In Conversation with Anna Kimelman
Tell us about your background:
My career has been a 20-year journey at the intersection of design and sustainability. I began as a designer building brands with majors like Twitter, Puma, and Bloomingdales, but I was an entrepreneur in the sustainable fashion space before it was really "a space."
I built my own sustainable womenswear company from the ground up. It was an incredible experience that taught me firsthand what it takes to embed sustainability into a brand's DNA. We were fortunate to find success, launching with Shopbop, selling through major retailers, and building a loyal following that included everyone from Kendall Jenner to Hailey Bieber. That work was also recognized by the DENYC x FIT program for its commitment to industry-leading sustainable practices.
That experience solidified my belief that business growth and sustainability aren't mutually exclusive—they're intrinsically linked. I wanted to help other companies bridge that gap. I became Certified in Designing C2C Products for the Circular Economy and an accredited member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which allows me to stay at the forefront of circularity.
Today, this is the core of my work as the founder of Loopline (WBENC and WBE NYC certified company).
Through Loopline, I partner with businesses—from corporate fashion brands to social impact organizations—to develop and implement comprehensive sustainable and circular retail solutions. A huge piece of this is helping them create concise, powerful communication around their initiatives and programs—driving business growth and also amplifying their contribution to the circular economy.
Beyond my corporate partnerships, I’m passionate about contributing to the global circular economy. I mentor within the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular economy program, serve as an advisor for MIT Solve, and act as an industry expert consultant for emerging impact businesses through esteemed organizations like WBENC, WE NYC, NEST.ORG, and Tech Nordic Advocates.
Ultimately, my goal is the same whether I'm consulting for a large corporation or mentoring a new founder: to make sustainability actionable, scalable, and a driver of business growth and a more resilient future.
What do you wish you’d known when you started out?
I wish I’d truly understood that our work in this world isn't to achieve a state of static perfection, but to engage in the constant, dynamic process of mending and evolving.
When I launched my own sustainable womenswear company—before this was really a defined space—I was chasing a perfectly 'pure' sustainable product.
Waiting for a 100% perfect solution leads to paralysis and halting the flow of impact.
But I learned that starting somewhere— (i.e. best available materials and practices), commit to iterating, and be transparent about the journey — is infinitely more powerful than waiting for perfection.
Best career advice you've ever received?
A mentor helped me understand the balance between your ‘yes’ (expansion) and your ‘no’ (restriction).
My 'yes' is the expansive energy that wants to help every project, join every panel, and mentor every person. But without the 'no,' that energy just dissipates into burnout.
Saying 'no' creates the boundaries that allow my 'yes' to be focused, powerful, and sustainable, enabling me to stay in this work for the long haul.
Throughout my 20 years in the industry I’ve learned it isn't about burning yourself out by doing more. It's about protecting your focus and energy so you can do what matters.
This advice gave me permission to be highly selective. It’s how I’ve been able to continuously evolve—from launching my own line, to pursuing my C2C certification, to building Loopline. I say 'no' so I can give a powerful 'yes' to the opportunities that will drive the most systemic change.
What leadership qualities are important to you?
For me, three values are essential for driving real impact:
1. Clarity of Vision: The willingness to fundamentally challenge the "way things have always been done." This is non-negotiable in the fashion industry.
2. Authenticity: In sustainability, this manifests as radical transparency and you cannot build trust without it. This means being honest about where you are —your supply chain, your goals, and, just as importantly, where you're falling short—to speak that truth even when it's difficult.
3. Connection: The understanding that we are all interconnected and no single person or company can solve circularity in isolation. A true leader builds bridges—between designers, suppliers, consumers, competitors, etc. My work with organizations like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and MIT Solve is built on this collaborative mindset: we are all working to repair a single, collective system.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?
Learning the lesson that my work isn't just to create a great sustainable or circular product, but to help build the programs —the education, the communication, the new circular market systems—that can actually support it and its growth.
How do you define success in your career, and how has that definition evolved over time?
Early in my career, success was defined by external validation: designing for brands like Jeremy Scott and Puma, a purchase order from a major retailer like Bloomingdales, or seeing my line on a celebrity.
Today, my definition has evolved from product to impact. Success is no longer about one "perfect" sustainable product line. It's defined by the scale of change I can enable.
Success is when a client I've advised through Loopline launches a new certified circular product or take-back program.
It’s when my customized workshop series on sustainable market access for NEST (www.BuildANest.Org) resonates with the global artisan business and one develops a new circular product or business model.
My success is no longer a solo achievement; it’s measured by the ripple effect of the systems I help change.
How has networking contributed to your professional growth and success?
I would rephrase it as "community building," because "networking" feels too transactional for what it really is. In the sustainability space, no one wins alone.
My "network"—especially the communities I'm part of, like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, WBENC, MIT Solve, Global Tech Advocates (and now the CO-Lab!), etc.—isn't a list of contacts; it's a living ecosystem of collaborators, part of one interconnected whole, all dedicated to the same great task.
We are all collectively building a new, more resilient future, and you simply can't do that in a silo.
What are your top networking tips for building strong connections in your industry?
1. Be a Connector: Don't just absorb; reflect. Think about who you can connect with and who are meant to collaborate. Much of my work with organizations like GLOBAL TECH ADVOCATES, SBS NYC and NEST.ORG is built on this. You become a channel for connection, and that energy flows back to you. If you meet two people who should know each other, make that introduction. It’s the fastest way to build trust and add real value.
2. Ask "What problem are you trying to solve?": Go deeper than "What do you do?" IT’s that authentic ‘why’ you connect with and understand the opportunities for real, meaningful collaboration.
3. Lead with Your "Why.": Especially in the impact space, people connect over a shared mission, not just job titles. Share why you do what you do. Connection over soul purpose is what creates real partnerships that have the strength for attracting the right partners and opportunities to change the world.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annakimelman-loopline/
Website: https://www.theloopline.com/
Instagram: @theloopline
