Reese Fernandez-Ruiz co-founded and lead an inclusive fashion enterprise, Intentionality, Inc. - the company behind the brands Rags2Riches and Things That Matter. Rags2Riches is a fashion & design house empowering community artisans in the Philippines since 2007. Things That Matter is our intentionally curated online marketplace for advocates who want to live a more sustainable and meaningful lifestyle.
As an entrepreneur since 2007 and one of the pioneers of social entrepreneurship in the Philippines, I have received awards, spoken in various platforms and conferences around the world, and collaborated with some of the most celebrated luminaries of the fashion industry. While I am grateful for all of them, I am most grateful for surviving as a company and as an entrepreneur. See, all the awards, speaking engagements, collaborations, and media features were great, but behind the scenes, we struggled, we probably lost 8 out of 10 of the things we fought for, and even **almost** permanently closed our company a few years ago. But what did not kill us made us stronger and made me... well, super fascinated and *mildly* obsessed with spreadsheets, business tools, & productivity hacks.