Co-founder Shilpa Shah was drawn to Cuyana because of the opportunity to create products with rich stories while also building a fashion brand with a central mission of social change. She’s always enjoyed cultivating her personal style but found fast fashion unfulfilling. She often wondered why people couldn’t shop like her relatives in India -- purposefully procuring treasures that would be passed down from generation to generation. Shilpa began her career in Interaction Design, creating meaningful online experiences at Disney and Punchcut, and then went on to receive her MBA from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.