Ep. 174: Colony Founder Jean Lin on Balancing Bravery and Recklessness

Clever

Design entrepreneur and founder of Colony, the designer’s co-op, Jean Lin, grew up in suburban Massachusetts as one of a handful of non-white kids. With two brothers, she was a card-carrying tomboy until her teenage years when she leaned into fashion as a way to express herself. Influenced by her mother’s work as an educator for the incarcerated, she initially followed a career path into social services before reconciling with her undeniable yearning to study fashion design. After getting fired a few times, launching a few businesses, and gaining a smorgasbord of experience in a handful of roles, she bet her life savings on a dream and founded Colony, a community of designers that reimagines the design gallery business model as a supportive ecosystem, while celebrating American design to an international audience.

Images, links and more from Jean!

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Clever is created, hosted & produced by Amy Devers with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.

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