Hi! I'm Pia.

FAMILY

Engaged in 2021, married in 2022, daughter in 2023.

These past few years have been milestone years for me. I have learned a lot about myself, particularly being a mom. My daughter Bella has been my biggest blessing, teacher, and cheerleader. I couldn’t have done it without my supportive husband.

Fully in my family era.

travel

#PassportPia

My senses go into overdrive whenever I travel. There are so many beautiful places in this world and I find inspiration everywhere. I want to immerse myself in the culture and talk to the locals. Some of my memorable trips include: going on safari in South Africa, hiking Machu Picchu in Peru and riding the Mekong River in Laos. Check out my reflection from volunteering with the Tandana Foundation in Ecuador.

I’ve been very fortunate to travel the world and every time I return home – it makes me appreciate everything in a new light.

To date, I’ve visited 40+ countries, 6 continents. Send me any tips for Japan – I’m dying to go.

Mentoring

I am very blessed to have friends, family and mentors that have cheered me on with my journey. I know I couldn’t have achieved half my accomplishments without a strong support system. (Thank you to all of those reading!) So it’s my duty to give back.

For over 10 years, I have been involved with various mentorship programs, including Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Petals-N-Belles. Now, I’m looking for opportunities to help fellow young professionals, particularly with empowering women.

I'm part of the Metta Society's advisory board. Co-founded by one of my dearest friends, Metta Society is an awesome organization dedicated for connecting like-minded, bad ass women together to form synergies and maybe change the world along the way.  #girlpower

FAshion

From a young age, I’ve been fascinated with clothes. Wearing a certain outfit can change a whole person’s mood.

After a couple years in advertising, I packed my bags and moved to New York to attend Parsons, The New School (thanks for the brainwashing Tim Gunn) - finally pursuing my dreams of entering the fashion industry. Between working for well-known brands during the day and attending night classes dedicated to merchandising and color theory - I didn't sleep much. I landed jobs in eCommerce and content marketing before heading to business school. Why did I leave? I honestly got lost. My eyes were open to how much waste the fashion industry was producing and I needed to reset. What did this experience teach me? How to hustle. 

My personal style could be classified as classic - think Celine aesthetics on a department store budget. I appreciate neutrals and good tailoring. My favorite color is grey. Once in a while I will wear something colorful, but that’s usually on a beach accompanied by a cold margarita.

sustainability

How can a person be equally interested in fashion and sustainability? They seem like juxtaposing ideas. A normal person would probably agree. I actually left the fashion industry purely because I was upset at all the waste, the materialism, and frankly, the culture didn’t seem to fit my values. However, companies like Everlane (focus on sustainable luxury basics), Rent the Runway (sustainable business model), and initiatives for sustainability from power houses  like Chanel and LVMH make me very hopeful for the future. 

However, sustainability means more to me than just eco-friendly materials. It means social responsibility and treating humans with fair practices. It means that the process for creating products should be optimized for minimal waste and energy use. It means that the entire product life cycle needs to be considered. I understand that most businesses operate for profit; I would like to make money too. I have a strong belief that the two do not have to be mutually exclusive.

I have an MBA concentration in Sustainable Enterprise. During my two years at UNC, I was able to go on two global trips focused entirely on sustainability and entrepreneurship. Let's grab coffee and we can chat about what I learned.