Nicole Chinuntdet: DWIB Member Spotlight
I spoke to Nicole Chinuntdet about her summer, her experience with DWIB, and her business(!!) Lanapholia to get a picture of how DWIB has supported her through her journey as a student and businesswoman!
Nicole’s journey with DWIB began nearly two years ago with her attending a General Meeting. She was struck by the positive energy of the room and describes the attendees as “lit up and excited to collaborate.” She joined DWIB to grow her professional self and connect with like-minded students at UC Davis, driven young women determined to make changes in the business world. However, she had no idea exactly how much of a community she would find in the organization. Some of her closest friends today are people she met at that first DWIB meeting! Nicole joined the Professional Relations board as a board associate because she “loved the idea of connecting DWIB to a broader professional network” and immediately connected to the purpose and mission of the PR board.
This summer Nicole worked at PwC as an Advisory Line of Service intern which was an amazing and incredibly enriching experience for her. She shouts out DWIB alumni and fellow PR board associate, Sindhura Modali, who had interned at PwC in the past: “Sindhura shared her experience with me about her summer internship at PwC and helped me through my application and interview process with them. I’m eternally grateful for DWIB and all it has done for me!”
One of her recent achievements she is proudest of is launching and running her B2C e-commerce company Lanapholia during the pandemic. The Lanapholia website is a treat for the eyes. The products are showcased front and center, with beautiful golden frames holding preserved foliage and vintage photographs surrounded by the clean white theme and unique antique-inspired logo. The talented curation behind the website and pieces is evident as you look through the catalog.
Lanapholia was founded in December of 2020 and is where Nicole sells her gorgeous creations that combine original antique photographs, postcards, letters, and prints with hand-picked foliage, pressed to create one-of-a-kind sustainable pieces. Lanapholia was born of Nicole’s hobby of creating pieces like the ones on Lanapholia for family and friends. The supportive community of DWIB, the skills learned, and the network built through DWIB all empowered Nicole through the process of starting her own business.