EP 226: Tanya Heath (Inventor of the convertible shoe)

Nothing pre-destined Tanya to become a fashion disrupter.  For 15 years she had a classic career in management consulting, technology start-ups, and private equity, while teaching innovation at one of France’s leading engineering schools, and raising her 3 kids.Yet, even as a child growing up in Canada, she was mesmerized by the art and artifacts that her parents would bring home after a vacation.  Antique wedding saris shared space with Inuit carvings nurturing a deep respect for ancestral craftsmanship, quality and natural materials.Tanya’s convertible shoe line combines her passion for innovation with her love of quality handmade products. Her brand was created to let women step forward in comfort and in style and there is a strong feminist agenda that permeates everything she does.Tanya has won awards in France and abroad, for innovation, business, design, and retail.  To keep production as local as possible and so that she can visit the artisans when she wants to, heels are made by hand in the Loire Valley and the shoes are made in a family run factory, in Sao Joao da Madira, Portugal. Support the show This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laviecreativepodcast.substack.com