All are invited and welcome to attend this guest speaker event at Kirkwood Community College on Kirkwood's main campus in Cedar Rapids! Friday, Oct. 16, at 1:30 p.m. in 2082 Cedar Hall. Free and open to the public.
When Erica Cole lost her leg in 2018, she couldn't find pants that worked with her prosthetic, so she learned to sew and made her own. That college project became No Limbits, now backed by Mark Cuban and Emma Grede on ABC's “Shark Tank,” sold at Walmart, and recently expanded through the acquisition of Buck & Buck, a 46-year-old adaptive clothing brand for seniors.
Erica shares the story behind the headlines: how a design problem became a business, what it takes to get a garment from idea to shelf, and how she learned sales, finance, and marketing on the fly. She'll show fashion students why the best design starts with a person the industry has overlooked and show business students that a company built on inclusion can also be built to grow.
A fireside chat and open Q&A follow. Bring your questions about starting with no money, pitching investors, working with major retailers, or figuring out what's next without a roadmap.
Presented by the Kirkwood Arts & Humanities Department and Apparel Merchandising & Design program.
Erica Cole is the Founder and CEO of No Limbits, one of the world's leading adaptive apparel companies, creating clothing that combines accessibility, functionality, and style for people with disabilities and medical needs. A Cedar Rapids native and 2019 University of Iowa chemistry graduate, she launched the company with support from the UI's John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and Cartier Women's Initiative Fellow, and has been featured in Fast Company, on QVC, and on the TEDx stage, where she speaks on how adaptive design drives innovation and independence.
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