27. Marianne Caroline Hughes, Age 26

Company: KNO Global

Age: 26

Website: https://www.knoglobal.com/

Business: KNO Global is a data platform that measures the sustainability and factory-worker satisfaction of clothing brands.

About Marianne and KNO Global

Marianne is an entrepreneur, award-winning writer, speaker and the Founder and CEO of KNO Global. She started her first business at the age of eighteen, and has gone from strength to strength ever since. She has spoken about her motivation to address climate change and improve working conditions in supply chains, hoping to impact both the planet and the people who live on it.

KNO Global is a data platform for brands, factories and workers. It uses a combination of hardware & software us to measure factory happiness and sustainability in real-time. Its app allows shoppers to see the story behind garments so they can make better, more ethical decisions about what they buy.

Marianne first became interested in sustainable fashion as an exchange student living in Hong Kong. She became aware of the huge impact that fast fashion was having on factory workers and the environment, as the world’s second most polluting industry. This is what persuaded her to start her company.

Marianne posted images of her dissertation on social media, and a company focusing on sustainability consulting reached out and wanted to learn more from her for their clients. She says that she heavily utilised social media to reach out to companies at first, in order to build connections. Since then, her business has grown hugely, and KNO Global now works with famous brands such as Target and Decathlon.

KNO Global brings an understanding of corporate sustainability, supply chains, garment workers and consumer engagement to businesses worldwide. It also empowers shoppers to make informed decisions that they feel comfortable with from an ethical standpoint.

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