EMERGING WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
KIMBERLY LAU
Founder
Project ReWear
Kimberly Lau is the co-founder of Project ReWear, circular fashion business launched publicly in 2024 that is redefining how communities reduce textile waste while increasing access to affordable clothing. Lau transitioned from a career in wealth management into missiondriven entrepreneurship after witnessing firsthand how quickly clothing cycles through families and into waste streams. One of the greatest challenges Lau overcame was building a viable business model in an industry where donation overflow, landfill diversion, and resale inefficiencies are widespread. Rather than launching a traditional thrift or resale shop, she designed a multi-channel operating system that balances margin, volume, and access. Project ReWear operates across curated online resale, a brick-and-mortar store, quarterly warehouse sales, and community redistribution – each channel serving a specific role in keeping inventory moving and waste out of landfills. Lau has also pioneered The Landfill Project, a real-time tracking system that weighs every item sold so impact is measurable, not estimated. Her leadership blends operational discipline with innovation, proving that a woman-owned business can be both financially sustainable and environmentally accountable.