Materia Bank is a $2B unicorn pioneers in sampling logistics technology in the Architecture & Design industry. As the leader in material digitization, I built the Digital Materials Acquisition strategies, team, and technology ecosystem from scratch. I built the business plan and implemented the initiative to be a viable pillar to support a new business formation and revenue stream for the company.

• Identified, evaluated, and implemented technologies to achieve digitization of materials at scale while meeting rigorous quality standards.

• Spearheaded analytical approaches to develop and optimize operational processes that reduced the cost by 50% compared to initial projection.

• Sourced and recruited 20+ global talents, assembled a high-function team to meet business objectives.

• Designed the digital asset lifecycle system for efficient and smooth operation from beginning to end.

• Built multiple successful engineering pipelines to achieve visualization automations at-scale

• Partner with leading technology partners and independent engineers to develop proprietary software for improved efficiency and reduced error.

• Lead the executive communication and business planning to get C-Suite/Board buy-in.

• Manage $2M investment and 20 total employees and consultants for a scaled operation.

Lead the Materials Virtualization Strategy, one of the four pillars of the Under Armour Digital Transformation initiative, which directly contributes to a $3+M annual saving from sample reduction. Established the vision, mission and strategy, created the step-by-step roadmap, and recruited teammates to achieve the milestones.

I - Built and acquired technologies and created the 3D Virtual Materials workflow to drive the Digital Go-To-Market process.

• Built UA’s first virtual material library and technology platform to support Digital Product Creation at scale.

• Instilled digital materials process into Tier I and II suppliers to ensure reliability and consistency.

• Integrated the workflow into the PLM system to seamlessly deliver the benefits of materials virtualization.

• Designed training to drive cross-functional teams’ adoption of the virtual material approach.

• Created and filled new team roles to accelerate the roadmap timeline.

II - Formed a roadmap to prepare UA as the industry leader in the field of predictive materials engineering. Research areas include human sensory prediction, physics-based textile simulation, and soft body simulation.

• Initiated and currently manages external partnerships with research institutes and technology companies.

• Proposed, planned, acquired and executed $600k total project budget along with the contracts and SLAs.

• Identify and assess competing technical approaches through rigorous scouting to ensure UA’s digital strategy stays up-to-date.

• Participate in industry standards committee formed by GS1, EEE, and PI to represent the brand and influence the discussion to ensure standards are conducive to meeting Under Armour’s vision.

• Research published in 2022 ACM SIGGRAPH : https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3528223.3530167

Launched the consultancy firm in the U.S. and China that served as a bridge among international brands, suppliers, technology providers, and institution. The main focuses of Close the Circle included brand activation and strategy, competitive market analysis, and strategic analysis for sustainability, sourcing, and market differentiation.

As the consulting director, my responsibility was to oversee the portfolio, develop business proposals, onboard clients, negotiate contracts and pricing, lead project execution, and ensure timely delivery. Featured completed projects and clients:

• Competitive Marketing Research and Pricing Strategy for 3D and Fit Recommendation Technology, Client: NetVirta.Inc (Boston, USA, https://www.netvirta.com/)

• Evaluation and Implementation of Material ConneXion Platform (https://materialconnexion.com/), Client: Beijing Institute of Fashion and Technology (Beijing, China, https://english.bift.edu.cn/)

• Sustainable Material Sourcing and Production Activation, Client: Freja New York (New York, USA: https://frejanyc.com/)

• Design and Sustainable Materials Strategy, Client: Wearable Media (New York, USA: https://www.wearablemedia.co/)

• Re-Branding and Market Section Strategy, Client: Zhejiang Meisheng Group (Zhejiang, China, https://www.meishenggroup.net/)

• Work with experts from textile, electronics, advanced materials industries to develop the first E-Textiles Standard.

• Propose, advise, and define terms around different E-Textile categories.

• Evaluate the feasibility of the draft proposal and identify potential issues.

• Identify potential applications on the recent developments and industry practice in textile industry.

Lead of Design and Development at the Vinchay Lab

2017 - 2018