Michele Valadão Levy

Corporate Board Director // Founder and CEO of Ilhabela (Melissa Shoes USA) and Costa Brazil // Expansion + Growth and Winning the US Market

New York, New York, United States Contact Info
3K followers 500+ connections

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About

I am a Corporate Board Director with more than 15 years experience as a founder-CEO of market leading international companies in consumer and retail.

I have a track record of delivering profitable growth, with an expertise in entering and winning the US market as an international brand. I brought Melissa Shoes from Brazil to the United States, establishing it as a leading global fashion brand with millions of pairs sold annually.

After 15 year in banking and private equity at Chase Capital Partners/JPMorgan Partners, I founded Ilhabela Holdings and obtained the exclusive US license to market Melissa Shoes. As CEO of Ilhabela, I bootstrapped the company - an established brand in Brazil but totally unknown in the US - to profitability in its second year through strong and innovative digital, retail, wholesale, and marketing initiatives. In 2023, Elle magazine called Melissa "the future of footwear."

As the co-Founder and CEO of Costa Brazil, the first luxury/designer clean beauty brand to come to market, I steered the company's strategy and positioning, fundraising, finance, sales, and team until its acquisition by Amyris, INC (NASDAQ: AMRS) after penetrating the most prestigious retailers in the world.

As a Board Director, angel investor and mentor, I am passionate about driving discipline, strategy, growth and profit for extraordinary companies across consumer, retail, tech and beyond.

Some of my proven capabilities as Board Director include:

- Strategy
- Financial acumen and controls
- Winning the U.S. market as an international brand
- Digital Transformation
- HR issues (CEO succession, unions, trade wars)
- Governance, acquisitions, divestitures

Activity

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Experience

  • YPO Graphic

    Member of Leadership Communities (YPO, WCD, EWOB)

    YPO

    - Present 11 months

    YPO Manhattan member since 2015
    Women Corporate Directors since 2022
    Extraordinary Women on Boards member since 2023

  • Elephant in a Box Graphic

    Board Member

    Elephant in a Box

    - Present 2 years

    United States

    Patented materials’ technology company.

  • Advisory Board Member & Advisor

    Consumer, Retail, Tech

    - Present 11 years 8 months

    San Francisco, California, United States

    Agua Bendita (ready to wear/swimwear)
    Løci Wear (urban/lux vegan sneakers)
    The List (AI powered luxury marketplace)
    Chevignon (apparel)
    Beauty For All Industries (BFA)

  • GRUPO LIMONADA Graphic

    Board Member

    GRUPO LIMONADA

    - 1 year 6 months

    United States and Santiago, Chile

    35-year old business operating 120+ retail stores in Chile. Led expansion into the U.S. market at Board level. For Chilean market, focus on HR issues, including unions, the effects of trade wars, cybersecurity, and CEO succession.

  • Costa Brazil Graphic

    Co-Founder and CEO

    Costa Brazil

    - 3 years 5 months

    New York, New York, United States

    Pioneer in luxury clean beauty. Steered fundraising efforts, commercial strategy, finance, and team toward its acquisition by Amyris, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMRS) after penetrating the most prestigious stores in the world (Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods, Comme des Garçons, Blue Mercury) with 70% annual growth in revenues.

  • Melissa Shoes USA Graphic

    Founder and CEO

    Melissa Shoes USA

    - 11 years 8 months

    New York, New York

    Founded Ilhabela Holdings, the company behind the the successful growth of the Melissa Shoes brand in the US.

    Obtained the exclusive U.S. license to market Melissa Shoes, bringing the brand from Brazil to the United States. Grew to leading luxury shoe category with millions of pairs sold annually.

    Bootstrapped from unknown to profitability in its second year, employing more than 100 people and operating 12 retail stores.

    Expanded D2C sales and opened a children’s line…

    Founded Ilhabela Holdings, the company behind the the successful growth of the Melissa Shoes brand in the US.

    Obtained the exclusive U.S. license to market Melissa Shoes, bringing the brand from Brazil to the United States. Grew to leading luxury shoe category with millions of pairs sold annually.

    Bootstrapped from unknown to profitability in its second year, employing more than 100 people and operating 12 retail stores.

    Expanded D2C sales and opened a children’s line. Early adopter and investor in commerce enabling technologies to fast-track growth, implementing online ordering systems, agnostic location fulfilment, and drop ship capabilities. Melissa USA saw compounded annual growth of 45% over 10 years before exiting role as CEO.

    In 2023, Elle magazine called Melissa “the future of footwear.”

    Named one of the top CEOs in the U.S. by The Lead , highlighting “ability to lead, embrace innovation and technology to drive business forward.”

  • Americas Society/Council of the Americas Graphic

    Senior Director

    Americas Society/Council of the Americas

    - 4 years

    New York city

  • J.P. Morgan Graphic

    Private Equity and Venture Capital

    J.P. Morgan

    - 12 years 6 months

    Brazil and New York City

Education

Languages

  • English

    Native or bilingual proficiency

  • Spanish

    Native or bilingual proficiency

  • Portuguese

    Native or bilingual proficiency

  • French

    Professional working proficiency

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