Dec 14, 2020
Suzanne McKenzie
Website: https://www.ablemadeshop.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ablemade/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ablemade
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqPzVAd87OnXt4_5z56p10A
Suzanne McKenzie is an award-winning entrepreneur, Chief Creative Officer and designer, passionate about using design and collaboration to make the world a better place.
She is Founder and CCO of Able
Made, an active lifestyle brand that inspires healthy living and
combines bold design with responsible manufacturing and giving
back. While leading Able Made, Suzanne has designed eco-friendly
and domestically-produced products and secured designer
collaborations that have helped raise awareness, loyalty and funds
for Pencils of Promise, VH1 Save the Music Foundation, CFDA Fashion
Targets Breast Cancer, Guggenheim Museum, The Met, High Line and
her 11-year-old non profit, Ucal McKenzie Breakaway
Foundation.
Suzanne's 21 years of leadership experience
includes work in the advertising and design consultancy worlds for
numerous national and global brands at Arnold Worldwide and
Continuum. As VP Creative Director, Design and Strategy Consultant,
she has worked for Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Tom Ford, IDEO, 1
hotel, FEED Projects, Supergoop with Maria Sharapova, the Olympic
Games, AIGA, ESPN, and Institute of Contemporary Art. As Co-Founder
of Farm to Home/VP Creative of ECOfashion Corp, Suzanne oversaw the
launch, branding and product development of its affordable organic
home and lifestyle GOTS-certified product offering, produced
responsibly in India. Its Farm to Home collection launched in 2019
and sold out on QVC.
Suzanne has been on the jury for numerous
international design award shows, including the One Show and the Ad
Club. She was selected and recognized at the White House by
President Obama as a Global Emerging Entrepreneur, and also is a
Sappi Ideas that Matter North America Grant recipient. Suzanne has
taught Design and Social Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual
Arts in New York City, and leads the Ucal McKenzie Breakaway
Foundation, a non profit that gives city youth access top soccer,
health and art education in collaboration with Puma, Jaden Smith's
JUST Water, Whole Foods, MLS, Children's Hospital, and
more.
Suzanne’s Purposely Podcast on iheartradio
features conversations with her creative collaborators on how they
help build stronger communities. Her work has been featured in
Business Week, Vanity Fair, Graphic Design USA, Vogue, and WWD. Her
work has been recognized by the Art Directors Club, the Hatch Show,
the One Show, WebAwards, and Mobius Awards.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How to partner and collaborate to fund your business
- How to work the strategy of your relationships
- Retail development in 2020
- Staying local to grow business
- Pivoting to online by leveraging technology and creative experiences
- How passion gives the strength to get through the hard days