Mariana Monahan Negron is a current student at Columbia University pursuing her M.S. in Sustainability Management. Since joining the program, she has been drawn to fashion, waste mitigation, and circularity, and recently worked for EILEEN FISHER’s RENEW line, supporting circular operations across inventory processing and resale and recycling systems. Through her academic and professional experiences, she has developed a strong interest in building scalable circular business models that reduce waste while rethinking how value is created in the fashion industry.

Raised by a Peruvian immigrant mother, Mariana was introduced to sustainable practices long before she had the language for them. Viewing the U.S. through a lens shaped by resourcefulness rather than excess, her mother instilled the value of quality over quantity—teaching her to source timeless pieces by prioritizing natural materials and fibers at their local Goodwill and spending weekends exploring garage and estate sales. These early lessons later inspired Mariana to teach herself to sew, repair, and reimagine garments, as well as to resell her own clothing as part of a more circular relationship with fashion. Today, they continue to shape her commitment to circularity and self-expression through curated, vintage-driven wardrobes that value individuality and longevity.