Exceeding Expectations: Meet the Women Pioneering A Virtual MFMS

The MFMS leaders have had to overcome countless unexpected challenges given the volatile nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. From developing a three-day virtual summit to engaging with a displaced team through Zoom, Chief Operating Officer Uma Chalik and Co-Presidents Katie Lowenbaum and Juliette Sibley have impressed us all. Their ability to adapt to the circumstances and create an entirely new framework for an exceptional virtual summit has exceeded all expectations. We got the chance to speak to them about this unique experience and they expressed that, despite a few limitations, they are confident the 2021 MFMS will be the best yet. 

What inspired you to pursue your positions in the MFMS organization?

U: Since joining my Sophomore year, I recognized the impact MFMS it made on my professional skills and saw that the senior members really wanted to help us grow. Stepping into the COO position would allow me to work with each member of the team directly. It felt like my best opportunity to give back to the future generations of MFMS. 

J: The whole experience of being on the team and seeing the summit come to life in my Sophomore year was awesome, and I can confidently say that the MFMS has been one of the most meaningful and foundational parts of my college experience. Particularly in my Sophomore year, seeing the presidents become leaders and mentors was really inspiring and something I wanted to emulate to give back to younger members. 

K: Since I joined my Freshman year, which was the first year of the MFMS, every meeting I went to I was amazed by how much this felt like my first “corporate experience,” when it was really just students putting it on. From my Freshman year to my Senior year I have grown alongside the MFMS, and I wanted to give back from my experience. 

Describe a bit what it has been like to put together the MFMS’ 2021 summit. 

K: It hasn’t been a linear progression, we’re constantly trying to think of what makes the most sense to put this on, given the virtual restrictions. It’s us constantly working together to find the best way to do something since the process is less concrete with the virtual summit. 

J: It was like a clean slate. Since the initial summit there has been a sort of blueprint for how to get to the final executional phase of the summit, and coming onto this clean slate was scary, but exciting—scary in that we had no clue how to get to the final product but exciting in that we got to try something new that no other past leaders had done before, so it’s been very rewarding. 

U: If I could put a label on the whole experience it would be a problem-solving journey. We've approached every aspect of the summit as a new puzzle to solve. It's taken a lot of reimagining and strategic organizing for matters we didn't necessarily have a blueprint for, which has made the whole experience all the more exciting. 

What do you think a virtual summit affords you and the audience that an in-person summit does not? 

K: I think in my third year of the MFMS it started to feel a bit formulaic, and this year we communicated with our team that we were building something that had never been done before. We had a virtual summit last year, but not on this scale, and we’ve never had three days of the MFMS. With that, our strategy has been “the sky’s our limit,” since speakers, partners, and attendees don’t have to fly in to the event. We’ve gotten the best caliber speakers and partners, and are confident we can reach the biggest audience yet because of the virtual nature of the event.  

U: Something I’m really excited for with this summit is the activation portion of it, which is definitely something new this year and that we couldn't do with an in-person summit. So I think having this option will make the summit more engaging and exciting, which is our end goal. 

J: I’m most excited about the networking portion because, in years past, it only ended up being 20-30 minutes, so there isn’t a big opportunity to get yourself in front of speakers and industry professionals. I think the ability to sign up to network virtually with a specific individual of your interest will make it a seamless and useful process.

What limitations does a virtual summit have?

K: I miss the team building that you get from going to weekly meetings in-person and staying up late the night before to set up for the summit. We’ve tried to mimic some of that in our meetings, but I think there will always be that human component of summit day that we won’t get. 

J: Due to the virtual nature of the summit and the pattern of Zoom fatigue we’ve all been experiencing, we made the decision to spread the summit out over the course of three days. We are confident in that decision, but I think by distilling it in that way, it might feel less compact and exhilarating than it has been in the past. 

U: My favorite part about our in-person summit is its ability to bring so many like-minded, passionate people into one room. It is truly unique and exciting to see and be a part of. The ambience is hard to relay in a virtual setting, and so are the brief, in-between conversations between attendees, which, in my opinion, are so invaluable. But we are confident that we chose the best platform to replicate that kind of experience as best as we could.  

What is the most rewarding aspect of putting together the virtual summit?

K: Any response we get from a potential speaker lights me up and gets me excited. Even if we talk on the phone with a potential speaker and they end up saying no, just knowing that the phone call gets us one step closer to the final summit has been really rewarding. It’s the small moments that make us realize we're getting closer and closer to the summit. Also, the virtual format this year has let us grow the MFMS even more; we’ve brought on a Diversity Equity and Inclusion chair, we started our Instagram live series The Grind, so it’s been a year where we got to listen to our team members’ ideas and expand the MFMS beyond just a three-day summit. 

U: For me, it has been seeing the entire team, particularly our e-board, get passionate about re-inventing the summit and the MFMS as we know it. Everyone has come to us with brilliant ideas, many of which we have executed throughout the year. It’s so exciting to see everyone adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and bring their passionate ideas to fruition.

J: Given the popularity of Zoom now, when we have calls with speakers we are able to form a greater connection between the MFMS and potential speakers and partners because we’re able to see their faces and make deeper connections. Under normal circumstances, you might get to meet them for a few minutes or a couple hours on summit day, but now, regardless of if someone ends up agreeing to speak or not, we establish relationships and more human connections. 

How do you see the fashion industry changing as a result of the virtual nature of the world right now? What might a post-COVID fashion industry look like? 

K: The social movements like BLM, and even the pandemic, have awakened more compassion in the fashion industry, whether that be in the corporate culture or having more voices represented. It’s clear that Gen Z is having their influence in the fashion world by holding people accountable, which shows that the consumer is becoming more aware of the brands they shop at. 

J: Even in the pre-COVID era we’d been seeing the rise of direct-to-consumer and e-commerce, and a decreased reliance on the in-person shopping experience. I think after the pandemic the direct-to-consumer and e-commerce aspects will continue to grow and become more successful. 

U: I also think the obvious transition during this period is going into an e-commerce world. Many companies that previously got by without being digitally integrated won’t be able to keep doing that post-COVID. That said, I’m still hopeful that the in-person shopping experience will be revived in inventive ways by integrating the in-person and online shopping experiences. 

What hopes do you have for future summits once the pandemic is over? What wisdom would you impart on future presidents with regards to the summit in general as well as overcoming unexpected challenges? 

K: This year we had the ability to put our own spin on the summit. I’m excited to see how future summits in-person use what we’ve learned from the past virtual and in-person summits to create a unique experience.  

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to roll with it and do the best you can with the resources you’re given. Having strong relationships with team members and rolling with the punches has been most important for me. 

J: I’m excited to see future summits return to the more typical format and see how future members overcome obstacles given the flexibility we’ve gained due to the virtual nature of putting on this summit. For example, if a potential speaker says no because they can’t travel that weekend, why not have them do something on screen or pre-record a message, or even have them do something with us on Zoom at another point in the year? The MFMS will be able to jump at those opportunities more because we have more experience. 

The wisdom I would give is just to put your heart and soul into it, I feel like regardless of how it turns out, knowing that you’ve done that lets you be confident in the outcome you end up with. 

U: My vision for the future of MFMS is similar to my hopes for the future of the fashion industry. I would love to see it come back to how it was in person, but I think you have to keep evolving digitally in this new world, and I’m excited to see how many of the initiatives we’ve started this year, like The Grind and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiative, continue to improve in future years. With our new digital capabilities, we’ll be able to make the MFMS a more 365 day experience, while still bringing back the excitement of an in-person summit. 

In terms of wisdom for future leaders, I’d say never shy away from asking questions and don’t just take the pieces as they were laid out for you. We followed that advice this year, and it has allowed us to grow in our roles and make the MFMS greater than it ever has been. 

Hopefully hearing from our Presidents and COO inspired you to join us at the MFMS’ 2021 Summit! Mark your calendars for March 8th-10th and follow @the_mfms on Instagram to stay up to date on all things MFMS. See you there!