Ep. 114 Transforming Supply Chain Tech and Building a Venture-Backed Startup

About this episode

Show Notes:

Host Heidi Schalk welcomes Kathleen Chan, Founder and CEO of Calico, for an in-depth discussion on entrepreneurship, innovation, and resilience. Kathleen shares her journey from building successful DTC brands to tackling the complexities of global sourcing through technology. She opens up about her experience fundraising as a female founder, the effects of geopolitical shifts on supply chains, and the importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing market. This episode offers valuable insights on visibility, strategic partnerships, and what it takes for underestimated founders to succeed in the venture-backed ecosystem.

Bio*

Kathleen Chan is the founder and CEO of Calico, a sourcing co-pilot for consumer brands that streamlines the most complex and fragmented parts of production—using AI to help teams generate manufacturable design concepts, compare regional factory pricing, source the right partners, manage costs, and move from concept to production faster.

A three-time founder with deep experience in fashion and retail, Kathleen previously built and scaled DTC brands in the jewelry and apparel space, where she oversaw everything from design to sourcing to go-to-market strategy. Her frustration navigating global production across time zones, spreadsheets, and unreliable partners became the spark for Calico, which is now used by leading brands to bring speed and resilience to their supply chains.

She began her career at Microsoft and was named one of Sourcing Journal’s 2025 Female Founders to Watch.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenchan/

                   https://www.linkedin.com/company/calicoai/

Website:  https://www.joincalico.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/