Fashion’s Whiplash: Kathleen Chan on AI, Tariffs & Fixing Broken Supply Chains

“The 100% tariffs have poured fuel on an already raging fire… it’s put this whiplash effect into every sourcing manager and production team.”

Kathleen Chan, CEO & Founder of Calico

Global apparel supply chains are “very, very broken.” Kathleen Chan is out to fix them. As founder of Calico, she’s building an AI-driven “force multiplier” to bring resilience, speed, and clarity to one of the world’s most volatile industries.

In this conversation with David Savage, Kathleen shares:

• How tariffs and economic instability create a whiplash effect in fashion

• Why Calico’s inbound leads surged 300% in the last year

• The role of AI and vetted factory networks in rebuilding resilience

• Lessons from her early entrepreneurial journey

• Why VC priorities are shifting to sustainable growth and leaner teams

This is a rare inside look at how technology is rewriting the rules of global apparel manufacturing, and the human decisions driving that change.

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