Gemma Sole
Travel was nothing new to Gemma Sole when she studied abroad. Though she had wanted to study in China, her triple major prevented her from fulfilling the course requirements she would need. So she ended up in London where she could get the academic credit needed and be closer to extended family. Interning while there, she learned valuable lessons in cultural differences in the work place. Upon graduation, and finding herself in a tough job market at the height of the global recession, she got a grant from the Kauffman Entrepreneurship Foundation to start her own consulting firm working with small businesses. She eventually found herself at Startup Institute where she met her business partner and co-founder, and together they launched Nineteenth Amendment, an on-demand fashion platform that connects up-and-coming designers with fashion-forward customers and bridges the gap between design and delivery. Earning a myriad of press mentions and honors since its launch in 2012, Nineteenth Amendment is well on its way to being an interrupter in the fashion industry.
IES Abroad: Why did you decide to study abroad in London? Had you traveled much growing up?
Gemma Sole: I traveled a lot growing up. I am a tri-citizen. My mum is from Australia and my father is from London, so I have U.K. (EU), U.S., and Australian citizenship. Studying abroad was an easy way for me to live, study, and work abroad while being closer to extended family.
IES Abroad: What are some of the most influential memories from your time in London?
GS: One of my sillier favorite moments from studying abroad was meeting Yoko Ono on the steps outside a market in South Kensington. Fangirling! On a more serious note, I had a great internship at a company called PSI and learned a lot about real world application of anthropological research and cultural differences in work environments.
IES Abroad: How did you become interested in being an entrepreneur?
GS: Good question. I don’t think I knew exactly what I was doing at the time. I was looking for i-banking and consulting jobs in the winter of 2008 and graduated in 2009, so it was a tough job market. Everyone froze hiring that quarter for the majority of those roles, but with the Kauffman Entrepreneurship Foundation Grant, I could learn, work, and help small businesses. So to me, it was a win-win and really taught me the value of sales skills and asking questions. A good entrepreneur should always ask questions and be the best listener.
IES Abroad: At Startup Institute you met Amanda Curtis and you two co-founded Nineteenth Amendment. Tell us more about how the idea came about and your role in the company today.
GS: I’ve always been passionate about creative industries and small businesses. I really think these are the organizations that make America what it is. Nineteenth Amendment came out of my co-founder’s experience at the time I met her – Amanda was an emerging designer, recently funded, but could not get picked up by buyers because she had no previous sales from past seasons. There is this huge issue where buyers want new fresh product they know people want, but they can’t take risks. Designers have fresh ideas but a hard time getting the cash flow to produce inventory and get it to customer’s eyeballs. Nineteenth Amendment is a marketplace and manufacturing service for independent, on-demand fashion, so it solves this chicken-or-egg problem by selling for pre-order. Customers get unique designs from local designers they love, designers don’t spend money on inventory they can’t get rid of, and retailers can de-risk young talent.
My role is Chief Operations Officer. I help make all these beautiful things come to life. I manage designers, production, marketing, and our software product to make all the pieces fit together. It is a lot of hats, but at the end of the day, I love helping people do what they love and bring something wonderful to life.
IES Abroad: What are some of the biggest challenges you face in the business?
GS: Fundraising is hard as a young, first-time, female entrepreneur. Also, with the stock market and recent retail track record, this particular year has seen less investment in startups. But we have been very successful in doing a lot with a little, as every business should!
IES Abroad: What is your vision for Nineteenth Amendment?
GS: Our vision is to grow to be the largest on-demand fashion platform in the world creating beautiful, ethical fashion in the most sustainable way possible – by producing for demand! I invite you to check out www.nineteenthamendment.com, comment on the designs, find something you love, and let me know what you think! We can’t do it without YOU, the shopper!
IES Abroad: Where there lessons learned from your study abroad in London that have remained vital to your work as an entrepreneur?
GS: Understanding that adoption of new technologies and business models is just as much about cultural attitude and buy-in as it is about the business benefits, behavior, and technology. Good implementations and relationships only work if you have someone on your team that has a knowledge or appreciation of that.
IES Abroad: What advice do you have for students today thinking about studying abroad?
GS: Do it! Plan ahead and go somewhere you wouldn’t normally go. I actually wanted to go to China originally but found out only London would work in my curriculum because I was triple-majoring and needed the credits to apply. If you have flexibility (and aren’t a crazy workaholic like me), I would devote a semester to really immerse yourself somewhere outside your comfort zone.