Lisa joined Textile Exchange in 2014 after becoming involved with the organization while researching organic cotton and food security. With a BSc in International Development from the University of East Anglia in which she focused on agricultural sustainability, Lisa joined Textile Exchange to support the organization's organic cotton activities, particularly its Organic Cotton Round Table. Lisa remains involved in this work and continues to lead on the production of Textile Exchange's annual Organic Cotton Market Report, but her new role as Materials Strategy Manager sees her now working more broadly across the organization's fiber strategies.

Phil started working with Textile Exchange in 2018, providing graphic design support for several key publications, namely the Organic Cotton and Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Reports, and the Corporate Fiber & Materials Benchmark. Phil joined the Textile Exchange team full time in January 2019, working under the Marketing Communications Director. Phil provides graphic design, creative and website support to the team, acting as the guardian of the Textile Exchange brand, and encouraging high standards of presentation across all aspects of the organisation’s communication. Phil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Kingston University, London, and previously worked at the sustainable fashion consultancy MADE-BY between 2010 and 2018.

Taylor joined Textile Exchange first as a membership assistant in February of 2018. Since then she has worked with the membership team to execute a new customer relationship management software. In August of 2018, Taylor joined the Textile Exchange team full time as Membership Coordinator. Taylor works on enhancing membership value for current and potential members of Textile Exchange. As well, Taylor is the project manager for launching a community membership platform and assisting with the Home & Hospitality and China Strategy Working Groups. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder and was previously working in retail operations at Rag & Bone.

Audra has worked in management for about a decade, from a classroom to a medical clinic. Human resources has been a focus the last couple of years -getting to know the ins and outs of employees, programs, and legal processes. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Colorado State University- Pueblo with minors in sociology and French. She is a certified paralegal with a concentration in contracts and employment law. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her rambunctious son and husband; she also enjoys traveling, the outdoors, and philanthropy

Val joined Textile Exchange as an expert in auditing and supply chain certification with nearly 15 years’ experience. She entered the certification world as an intern at the Forest Stewardship Council, before working with Rainforest Alliance’s certification division. At Rainforest Alliance, she developed extensive experience in auditing and certification body systems, primarily focused on the forestry, wood and paper sectors. Val then worked for Control Union, where she audited companies and standards in the forestry, textile, bioenergy and food sectors, including RDS/CCS audits.

Originally from Sweden but currently living in the UK, Hanna Denes has been with Textile Exchange since 2010 and has been a Senior Standards Manager since 2017. Key areas of responsibility include the animal fiber standards and monitoring and evaluation across the Textile Exchange standards. Hanna has a Batchelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London, and 20 years’ experience working in environmental management and sustainable development. 

Alice has a background in agroecology and rural development. She has been involved in local projects with Swiss farmers but also worked at European and international level. She joined the Fiber & Materials team as Organic Cotton Program Coordinator in 2019. Prior to that she did an internship at Textile Exchange during her Bachelor in 2013 and participated in several Organic Cotton Round Tables. Her current work focuses on activities related to organic and preferred cottons. She holds a MSc from Wageningen University in Development and Rural Innovation with a Minor in Agroecology and a double-degree Bachelor in Agricultural Sciences and in International Development Management.

Trini joined Textile Exchange in 2019 to design and lead the assessment process of several standards that were gifted to Textile Exchange. She also works on the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) as well as the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). Over the past couple of years, Trini played a key role in the development of fair trade standards across multiple product categories. She is an ambitious and resourceful self-starter with a diverse background and experience in project management, standards development, sustainability, research, multi-stakeholder engagement, process implementation and optimization. The apparel and textile space has always carried a special place in her heart and she is eager to co-create its future.  A dual citizen of both Germany and the United States, Trini currently resides in Seattle, Washington. She holds a BS and MS in sociology from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.

Jessica joined Textile Exchange to lead the development of the Corporate Fiber & Materials Benchmark (CFMB). She has over eight years of international cross-sectorial experience in sustainability, social responsibility and project management in Europe and in Asia. She is a big picture thinker who likes diving into issues, find solutions and then implement them with the aim to create value in society and contribute to a more inclusive world. Jessica wants to drive these changes within the apparel and textile sector.   

She holds two B.Sc, in Economics & Management and in Spanish/French/English Translation from the University of Salamanca, a M.Sc in International Affairs from the Comillas Pontificial University and a specialization in Business Sustainability Management from CISL.

Ashley Gill grew up on a cotton farm in Texas and spent time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural West Africa before joining Textile Exchange in 2010. After spending time in various roles of the organization, Ashley has been working on the Textile Exchange standards since 2012, starting with the first International Working Group for the Global Recycled Standard. Since then, she has led RCS and GRS, the Responsible Down Standard and helped to drive our standard-setting process. She has supported dozens of companies in their use of standards and labeling claims. Ashley has also been engaged in aligning the organization’s strategy across all platforms of work.

Member of the Senior Advisory Team.

Anne is the Director of Impact Acceleration for Textile Exchange and is leading the work on the Leather Impact Accelerator, Impact Incentives, the Responsible Leather Round Table, the Responsible Cashmere Round Table, and the International Buyers Group.  In her previous role as Director of Industry Integrity for Textile Exchange, she led the Integrity Team in the development and management of the Textile Exchange suite of global standards.  Anne has over 15 years of experience working with retail, including 10 years as a product manager at Mountain Equipment Co-op where she converted their cotton program to organic. In 2005, she co-founded Continuum Textiles, a sales agency representing socially and environmentally responsible textile products.  Anne has been engaged with Organic Exchange and Textile Exchange in multiple roles since the organization was founded in 2002.  Member of the Senior Advisory Team.

MBA in Luxury Goods and Fashion Industries from Paris, France. Bachelor of Engineering in Textile.  Amish has held various positions with Voltas, Decathlon & Agorcel Industries Ltd, and Textile Exchange in India and France. He also has work experience in textiles, sustainable agriculture, and the retail industry. Core strengths include sustainable sourcing of textile products & supply chain, social auditing at factories & farms, traceability tools, and quality auditing. Amish also has a vast working knowledge of sustainable cotton (BCI, Organic, Recycled, Natural Color Cotton, Khaadi) and preferred fiber & material. He has planned and managed various projects in India, France, and other countries, including the initiative for Natural Color Cotton, Recycle cotton and PET project, Organic (cotton & food), Fair Trade, and BCI.  Key projects: Traceability, Transparency, Direct Premium payment, sustainable fiber & material, Recycling.  My ideology is to “Think Sustainable, save the world, and help humanity.

Sevilla Granger has worked in various aspects of the sustainable textile and creative fields in the US and Europe and has served on international working groups such as the Sustainable Textiles Coalition and the Responsible Leather, Wool and Down Standards Working Groups. Sevilla’s professional commitment to sustainability in the industry is matched by her love of travel and involvement as an artist and organizer in the San Francisco arts community. Her commitment to sustainable home fashions sprang from her undergraduate work at North Carolina State University, well known for its Textile program, where she received her degree in Environmental Design with a minor in Textiles. Her professional engagement with advancing sustainability in the industry gained traction during her work at William Sonoma and Gap, Inc. It was further refined with Coyuchi, where she led the team to be the first GOTS certified home textiles brand, as well as achieving Fair Trade certification.  Sevilla now supports the sustainability work with Textile Exchange.  Member of the Senior Advisory Team.

Terry has previously worked at Dow Corning Wright as an Executive Administrative Assistant and for State Farm where she serviced current customer accounts and generated leads for new prospects.  She joined Textile Exchange in October 2012 as an Executive Assistant. She provides Board, SAT, Platform Task Forces and IT/HR Support as well as assisting Membership and Fund Development.  She is a vital member of the Conference TEam and handles registration for the event. Terry also publishes the “The Times of Textile Exchange” monthly newsletter and is coordinating the Textile Exchange effort to put systems and standard operating procedures in place.  Terry was promoted to Administrative Coordinator in 2017 and to Systems Manager in 2020.

Rose Johnson joined Textile Exchange in 2019 as the Communication Coordinator.   She provides support to the Marketing Communications TEam, and is responsible for coordinating email communications, data protection compliance, event support, and general customer service.  Rose has over 20 years’ experience in administrative healthcare, teaching higher education and professional development, and general management.

Dawn Kearns joined Textile Exchange in 2019 as the Administrative Assistant to the Managing Director, La Rhea Pepper.  Dawn previously worked as the Budget & Finance Officer at a large private university for 14 years.  Her duties included the management and coordination of a nationwide continuing education program as well as fiscal oversight for the department.  Dawn holds a BA in social work from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and a graduate certificate in Energy and Sustainability from the University of Denver.

Kaitlyn has experience in multiple industries including international business, retail consulting, textiles, and supply chain management. She has attended exchange programs with universities in both Paris and Hong Kong studying foreign retail practices and textile chemistry. Kaitlyn graduated in 2019 from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising and a minor in Sustainability. Previously, she worked with Deloitte (LRA) as a traveling retail consultant supporting brand management for companies across the nation. Based in Tucson, Arizona she works for Textile Exchange as the Communications and Events Coordinator alongside the Communications Team.

May brings with her education, technology, and research experience to support Textile Exchange in areas where her skills and expertise are needed. Prior to joining Textile Exchange, May was with IGOs, NGOs, and educational institutions in multiple countries.

Nicole is working primarily with the Fiber and Materials group, focusing on the annual PFM benchmark and data analysis. Nicole’s background is in environmental health and toxicology and has been working with environmental and health problematics related to industrial emissions and the use of chemicals in goods for 10 years, advising both the private and public sectors.

Celeste is an insatiably curious lifelong learner who is passionate about community, partnership, provenance, ethics, and timeless style. Through stories, she delights in making the complex simple. Her first job (not including babysitting and waitressing) was as the receptionist at Chanel HQ in Paris. It ignited Celeste’s love affair with both product and fashion while elevating her commitment to service. Since then she has worked as Marketing and Community Director and Entrepreneur in Residence, Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator; Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator; Regional Director, Green Festival –New York; Co-Founder and EcoPreneur, RESTORE Clothing; Co-Founder, NOCHAIRS, Inc.; and Founding Member, Save The Garment Center.

Member of the Senior Advisory Team.

Rita has over a decade of experience in corporate responsibility, global communications and stakeholder engagement with Fortune 100 brands, non-profits and NGOs. She has a strong understanding of sustainability in the apparel supply chain and brings hands-on experience working with US organic cotton farms and overseas textile mills and manufacturing facilities. Rita curates Textile Exchange's global Textile Sustainability Conference and manages our communications platforms. Rita received a Masters of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from The New School in New York City in 2011 and a BA in Communications from Pace University in New York. When she’s not working to positively impact the world for present and future generations, Rita enjoys gardening, photography, hiking and traveling.

Stefanie Maurice has over 10 years of experience in sustainable textiles and currently runs sustainable consultancy business Knit it Forward Limited, having previously worked at MADE-BY and Nike. As a consultant for Textile Exchange, Stefanie supports the fiber and materials team with the Corporate Fiber & Materials Benchmark, developing guidance documents for industry, leading the drafting of the Insights report, and providing various other support to stakeholders. Stefanie also works with other organizations such as WWF in the development of materials decision-making tools, and evaluation of the robustness of certifications and industry initiatives. Stefanie has a postgraduate certificate in Sustainable Business from the University of Cambridge, and graduated cum laude for both Masters degrees focusing on organizational change and supply chain management (specializing in closed-loop/circular network design).

Sophia Opperskalski has almost more than 10 years of experience in sustainability and textiles. At Textile Exchange, she is part of the fiber and materials team. Her responsibilities include the development of the Preferred Fiber and Materials Market Report and the coordination of the Biosynthetics Round Table. She also supports the strategic development of Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark program and other projects, amongst other responsibilities. Before joining Textile Exchange, Sophia worked for BSD Consulting where she was involved in projects on sustainability reporting, rankings and strategy. Prior to that, she has developed a B2B online platform to support designers and fashion brands in sourcing sustainable fabrics. Sophia is based in Berlin, Germany, and has a M.Sc. in Integrated Natural Resource Management from the Humboldt University in Berlin.

Prerna Pandey has three years of versatile experience in areas of sustainable supply chain, stakeholder management, market research, inventory management, and data analysis. She has worked in roles such as: research associate with Plastics For Change, analyst with Ernst & Young, and intern with Tata Steel. With Textile Exchange, Prerna started as an intern in October 2019 and has now taken the role of Materials Program Coordinator. As a part of the Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark team, Prerna is working to organize, develop and facilitate the benchmark program. Besides, she will also be coordinating some working group, as well as assist the data collection and compilation.  Prerna is a scholar from Trinity College, Dublin, with Masters in International Management degree. She has attended the summer school at London School of Economics and has a triple major undergraduate background in Economics, Mathematics and Statistics.

Katie has a strong background in the apparel and manufacturing sectors, having spent 6 years with the environmentally conscious clothing brand tentree inc. prior to joining the Textile Exchange TEam.  During her time at tentree, she gained valuable experience in customer care, sustainability, operations, social compliance, product compliance/testing, as well as a variety of administrative skills.  She has also worked in a variety of roles in both manufacturing and quality assurance, giving her a broad understanding of supply chain structures and challenges, including the implementation of standards. At Textile Exchange, Katie helps support the Assurance team in a variety of duties including responding to inquiries from Accreditation and Certification Bodies, engaging with members in the “Hub,” and document management, among others.

La Rhea has an extensive background in the organic cotton agricultural sector as well as management and marketing.  She is a 5th generation cotton farmer in Texas and her farm has been certified organic since 1991.  She completed her BS in Education at Abilene Christian University in 1979 and Master of Business – Organizational Leadership in 2016.   La Rhea was one of the co-founders of Organic Exchange and served as Chair of the Board until 2005 and then joined the Management TEam with the Exchange.

La Rhea currently represents Textile Exchange on the Board of Directors for CottonConnect and the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Member of the Senior Advisory Team.

Stefanie is the Senior Coordinator for the Standards and Innovations platforms at Textile Exchange. For the Standards team, she is responsible for managing the development of tools and resources to aid in implementation and adoption of Textile Exchange standards, as well as providing support to standards users looking to label and make claims. Her role with Innovations consists of developing the Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) and overseeing the coordination of the Responsible Leather and Responsible Cashmere Round Tables. Stefanie has been a part of the Textile Exchange team since 2017.

Simone studied design and textile engineering in Austria and went for a career in the global fashion and sporting goods industry, held various positions in design, product management, marketing and buying departments, also at the headquarter of adidas. In 2008 she decided to only focus on sustainability topics within the industry, first working as a consultant at the Dutch NGO Made-by, then as head of marketing and sales at Remei AG in Switzerland. She has expertise in leading CR initiatives on brand level, in supply chain transformation and integrity, product innovation and best-practise marketing and communication. Based in Freiburg, Germany, she works for Textile Exchange as a fiber and materials expert and as a consultant for brands and retailers.

Siena joined the Textile Exchange in 2020 as the Administrative and Program Assistant for Managing Director, La Rhea Pepper.  With a background that began in studying fashion design at Central Saint Martins in London, Siena has since focused on efforts within the sustainable fashion sector, from managing design and production for a FairTrade Kickstarter in India to Interning with Patagonia and working as a researcher at The Donghia Healthier Material’s Library in NYC.  With a BS from The New School specially focused in the intersection of design, business, and sustainability, Siena brings to Textile Exchange a unique blend of skills in project management, design, data analysis, and research.

Suet Yin joined Textile Exchange part-time in 2018 as a Data Analyst and Statistician.  In 2020, she accepted a full-time position as the Senior Data Analyst and Statistician.  Her role at Textile Exchange involves modelling and analysis of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index (MCI), the largest peer-to-peer comparison initiative in the textile industry. She also assists the Standards Assurance TEam in monitoring and compiling data from Certification Bodies.

Linda joined Textile Exchange in 2020 as the Membership Administrative Assistant.  Her role involves handling member details in Salesforce, assisting with renewals, billing for membership and aiding the members with conference registration.  Linda previous experience includes working for a Wyoming based citizen advocacy group for 12 years, working to protect public lands, wildlife, and clean air and water in Wyoming. She had an Administrative role, dealing with payroll, billing, human resources, staffing coordination and event planning. Linda ran a commercial greenhouse in rural Vermont, understanding the need to use nontoxic chemicals for the health of the population and the earth.  Linda has a BA of Art & Recreation from the College of St. Mary’s and the University of Omaha, Omaha, NE. She also completed classes in management and marketing from Central Wyoming College.

As a strategy consultant, Cory’s work supports textile/apparel brands and supply chain partners in developing a comprehensive and brand-aligned approach to sustainability. Her work with Textile Exchange, beginning in 2018, has centered on circularity positioning and benchmark development & analysis. Her consulting work with companies in textiles and other industries focuses on strategy development, circular economy, and impact metrics. Projects include triple bottom line impact modeling, sustainability growth strategy, circular business model innovation, and more. Cory holds an MBA from Bard College with a concentration in sustainable business and circular value chains. She continues to serve as a teaching assistant in Data & Analytics, and as virtual events and network chair of the MBA Alumni Board. Formerly founder and principal of a boutique consultancy, Cory now serves as Associate Director, North America, for Corporate Citizenship, a global sustainability consulting firm headquartered in London.

Evonne spent the past 20 years improving data and reporting for companies around the world. From a manufacturing background, she moved on to consultancy with PwC and IBM, project management with Wessex Water before settling into the sustainability sector with CSR Consultancy. A graphic designer on the side, Evonne is passionate about data visualization and using data to tell a story.   Evonne started working with Textile Exchange in 2009, leading on data collection, analytics, reporting and consumer engagement. Currently, as the Director of Data Management & China Strategy, Evonne holds two different portfolios in the company: one that focuses on creating value from data for textile sustainability and another to promote sustainable fiber and materials growth in the Chinese market.

Member of the Senior Advisory Team.

Liesl Truscott is the European and Materials Strategy Director with responsibility for developing and embedding Textile Exchange’s preferred materials program. Liesl has specialized in organic cotton and has a deep knowledge of the sector. With a first class degree in Environmental Management from the University of Newcastle in Australia, she has spent over twenty years in the fields of corporate social responsibility, occupational health and safety, and environmental management – working within both the private and public sector.

Member of the Senior Advisory Team.

Lee has been with Textile Exchange since 2008 and is primarily responsible for the consistent application of Textile Exchange standards by certified sites and certification bodies. This includes creating and maintaining an accreditation process, coordinating working groups, providing guidance on the standards, and leading the Centralized Database project. He is also directly involved in the development and revision of standards and their supporting documentation. Additionally, Lee supports the financial and operational aspects of Textile Exchange. He holds a Master’s in Entrepreneurship, a Bachelor’s in Management, and a minor in Spanish from Texas Tech University.

Member of Senior Advisory Team.

Larysa joined Textile Exchange in 2019. With a certificate in Business Administration from Southwestern Community College, North Carolina, and over 5 years of experience in setting up office procedures, supporting and organizing stakeholder events and communications, and enhancing membership values for non-profit organizations, Larysa joined Textile Exchange to support the team and stakeholders of the Responsible Leather and Responsible Cashmere Round Tables. Larysa holds a master’s degree in Sociology from Carleton University, Ottawa. Her graduate research in scientific controversies as well as volunteer research on biodiversity preservation and food security motivated Larysa to dedicate her professional skills to the advancement of practices that are healthy and just both for the environment and society.

Callie Weldon has 10 years of experience studying and working with sustainable textiles. At Textile Exchange, she is part of the Integrity Team and acts as Standards Coordinator to support the revisions process, stakeholder management, and standard benchmarking. Before joining Textile Exchange, Callie worked for EarthHero as the Sustainable Sourcing Manager for the Clothing and Accessories category. Callie is also the founder of Fair Fiber, a social start-up dedicated to creating economic mobility opportunities for small farmers in the Peruvian alpaca fiber industry. Callie holds a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising from the University of Delaware and an MBA in Global, Social, and Sustainable Enterprises from Colorado State University. She is based in Boulder, Colorado.

Sharon is knowledgeable in QuickBooks accounting, Peachtree accounting, and Excel programs.  Her job for Textile Exchange is primarily bookkeeping - maintaining the accounting records, payroll, preparation of quarterly tax reports, bank accounts and preparations for the yearly audit.  Sharon has been involved with organic cotton since 1996 when she started with Organic Essentials, working in all areas for the business.  In 2002, she became general manager of Organic Essentials and held that position until the company sold in 2006. As general manager, her job was mainly day-to-day operations.  Sharon has been the Financial Administrator for Textile Exchange since 2006.

Kathleen was one of the first 3 employees of the Organic Exchange in 2003. She recently joined the project team to help with the Organic Cotton Collective Impact project and with our 2030 Climate+ Strategy Development. She is also currently working with the Green Commodities Programme in UNDP as a Commodities advisor and advisor on their Platform Methodology upgrade. Her background is in people, team and organizational development and cross-sector partnerships focused on sustainable development.

Kathleen was one of the first 3 employees of the Organic Exchange in 2003. She recently joined the project team to help with the Organic Cotton Collective Impact project and with our 2030 Climate+ Strategy Development. She is also currently working with the Green Commodities Programme in UNDP as a Commodities advisor and advisor on their Platform Methodology upgrade. Her background is in people, team and organizational development and cross-sector partnerships focused on sustainable development.

Donna leads Textile Exchange’s Marketing Communications team to ensure all focus areas within the organization receive a high level of visibility through innovative strategies involving internal and external communication, branding, marketing and public relations. In addition to this, Donna is also responsible for the oversight of Textile Exchange’s global events to create greater visibility for Textile Exchange and to provide a space for industry engagement. Prior to joining Textile Exchange, Donna worked in Development and Public Relations for a higher education institution from which she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership.

Member of the Senior Advisory Team.

Contact Donna 

Amber joined Textile Exchange in 2014 as the Financial & Program Coordinator.  She has experience in multiple industries including retail, hospitality, farming and real estate.  She has assisted start-ups and worked with all aspects of small businesses.  Amber graduated in 2001 from Wyoming University with a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Finance and a Minor in Economics.

At Textile Exchange, Ryan focuses on strategy and operations as well as program development.  For strategy and operations, he ensures that Textile Exchange’s work is well-aligned, well-coordinated, and focused on achieving Textile Exchange’s mission and long term goals.  For program development, Ryan drives projects that support and enable Textile Exchange’s strategy and platforms.  Prior to joining Textile Exchange, Ryan led the development of the Higg Index 1.0 and 2.0 at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.  He has also consulted on sustainability to leading apparel brands and retailers, as well as to sustainability-related mutli-stakeholder organizations.  Ryan started his sustainability career at Blu Skye Sustainability Consulting in 2008; prior to this, he developed a strong track record in general strategy and management consulting.  Ryan has a B.A. in economics from Cornell University, and an M.B.A. in strategic management and marketing from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.