CARMEN BUSQUETS is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and zero-waste advocate whose career in the luxury fashion industry spans over three decades. In addition to fashion and technology, she is passionate about mind and body discipline, and empowering small artisans and business owners around the world. At 23 years old she opened the luxury fashion boutique Cabus in Venezuela, the first of its kin d in Latin America, selling to international clients via pre-orders directly from runway shows to avoid overstocking and waste. Following two wellness ventures in the early 90s, Busquets eventually made history in the e-commerce fashion space when she became the cofounding investor and largest individual private shareholder of Net-a-Porter. Her focus on sustainable luxury was further explored through CoutureLab, the e-commerce store and content platform, which she launched in 2006 to sell limited edition pieces made by a global network of entrepreneurs, artists, and artisans working across fashion, lifestyle, and different cultures. Through her investment portfolio, Busquets has been involved in a great number of luxury fashion and lifestyle success stories, including Farfetch, Business of Fashion, and Cult Beauty, an online retailer sold to The Hut Group in 2021. In her investor and board director roles, she steers businesses towards attaining profitability by focusing on responsible waste reduction practices. In recent years, Busquets has cofounded disruptive technology companies developing proprietary artificial intelligence solutions. She is currently supporting the e-commerce platform Lyst, known as the Google of fashion. An advocate of zero waste, Busquets devotes her time and efforts to create awareness, foster aid, and educate on the conservation of our planet. Supporting women and artisan communities, she serves on Nest International’s board of trustees and has taken on the role of Nest International’s Brand and Fashion Deputy to spearhead initiatives that promote equal opportunities in the handmade economy, while preserving centuries-old craftsmanship techniques. In 2018, she joined the board of directors of the non-profit organization Glasswing International and helped fund the launch of its New York City-based program for migrant youth. In 2021, she was the honoree at Glasswing’s Annual Gala, helping to raise $1.6 million to further their urgent work. In January 2022, she joined the board of Parsons School of Design as part of her commitment to shape tomorrow’s industry in a sustainable and ethical way.
