Francesca Kennedy

After discovering the once beautiful Lake Atitlan of Guatemala where Francesca's grandparents lived overrun with blue green algae in 2010 and a new generation of children collecting the contaminated water, Francesca turned what NASA deemed one of the worst natural disasters to occur on the planet (as you could see the contamination from space) into action.

Francesca launched her fashion company Ix Style that sells huaraches sandals and bags made by Mayan artisans near Lake Atitlan. Ix is the Mayan word for water. For every purchase, Ix donates to provide clean drinking water to children in Guatemala where Francesca's family is originally from.

Richard Branson was one of Ix Style's first customers. Oscar winners Amanda Seyfried, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita Nyong'o are Ix Style supporters.

Francesca has designed exclusive styles with Gwyneth Paltrow for Goop, J.Crew, Anthropologie, Gap.

Francesca was a contestant and winner on Project Runway: Fashion Startup. As a result of the show, Rebecca Minkoff is an investor in Ix Style.

People En Espanol Magazine named her "25 Most Powerful Latinas" in 2018. Inc. Magazine named her "Top 27 Women Changing The World." in 2017.

View the video The Gap filmed (below) about Ix's water mission + work with artisans.

Francesca has risen to the top of the fashion industry as a social entrepreneur. Based in New York City, her designs have appeared in numerous publications including Forbes, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, InStyle, Financial Times, LA Times + more.

As a social entrepreneur, Francesca is one of the most sought after speakers internationally, speaking at universities and conferences. She has also presented a TED talk "Finding Hope in Murky Water".

Francesca is a Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leader, Access Latina accelerator winner + grant recipient, Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Entrepreneur of the Year 2016, Crain's Top Latinas To Watch 2017, and was interviewed for the book Girl CEO along with Oprah and Tory Burch.