Neri Karra Sillaman
Neri Karra Sillaman is an entrepreneurship and strategy specialist who helps organisations understand business longevity, sustainable growth, and fashion entrepreneurship through academic research and real-world enterprise experience.
- Entrepreneurship Expert at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
- Professor of Practice in strategy.
- Co-founder and creative director of luxury leather goods firm Neri Karra, recognised as a B Corp and Positive Luxury venture.
- Founder of Moda Métiers, a fashion and luxury business consultancy.
- Author of Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Fashion Entrepreneurship: The Creation of the Global Fashion Business.
- Named to the Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2024 and delivered three TEDx talks.
Full Profile
Key speaking topics
- Business longevity
- Immigrant entrepreneurship
- Sustainable business strategy
- Fashion entrepreneurship
- Luxury brand building
- Purpose-driven enterprise
- Strategy and growth in global markets
Ideal for
- Senior leaders shaping long-term growth strategy
- Entrepreneurs and founders building sustainable businesses
- Fashion, luxury, and consumer brand executives
- Business school and executive education audiences
Audience outcomes
- Clear principles behind long-term business success
- Insight into entrepreneurship across global and immigrant contexts
- Practical perspectives on building purpose-driven brands
- Understanding of sustainability in luxury and fashion businesses
- Strategic frameworks connecting research with enterprise practice
Why organisations work with Neri Karra Sillaman
- Combines academic expertise from Oxford with hands-on experience building and advising luxury businesses.
- Brings research-backed insight into business longevity and sustainable growth.
- Connects entrepreneurship theory with practical application in global markets.
- Offers commercially relevant perspectives for leaders navigating strategy, brand, and long-term value creation.
Biography
Neri Karra Sillaman works at the forefront of entrepreneurship, strategy and sustainable business performance. As an Entrepreneurship Expert at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, she brings academic rigour to the practical challenges facing leaders who are building resilient, long-term organisations.
Alongside her academic role, she is co-founder and creative director of the luxury leather goods firm Neri Karra, recognised as a B Corp and Positive Luxury venture. She also founded Moda Métiers, a fashion and luxury consultancy advising on brand, growth and strategic positioning. This combination of scholarship and enterprise gives her a grounded perspective on business longevity and purpose-driven growth.
Neri is the author of Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Fashion Entrepreneurship: The Creation of the Global Fashion Business. Her work explores how entrepreneurs build enduring companies across borders, markets and cultures, with a focus on sustainability, strategy and value creation.
Named to the Thinkers50 Radar Class, she is recognised for her contribution to management thinking. She has delivered three TEDx talks and her insights have been featured in international business media including the Financial Times, Newsweek, The Business of Fashion and WWD.
Born in Bulgaria and raised in Turkey after leaving her home country as a child, Neri brings a lived understanding of global mobility and entrepreneurial resilience to her research and speaking. For organisations seeking evidence-based insight into long-term growth, sustainable strategy and entrepreneurial success, she offers both intellectual authority and real-world credibility.
Talks
An exploration of the intersection between creativity and business, focused on how organisations can foster and harness creativity to drive innovation and performance.
Key takeaways:
- Practical approaches to encouraging creativity within organisations
- Understanding the link between creativity, innovation and business success
- Strategies for embedding creative thinking into day-to-day operations
A practical session on building resilience professionally and personally to navigate fast-paced and demanding environments.
Key takeaways:
- Strategies for strengthening professional resilience
- Approaches to maintaining personal resilience under pressure
- Tools for adapting effectively to ongoing change
An in-depth look at sustainable entrepreneurship in the fashion industry, focused on building ventures that combine commercial success with environmental responsibility.
Key takeaways:
- Insights into sustainable business models within fashion
- Strategies for balancing profitability and environmental responsibility
- Practical considerations for building ventures designed to last
A focused examination of the environmental and social challenges facing the fashion industry, and how businesses can contribute to meaningful solutions.
Key takeaways:
- Clear understanding of sustainability challenges in fashion
- Practical strategies for addressing environmental and social impact
- The role of business in shaping a more sustainable industry
An exploration of the factors that contribute to building iconic brands, supported by real-world examples and practical insight.
Key takeaways:
- Core elements behind the creation of iconic brands
- Lessons drawn from real-world brand examples
- Actionable insights applicable to brand-building strategies
An examination of the perspectives and approaches of immigrant entrepreneurs who built iconic businesses, with practical lessons for leaders and founders.
Key takeaways:
- Insights into the mindset and strategies of immigrant entrepreneurs
- Lessons drawn from the creation of iconic businesses
- Practical applications for entrepreneurial success
A session on how effective questioning improves decision-making and problem-solving, and how leaders can use it as a strategic tool.
Key takeaways:
- The link between questioning and better decision-making
- Techniques for improving problem-solving through effective questions
- Practical ways to apply questioning as a leadership tool
An analysis of the factors that drive long-term business success and sustainability, with a focus on building resilience in the face of challenges.
Key takeaways:
- Key drivers of long-term business success
- Strategies for strengthening organisational resilience
- Approaches to sustaining performance over time
A practical exploration of how organisations can cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset to encourage innovation, initiative and calculated risk-taking.
Key takeaways:
- Ways to foster entrepreneurial thinking within teams
- Encouraging initiative and innovation in established organisations
- Approaches to taking and managing calculated risks
A focused session on leading effectively during periods of uncertainty and change, strengthening resilience and stability across organisations.
Key takeaways:
- Strategies for leading through uncertainty
- Methods for fostering organisational resilience
- Approaches to maintaining stability while encouraging innovation