Empowering Fashion, Crafted with Care: A Conversation with Yellowcake's Valerie Mayén

In a world driven by fast-fashion, mass production, and shifts in retail shopping habits, the fashion industry has faced its fair share of challenges lately-particularly for entrepreneurs and small businesses.\r\n\r\nYet, Valerie May?n has remained committed to sustainability and the art of hand-crafted garments that fit everybody and every body. Valerie is the Latinx female powerhouse behind Yellowcake Shop Fashion, where her unapologetic approach to representation and empowerment through fashion has earned her multiple accolades, including Crain\'s Cleveland Woman of Note, Notable Latino Leaders, and the Cleveland Arts Prize, among others.\r\n\r\nValerie grew from humble beginnings as a student at the Cleveland Institute of Arts and an Etsy shop owner before gaining international recognition through Project Runway (Season 8 and All-Stars Season 5). She ultimately scaled Yellowcake from zero to six figures, without external support. Her entrepreneurial journey is filled with real-world lessons on creativity, integrity, and a lived experience on how Northeast Ohio can better support entrepreneurs.