Underbrella

JULIE SYGIEL

Founder/CEO

Meet Julie, the fearless leader of Dear Kate. This self-proclaimed Southern Belle (originally hailing from Kentucky!) is serious about Dear Kate underwear. As a child, Julie fell in love with selling things that make women feel good after she sold 10,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Not 10. Not 100. 10,000. Julie went on to study chemical engineering at Brown University. And even though she says the word “super” more than any chemical engineer we know, she still manages to come up with kickass fabric that rocks our Dear Kate designs. Julie believes that putting on a pair of amazing underwear in the morning is super important - and trust us, she knows underwear.

AMANDA ELLER

Marketing Coordinator

Meet Amanda. Life abroad (Benin, France, Senegal) sparked her interest in women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, leading her back to her home state of Rhode Island where she found a perfect combination of the two at Dear Kate! When she’s not dreaming up wild outfits for the Dear Kate office theme days, Amanda can be found scouring thrift shops, planning her next worldly travels, or re-inventing recipes with the best the farmers’ market has to offer.

SUE SQUIRES

Finance

Meet Sue.  She loves working in the energetic and sometimes frenzied atmosphere of start-ups and helping new entrepreneurs create order out of chaos. She has worked in diverse industries including a casting agency, a garbage company, and a graphic design studio. Dear Kate is the perfect mix of an interesting product and a bright, talented team that she loves to be a part of. In her spare time you can find her at her lake house in Maine listening to the loons, hiking, kayaking and enjoying the many friends and family who come to visit.

LISSY KING

Meet Lissy. Born and raised in Boston, Lissy is currently working towards her masters degree in Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Obviously, she knows good lines and clean design and who better to talk about the amazing design of Dear Kate? When we found out that she could discuss underwear all day long, the deal was cinched and she was on the team. Lissy loves art and music and absolutely anything food related.

LAUREN UMETSU

Meet Lauren. Lauren is currently studying History of Art and Architecture and Economics at Brown University. She hails from sunny Honolulu, Hawaii. Lauren heard through the internship-grapevine that working with Dear Kate was an incredible experience and knew she wanted to be a part of the team. She loves to spend her spare time exploring museums, being a little addicted to online shopping and whipping up a mean dessert.

ZOE MCKINNELL

Meet Zoe. Born in Toronto and raised in Montreal. She graduated from Brown University in May and is currently living in Boston and working in the ER. She heard Julie speak in her business class last spring and thought Dear Kate was a fantastic idea. She wanted to learn more! In her free time, Zoe loves running, trying out new recipes and watching New Girl.

ISABELLA GIANCARLO

Meet Isabella. Born in New Jersey, Isabella is a senior at Brown University studying Environmental Studies and Visual Arts. Inspired by Julie's energy and enthusiasm after hearing her speak, Isabella couldn't imagine any other summer job for her. As the speakers coordinator for the a Better World by Design Conference, Isabella is passionate about design, innovation, and entrepreneurship for social good.  An intense lover of art and art history, in her spare time, Isabella enjoys museum hopping and creating her own masterpieces.