Designer Karla López Rivera 04 FD is among the residents of Puerto Rico who are working to pull the US territory out of a crippling, long-term recession. Even before Hurricane Maria hit in September 2017 and left the island literally powerless to rebuild, local businesses were navigating a debt crisis that caused many to close up shop.
But now Puerto Rican startups are on the rise, and Isleñas (Islander), the socially responsible footwear company López launched after returning to the island in 2018, is among them.
“Maria really pushed the decision for me to move back,” López says. “I’d been away for 14 years [but] I had those feelings of urgency to come back and help.”Read More