In 2016, Laura Melendrez co-founded Amor & Rosas while still a graduate students at Yale. Amor & Rosas is an ethical fashion company committed to empowering Indigenous artisans in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, by paying a living wage for their embroidery work while keeping sustainability in mind. Melendrez runs the company from Mexico City, where she manufactures and commercializes at two of the brand’s locations and concept stores in North America.
Melendrez holds a bachelor´s degree in marketing from the Monterrey Institute of Technology, an MBA from the EGADE School of Business and a master’s in advanced management from the Yale School of Management. She has lived in Italy, Canada and the United States. Her areas of expertise are social entrepreneurship, fashion, marketing and retail.