Forbes List Next 1000: Social Entrepreneur Chrissie Lam, Founder of Love Is Project

Eeee! So honored to be on theForbes Next 1000 list! This list is a “year-round initiative that showcases ambitious sole proprietors, self-funded shops and pre-revenue startups in every region of the country—all with under $10 million in revenue or funding and infinite drive and hustle.”

First off, big thank you to the judging panel for recognizing all the hard work and hustle it takes to launch a startup! Love Is Project has been tried and tested in more ways than one. It’s thanks to our community and artisan partners that we continue to build resilience and adapt in a quick-paced world..Also, congratulations to all of my fellow nominees—I’ve gotta say, it’s wonderful to see the diversity highlighted in this list. 

When I was studying fashion design at Parsons School of Design in NYC 20 years ago, I never thought that I would one day show up on a Forbes list! I believe when you merge design with business, innovation is bound to unfold.  And mixing international development in there too, you can improve countless  lives through social entrepreneurship. 

Love Is Project is a testament on how to scale impact with ethical  artisan partnerships around the world.

When I found out Alex Rodriguez was going to be the guest shark on our Shark Tankepisode, I did some research and saw he was on the Forbes Next 1000 judging panel. Learning more about it, I decided to also apply for the competition too. And sure enough, out of all the judges, he was one of mine in the first round of applicants. The short story is...if I didn’t have Alex as a guest Shark, I would not have known aboutForbes Next 1000 and would not have applied. 

Everything happens for a reason.