Kara Mac (Schwartz)

a fashion designer with 25+ years directing design and sourcing for Iconic brands such as Ralph Lauren, Talbots and Alex Cannon.

UI/UX Design • Operations

Mount Kisco, US

Skills

Experience

Design,Operations @ShoeCandy • Co-Founder

A proprietary system enabling customization functionality for footwear

Amazing things Kara's made

As a young designer at Ralph Lauren, I was asked to be part of an interdepartmental task force charged with traveling to our manufacturing facilities all over the globe to develop new Q&A guidelines and best practices that both maximized our production and safeguarded the workers. I was particularly focused on making sure that we complied with new international child labor laws, not simply because we needed to be legally compliant, but because I wanted to make sure that my company took a leadership position in making sure that children were not at risk. I believe that the policies and procedural system that I built protected hundreds of at risk children around the world, and though I may have created some other amazing things in my life, I find that this is the one I am most proud of.

Recommendations

Henry Welt recommended ShoeCandy where Kara is Co-Founder

I have known Kara (Schwartz) Mac and Ann Merin for three years, having worked with them first as a mentor through the Westchester Just Grow One Program and subsequently as an informal advisor to their business.
These two women are a very impressive team. They have managed to work closely together, collaborating and having individual skills that complement one another, even though they are physically situated on the east and west coasts respectively. In the course of our professional relationship, I have watched as Kara and Ann have searched for a durable business model, as they tested hypothesis after hypothesis, in each instance respecting the data, and adjusting their hypothesis to honestly reflect the results of their testing. Kara and Ann have demonstrated drive, open mindedness and a consistent integrity as they pursue this journey. I highly recommend them to your program, from which I believe they would benefit as they develop the model for ShoeCandy.