Part 2: From Engineering Manager to Outdoor Apparel for Plus Sizes Company Founder with Raquel Vélez

Part 2:  From Engineering Manager to Outdoor Apparel for Plus Sizes Company Founder with Raquel Vélez In this episode, Rachel chats with her friend and client, Raquel Vélez, a Puerto Rican woman from New Jersey, who discovered a passion for skiing only to be hindered by the lack of plus-size outdoor apparel. Raquel took matters into her own hands, launching a successful Kickstarter for her flagship product: The Ponderosa Pants. Raquel Vélez is now the founder of Alpine Parrot, an outdoor apparel company making clothes for bigger bodies. She is a mechanical engineer and roboticist turned software engineer turned CEO, who loves hiking and created Alpine Parrot to make the outdoors more inclusive and accessible to the plus-sized community. In part 2 of this interview with Raquel, you'll hear: -Raquel's experience with Kickstarter, and does it actually work? -Why Shark Tank is a huge marketing opportunity -Raquel walks us through her wear-test program and grading process that are being sought after by other companies -Explanation of how the industry is handling body changes and sizing -What's coming up in 2023 for Alpine Parrot   We can't wait to hear what you think of this episode   From: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com  Powered By: https://www.unmarkedstreet.com  To connect with Rachel, you can join her LinkedIn community here: LinkedIn. Or Connect with us on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/unmarkedstreet/  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076027998346  https://twitter.com/UnmarkedStreet  https://www.pinterest.com/unmarkedstreet/    To connect with Raquel, you can go to her website: Alpine Parrot Or Connect with her on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/alpineparrot/ https://twitter.com/alpineparrot