Summer Rayne Oakes, (Co-founder), self-professed entophile, came from researching sewage sludge toxins and IDing aquatic insects at Cornell University. Concerned that only a small segment of the human population love bugs and poop, Oakes took to New York’s runways to get the word out about the environment and sustainable design. It was during that time when she became known as the World’s First Eco-Model, founded her first company, authored Style, Naturally, hosted on Discovery’s Planet Green, and worked on greening brands like Payless, MODO, Portico and Aveeno. Always up for an adventure, SRO came together with Benita Singh in 2009 to figure out how to help the design community get their sustainable groove on.

Also expert in: Reduviidae (Assassin bug) predation techniques; building teepees; funny hats; and 1950s vintage.

Benita Singh (Co-founder), lover of all things artisan and handmade, began conspiring the launch of the first online sustainable sourcing portal with long-time friend SRO in late 2009. After receiving her degrees in Comparative Literature and International Relations at Yale, she spent a number of years on transcontinental fair trade expeditions. First, as the President/Co-founder of Mercado Global where she connected  women artisans in Guatemala to markets such as Whole Foods, ABC Carpet & Levi-Strauss. And then inIndia, where she connected artisans from the Gandhi Ashram to Srikalahasti to Barnes & Noble and GAIAM. After staying put in NYC for a bit to exercise her marketing muscle at BBMG, she got the itch to use the latest technologies to scale the sustainable design sector as we know it.

Also expert in: NYC’s best yoga spots, costume period dramas and other things Anglophile and swiftly switching tongues (Spanish, French, Hindi) to get the greatest sustainable sources up and running on Source4Style.

Elizabeth Cloyd (Director of Community Relations), more commonly known by her street name “EClo,” came to 11211 by way of UC Boulder by way of Edina, Minnesota (think cheese and sausages!). Her interest in sustainable fashion began when she first traveled to China as a student and realized the industry was in need of a serious Eco-Rx. EClo soon found herself working with brands such as Oscar de la Renta and RODO. She joined Source4Style at its inception and has since expertly taken on the tall task of keeping Source4Style’s designers and suppliers super psyched about building the coolest community around sustainable design.

Also expert in: Best one-liners, ever!; Coolest places to brunch, lunch and dine.

Max Neuvians (Director of Technology), comes to Source4Style by way of Tanzania and Zimbabwe, with a quick stopover at Yale University where he first met Co-founder Benita and launched the technology & e-commerce platform behind Mercado Global. Particularly adept in a range of innovative technologies – including the development of modules, e-commerce solutions and Database Design  – Max is the mastermind behind the multi-vendor Source4Style platform, our in-site messaging & RFQ tools and shipment tracking solutions.

Also expert in: Baking the perfect chocolate souffle, African History, acquiring multiple degrees while building awesome technologies.

David Barthwell (Design Director), also comes to Source4Style by way of Yale University where he built the Mercado Global branding and design while receiving his degree with honors and distinction in the Creative Arts. An artist extraordinaire with talents in drawing, painting, photography and digital design, David’s work on the Source4Style brand and Trend Reports is influenced by his many artistic genres and extensive travels abroad.

Also expert in: Japanese Martial Arts, jetsetting and the best foodie spots in his current home of San Francisco.