Karla Gallardo

Born in Ecuador, Gallardo was raised by a family that believed in the purchase of "fewer, better things."[2] She moved to America for school and – after graduating from Stanford – built a brand to reconnect consumers with the products they purchase and the stories behind how they are made.

Gallardo has an Sc.B in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Brown University[3] and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.[4]

From 2005 to 2008 Gallardo worked in Goldman Sachs' Investment Banking Group. From September 2010 to July 2011 she held the role of Business and Strategy Analyst at the Apple Inc. Online Store.

In 2011,[5] Gallardo co-founded Cuyana.com (which means "to love" in Quechua[6]) with fellow Stanford student Shilpa Shah.[7] The duo established the fashion company with a philosophy to "love every item in their closets,"[8] while promoting "intentional buying."[9] They launched the company with an initial loan of $20,000 (half from Gallardo's parents)[10] and since then received $1.7 million in investments from Canaan Partners.[11]

Cuyana's collections come from seven countries, enabling Gallardo to travel (to: Argentina, Ecuador, Italy, Peru, Scotland, Turkey and the US) for inspiration and creativity from international environments.[12] She uses the "fewer, better" philosophy with this too, incorporating "intentional living," which means careful planning to get the most out of each journey and destination. She is inspired by street style, art, architecture, culture and cities for the company when she travels.[13]

In 2016 – at 32 years old – she was an honoree in the ’40 Under 40s’ San Francisco Business Times list.[14]

In 2010 – together with fellow Stanford students Aastha Gupta and Lavanya Ashok – Gallardo made a video to increase awareness for Embrace, an organization that developed a portable incubator (requiring no electricity and costs $25 per unit) for low-birth weight babies. The "Power of Social Technology" video sought to solicit $25 contributions from individuals wanting the opportunity to save a life, and depicted the life of one Indian child as an example.[15]