Anita
world with WeWork; these experiences gave me so much confidence when it came to working abroad. Sure, there are cultural differences, but business is business no matter where you are. Different perspectives add such value to a team; you just need to be sensitive of how you welcome and respect those differences. Do you ever see yourself moving back to the states? Honestly, no. The U.S. is generally considered more ‘entrepreneur-friendly’ than European countries. And while I understand that from a macro level, [like with] taxes and availability of funding, it ignores some tough truths. For example, I don’t pay for healthcare in London. If I left my job, I would pay around $500 per month for the simplest healthcare plan in the U.S. That is a huge cost for an entrepreneur who’s considering leaving their comfortable job. Additionally, my work is in sustainability, and European countries place a greater emphasis on that than the U.S.. Governing bodies in Europe have, and will continue to, imposed significant regulations to the textile industry that create huge opportunities for my business. What sparked your interest in sustainable fashion? I have been passionate about style and fashion for as long as I can remember. It stems from the ability to creatively express yourself through your clothing. I believe having a strong sense of identity and self-confidence is important, and fashion can be an incredible tool for that. I also believe climate change is the biggest issue facing our generation and one we are failing to solve. My love of fashion and my concern for the environment felt at odds until I discovered the growing industry of ‘sustainable fashion’ 15 or so years ago. I always knew that I would one day find myself in the industry; it was just a matter of when. What do you love most about running your own business? Applying creative thinking to business problem solving. I consider myself a very creative individual, which can sometimes be at odds with the path to success in traditional business. My second major in college was entrepreneurship because I realized startups are a space where creativity and business acumen are not only welcome but critical to success. I love the opportunity to develop a solution to a problem where there is no right answer, because it hasn’t been done before. For example, how will we market to our customers? Sure, we know what
Anita Shannon (Beta Epsilon-Arizona) Anita Shannon fell in love with Europe during her first trip abroad the summer after graduating high school and before starting college at the University of Arizona, where she would join Alpha Phi’s Beta Epsilon Chapter. This trip and her time spent studying abroad in London the summer between her sophomore and junior year changed her life and opened her eyes to the larger world we’re lucky enough to inhabit. London, in particular, resonated with her and sparked a dream for her to live there one day, but it always felt too aspirational. As Anita would soon find out, it wasn’t such a farfetched dream after all. After graduating from college, she moved to New York City and fully embraced the hustle and bustle of city life while working for WeWork. This allowed her to travel the world and live in multiple cities, including Berlin, Germany. Ultimately, after a career shift in 2022, she packed her bags and moved to London, fulfilling her life dream to start her own company, Newless — an in-person fashion experience that lets anyone transform old clothing into new garments through live upcycling pop-up events.
Let's hear Anita's story straight from the source.
How did those early years at WeWork shape your career? I was lucky to start my career at WeWork in its early stages. It was a rapidly growing, global company, and it needed talented, eager employees to grow with it. I traveled the
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