As we enter the final weeks of the New York Fashion Tech Lab’s 2025 program, I’m reflecting on what an honor—and humbling experience—it’s been to be part of this incredible cohort. When LiquiDonate was selected to join this year’s Lab, I knew we’d be surrounded by some of the most promising innovators in retail tech. What I didn’t expect was how quickly this group would feel like a community.
The Program
NYFTLab isn’t just about product feedback or meetings. It’s about stepping into rooms filled with people who deeply understand the future of fashion, sustainability, and commerce—and being challenged, supported, and inspired at every turn.
One of those rooms was this week’s IRL session hosted by Manatt, where we explored the intersection of AI and retail, asked honest questions about scaling and fundraising, and left with even more momentum for what’s next.
The 2025 cohort—first announced by Women’s Wear Daily and Forbes—represents an impressive range of solutions reshaping how retail operates, from personalization and resale to circularity and digital identity. These are the companies that will define what fashion looks like in the next decade. Being counted among them is something I don’t take lightly.
Special gratitude to the brilliant founders I’ve had the chance to learn from—like Nancy of Alternew, who’s making sustainability more personal through custom tailoring and garment care. Every founder in this group has pushed me to think bigger and build smarter.
Reflections
While the program technically wraps up in a few weeks, a real milestone will come in June—when this entire cohort will be featured on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square and a Demo Day with retailers. A reminder that what we’re building matters, and the industry is watching.
Thank you to the NYFTLab team, the mentors, the partner companies, and my fellow founders. This experience has already made LiquiDonate stronger—and the relationships built here will last far beyond the lab.
