Daniele Orellana is the co-founder of Mitts, a design-forward brand creating sleek, non-abrasive sponges for delicate glassware and fine kitchen tools. By day, she works full-time as a pediatric dentist and serves as an attending at a hospital in Brooklyn. Alongside her clinical career, she also helps run Mitts, leading efforts across marketing, social media, and partnerships.

The daughter of immigrants who arrived in the U.S. in the late 1980s, Daniele grew up learning how to navigate unfamiliar systems, ask bold questions, and carve her own path. That early independence shaped the scrappy, fearless mindset she brings to entrepreneurship today—despite having no prior experience in the industry.

As a first-generation founder, she didn’t grow up surrounded by entrepreneurs or startup culture. Instead, she built Mitts from the ground up while balancing a demanding medical career. What started as a point of frustration—broken wine glasses, unattractive sponges, and a lack of well-designed options—sparked the idea for the brand.

Today, Mitts is a reflection of that journey: practical, thoughtful, and design-driven. While she continues to figure things out in real time, Daniele is guided by a clear belief that even the most everyday objects deserve intentional, beautiful design.

In this episode: