Opting for challenge and engagement over the “norm,” Byrne detailed in her discussion with aspiring fashion, business and entrepreneurial students how she broke the mold when she left Google to work for Condé Nast and eventually started her venture capital fund, Vestra Partners.

With a background in English, philosophy, management and piano performance, Byrne’s career path was anything but ordinary and vastly dynamic. Through leadership, mentorship and teamwork, Byrne is shattering the glass ceiling and investing in a future where women are more than consumers.

Establishing Your Goals, Learning Your Values and Taking the Leap

The small, second floor classroom at Vogue College of Fashion seems even smaller than normal on Tuesday night. Though it is well after the conclusion of the day’s courses, almost every chair seats a master’s student.

For a room bursting with young adults, it’s surprisingly quiet. Rather than chatting to peers about the latest assignment submission or mid-week evening plans, students sit patiently–pens at the ready–as Byrne takes her seat on stage.

After a brief introduction and contextual background detailing Byrne’s educational and professional career, the real fun begins. With the confidence and assurance of a seasoned leader and experienced company-founder, Byrne recounts the unembellished, candid journey she faced working in both the technology and fashion industries.

After receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Byrne began her professional career at Google. During her time at the company, she honed omnichannel strategies and brand partnerships. Her expertise offered a new perspective for the company and refreshed their current strategies.

Though it was a prominent milestone for her career, Byrne felt uninspired and unchallenged. It was then that she offered the first piece of wisdom for aspiring young professionals.

“You have to be thinking about what is good for you and not just staying where you are,” Byrne said. “Money wasn’t enough motivation; I needed challenge and engagement. I wanted to work with more creative people.”

Byrne is a big believer in the school of philosophy called stoicism, which states that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge. She also believes in the importance of constant creative stimulation and engagement to avoid stagnancy in one’s personal and professional lives.

She consistently maps out her personal values and future goals, and based on these conclusions, develops a sense of where she wants to be in five years’ time. At that moment, it was not Google, but rather, Vogue. While it might not have been the typical career move, Byrne took the leap.

“You didn’t leave Google then,” Byrne stated, bluntly. “Everyone told me I was crazy, but I had to trust my gut. It was the best decision I made.”

At Google, Byrne learned the importance of establishing and pursuing her personal goals. It was in her next role that she realized the value of a team.

From Ideas to Impact: How Teams Drive Change

Following her departure from Google, Byrne leveraged her skill set in launching and scaling new businesses, bringing in new technology and tech partners, and modernizing digital operations, to secure the role as Vice President of New Business Innovation at Condé Nast.

There, she wrote the Vogue Code of Conduct, pioneered new business models like Vogue Business and Vogue Club, and forged Condé Nast’s company-wide agreement with OpenAI in 2023. Byrne largely accredited her success to her team and emphasized the importance of teamwork in one’s professional career.

“I choose people,” Byrne said. “You are the people you surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with people with similar goals and ambitions, they will push you forward.”

After she joined Condé Nast, Byrne noticed that there were constantly new, interesting ideas forming, but no one was there to execute them. Rather than invoking real change, these ideas would lose out to flashier campaigns and industry trends.

In her first efforts to foster creativity that normally goes unnoticed, Byrne sought to create an “incubator,” or a team of like-minded individuals whom she trusted to support her and her projects. Byrne hired and managed roughly 40 team members, whom she still feels connected to, even now.

“Collaboration is everything,” Byrne said. “Lower your ego. All the best projects come from collaboration as long as people have an open mind and an open spirit.”

It was these first few instances of early-stage investment and championing small ideas, as well as the spirit of collaboration, that spurred Byrne to take yet another leap and start her own company doing just that: fostering new ideas and innovation.

Changing the Industry and Mentoring the Future

Only 2% of startup founders are female. Byrne wants to change that. By founding Vestra Partners, Byrne aims to back female-led founders of early-stage beauty, wellness and personal care brands internationally.

“My plan is to create a swath of millionaires and for those women to invest in a problem that other women feel,” Byrne stated.

Later in the discussion, Byrne pointed out that the public typically sees females as more of a consumer rather than a founder, which encourages self-limiting beliefs amongst women. While the misogynistic system may not change overnight, Byrne believes the best place to start is at the source.

According to the brand website, Vestra Partners not only funds breakout beauty brands; it creates the conditions for them. Byrne’s initiatives have not only aided female-led startups, they have also encouraged her belief in the importance of mentorship.

As the last of eight children, Byrne is accustomed to asking for help and wants to teach others the same. She shared with the students that some of the best advice she received in her career came from her mentors.

“The best thing you can do for yourself is have three mentors at any given time,” Byrne said. “And the best way to expand your network is introduce two people who don’t know each other.”

In the final moments of the discussion, one student asked Byrne how they could put themself in the best possible position for personal success. The mentor went on to share some honest advice about the importance of bringing awareness to one’s personal and professional brand, and understanding what it is that makes you unique, before concluding with a refreshingly simple statement.

“Just be normal!” Byrne exclaimed. “Life has a funny old way of working itself out.”

Words by Lizzie Sexton, MA International Luxury Business