Ashley Chenn

Ashley Chenn joins Kent State University’s School of Fashion with experience in communications, technology, marketing, sourcing and fashion entrepreneurship. Her work brings together industry practice and academic research, with a focus on new models of fashion consumption, early-stage fashion ventures and entrepreneurship education.

Chenn earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications and began her career in technology, working in social media and content marketing for Adobe Marketing Cloud. She later led marketing for a Shanghai-based supply chain sustainability start-up. After relocating to Hong Kong, she founded a venture sourcing household goods in Mainland China and studied patternmaking and design at the Hong Kong Design Institute.

Her professional experience in sourcing and supply chains has shaped her interest in how fashion products are produced, consumed and brought to market. Her research examines how newer brands, start-ups and entrepreneurs within established companies can question existing systems and advance more responsible approaches to fashion business.

Chenn is completing a Ph.D. in fashion business from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Fashion and Textiles. At Kent State, she supports students interested in entrepreneurship, fashion business and the evolving relationship between creativity, production and sustainability.