Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah: Cuyana Co-Founders

In 2011, a new brand launched that would soon rewrite the minimalist’s playbook: Cuyana. Co-Founders Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah built a brand centered on intentional design and buying, establishing Cuyana’s ethos as “fewer, better.” Today, Cuyana has grown to eight stores nationwide and is known for timeless collections of premium leather accessories and luxe wardrobe essentials, from alpaca and cashmere. Yet before Gallardo and Shah began setting a new standard in the industry, their early career lives were shockingly different. Gallardo worked at Goldman Sachs as an investment banking analyst, and Shah began her career in interaction design, where she gained over 15 years of experience designing web and mobile interfaces for companies such as Disney, AT&T, and Sun Microsystems. On this episode of Second Life, find out how Gallardo and Shah came together to create a dynamic, strategic brand without losing sight of their mission.