“I never really wanted to be in front of the camera with my brand because I wanted to be an eyewear brand, not a black -owned eyewear brand. I didn't want to be pigeonholed into something in people's mind.”
In this episode of Startups in Stilettos, hosts Ingrid Zapata-Read and Carlyn Bushman sit down with Entreprenista League member Dionne Ellison, Founder and CEO of Vuliwear, an elevated eyewear brand redefining how we think about sunglasses. Inspired by macro photography of insect eyes, Dionne transformed hidden beauty in nature into bold, Italian-made, lens-driven designs that lead with both purpose and style.

Dionne shares her deeply personal entrepreneurial journey—rooted in family creativity, influenced by years in corporate leadership, and shaped by her own cataract experience. Together, they explore what it takes to disrupt a saturated market, why Vuliwear leads with the lens instead of the frame, and how education, health, and fashion can coexist in one powerful brand.

What we talked about:
Macro Inspiration [4:17]
Focus on the Lens [9:09]
Blending it all Together [15:23]
The Biggest Challenge [19:04]
Why Invest in Good Glasses [26:40]

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