns at LinkedIn in the Empire State Building so he let me visit their office and he was able to get a VIP pass to the top. We got to go for free and cut all the lines! 

It was such a tourist-y thing to do, but I am so glad I was able to do it. Despite having a small fear of heights, I absolutely love the surreal views of the New York sky and I think this one is my favorite.

Purse: This crossbody purse incorporates the blue of the sky with the gold accents inspired by the color of the Empire State Building. 

The silver lines on the black fabric mimic the skyscrapers climbing in the sky.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 53: ETSY HQ

 Inspiration: I went to the Etsy office in Brooklyn for a Music Hackathon. We saw the hackers present their work from the day and there was some pretty awesome stuff! One guy made a program that turns anything you type on your computer into music.

 It was truly amazing be in the office of Etsy because I feel like Etsy has transformed my business from an idea to reality. A little over a year ago I spontaneously launched my Etsy shop and because of it, I have been able to sells hundreds of purses, attract over 65,000 hits, and gain unparalleled publicity. It served as a crucial stepping stone in my business plan and allowed me to gain the funds and the experience to launch my website. My company would not be where it is today if it weren't for Etsy so I owe them a huge thank you!

 Purse: The blue triangular chevron is inspired from the iconic banner which I recognized from the  Etsy website. This purse is ready to be shipped with its inspirational message! You can personalize or pick your message here. 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 52: RED BOTTLES

 Inspiration: These cute red bottles that my friend Kenz pointed out to me at one of my favorite restaurants, Vapiano.

Purse: This mini studded crossbody with red crown accents. I like the contrast of the soft patchwork and the shiny harsh studs. 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 51: SKYLINE

Inspiration: The view from atop a rooftop next to Penn Station.

 Purse: Wristlet pouch with blue chevron and turquoise and gold accent.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 50: CHALK

Inspiration: A wonderfully colorful chalk drawing in Washington Square Park. I loved the vibrant colors and the abstract image which the artist 

Purse: Foldable wallet wristlet with laminated finish. The fabric is the "Fan Favorite" and it pulls a lot of the colors from the chalk. 

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 49: LOUIS VUITTON

Inspiration: An absolutely show-stopping window display on 5th ave. A golden dinosaur carrying a Louis Vuitton bag.

 Purse: I pulled the yellow from the gold dinosaur and the bright pink from the dress of the mannequin. The outside of this purse is also laminated so it is extra-water resistant and has a durable feel to it!

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 48: NYC SUNSET

Inspiration: The sunset over 6th ave right by central park. I love the reflection of the sky in the building on the left. 

 Purse: I absolutely am obsessed with this tribal fabric. I pulled the deep orange from the sunset and the sky blue to make this wristlet wallet.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 46 + 47: DRESS

Inspiration: After a huge downpour, I saw the shimmering reflection of the Manhattan sky reflected on the tiles of Washington Square park.

DAY 46: The crime scene of patterns that I deciphered to make my first garment. I have surprisingly never used to make anything, so it was quite the challenge! I have also never made anything larger than a tote bag. I thought it would be a lot harder than it actually was. Sewing the darts was the only part that was pretty tricky!

 DAY 47: The finished dress. I was thrilled with how it turned out and wore it to work today!

Day 45: MADISON SQUARE

UPDATE:

I cannot believe it is already Day 45 and I only have 10 days left! This summer is flying by and I have absolutely loved doing this blog. Each day as I step out my door, I am always searching for something beautiful. It has opened my eyes to see so many things I never would have noticed. I hope that this blog can encourage you to do the same! 

Inspiration: Play ground in Madison Square Park. 

Purse: I pulled the turquoise of the top of the playground and the deep brown from the foundation. I have always loved the combo of turquoise and brown so I was excited to spot it in the park!

25% OFF EVERYTHING SALE
http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 44: PINK LEMONADE

Inspiration: I spotted these eye-catching handbags in a store in Soho called Pleats Please. These beauties were mesmerizing because they combine my love of geometry and neon prints- a dangerous combo. Fun fact: When I go handbag shopping, I inspect every little inch of the purse down to the seams.

 Purse: This bright patchwork wristlet. I pulled the neon colors and geometric patterns from the purses above. After I finished making it, it made me think of pink lemonade!

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 43: WASHINGTON SQUARE

Inspiration: The other day the air conditioning in my building was broken so I retreated to our dining hall. I found a study lounge on the 10th floor and perched myself in front of this insane view of Washington Square Park for the day.

 Purse: Patchwork wristlet that pulls the greens from the trees, gray chevron from the patterned tiles in the park, and speckled brown from the windows of the sky scrapers.

Day 42: MATISSE

Inspiration: Landscape at Collioure by Henri Matisse at MOMA.

Purse: Foldable Wristlet with vivid floral print accents.

 http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 41: RECORD PURSE

Inspiration: My roommate Abi found like 30 records lying on the street next to the trash so she grabbed and we had a field day going through them. Naturally I wanted to make a purse out of one!

 Purse: A see-through record tote.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 40: TALIA

Inspiration: Today I am dedicating this blog post and purse to Talia Castellano, a beautiful, strong, and brave 13 year old girl who had cancer and passed away this morning after 6 years of fighting. After following Talia's story for months, I was unbelievably inspired by her strength and could not believe that she is now in heaven. All my thoughts and love go out to her family and friends.

 Purse: Talia had a YouTube channel for makeup tutorials and loved wearing bright colored eye-shadow. Through using these bright colors, I tried to convey how full of life and strength she was. Rest in Peace Talia.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 39: YELLOW

Inspiration: The tiles in our bathroom with the reflection of our the window. We have a surprisingly gorgeous view from our bathroom window! 

 Purse: A yellow patterned wristlet clutch.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html

Day 38: SUBWAY STEP

 Inspiration: Steps that lead to the subway. 

Purse: Vegan leather criss cross clutch that represents the patterns of the steps.

http://nicolekelnerdesigns.com/shop.html