One of Inc.'s list of "30 Under 30: America's Coolest Entrepreneurs" and recent DePauw graduate Kyle Smitely will speak Wednesday as part of the 175th Anniversary Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series.
After graduating from DePauw in 2007 with majors in geosciences and philosophy, Smitely began her own clothing line. The line, Barley & Birch, features organic clothing that is carbon neutral in production for children.
As of last year, the company has become a foundation extending its generosity to schools and clinics. Smitley has also opened an organization in Haiti to self-fund an orphanage and open its first school within the last year. The Barley & Birch foundation will also open Haiti's first-ever children's and prenatal clinic.
Along with being honored in 2009 by Inc. in their listing of "30 Under 30: America's Coolest Entrepreneurs," Smitely was also recently featured on The Huffington Post's "Greatest Person of the Day."
Smitely got her start in the clothing industry when she completed a research internship in Washington, D.C. in 2007 at a clothing boutique.
She will be on campus for a couple days, not only speaking in the lecture series but also meeting with various students in classes, speaking at a luncheon with alumni Ryan Tinker ‘09, and hosting mock interviews.
Jennifer Soster, a faculty member in the Alumni Relations department and organizer of the speech, believes students will be very interested in hearing what Smitley has to share.
"We thought she would be someone our students would find of great interest in terms of what she is doing professionally," Soster said.
Smitley will speak on the benefits of hard work and discuss her journey from her days at DePauw to where she is today.
The program will take place Wednesday, March 7 at 8 p.m. in Meharry Hall in East College.