AT THE CORE
COLLIDE IS A BRAND-SHAPING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT HOUSE FOR EMERGING CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS, CONVERGING ARTISTRY AND STRATEGIC GROWTH METHODOLOGY IN BRAND AND BUSINESS LONGEVITY.
PURPOSE
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
Based on firsthand experiences, COLLIDE knows the struggle is real when it comes to starting and evolving a contemporary venture in overarching creative industries such as fashion, beauty, lifestyle and design. Once founder Laura Mendera pivoted in 2019, she couldn’t have anticipated the complexities involved in launching a brand, establishing a household name, attracting attention from key stakeholders and reaching the ideal target audience. And not only that, but doing this without losing sight of the end goal and while keeping the financial model sharp, ensuring the venture remains a business rather than turning into a hobby.
Laura’s journey progressed through various stages: from finding her co-founder in Oumayma El Boumeshouli and later Isabel Costa, to gaining familiarity with social and traditional media, marketing and public relations, conducting technological research, and even making hard decisions to change directions in activities. As she assumed a leadership role demanding strategic thinking and execution skills, dealing with uncertainties, setbacks and victories, cultivating a team, yet balancing creativity with business acumen, this transformation led Laura to become the savvy entrepreneur she is known as today.
The lack of industry-specific resources for insights and expertise to navigate important steps and focus areas in brand-shaping and business development pushed her to figure it all out herself through trial and error. These invaluable lessons form the foundation for what COLLIDE stands for: guiding emerging creative entrepreneurs to bring their authentic vision to life, building towards brand and business longevity for sustainable success.
FOUNDERS’
STORY
LAURA MENDERA: A MULTI-PASSIONATE ENTREPENEUR
With a previous career in criminal law followed by setting up structures for international private equity funds, Laura took the leap by pivoting her entrepreneurial journey: from launching a digital beauty platform towards establishing the visual art, production, brand identity house COLLIDE that serves emerging brands, creatives and artists, in combination with being the director of business development at CLEAR, the financial advisory boutique to find the right investor for deep & climate tech scale-ups and renewal energy projects – as a multi-passionate woman in the realm of venture, she carries the knowledge and experience to start, run and grow a company.
Laura believes in pursuing purpose driven ambitions, not letting external impulses interfere with the realization of such vision that lays at the core of authenticity, yet understanding that real-life challenges will require determination and resilience (both by nature check), confidence (an ongoing work in progress) and flexibility in adjusting along the way (self-taught and now check), keeping in mind the infinite goal. Staying true to her long-lasting zeal for fashion, beauty and design, while leveraging her law-wired brains, transformational skills, network and entrepreneurial spirit, Laura seizes opportunities and provides creatives and artists strategic guidance in building their business and positioning the brand they aim for – being part of evolvement by adding value defines her success.
