DePaul business student Lauren Pingad launched Fashion Masks, a high-quality protective mask venture, in April 2018 with her mother Hui Nye, a draper technician at DePaul’s Theatre School, to help people during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Pingad, who is studying management and entrepreneurship at the Driehaus College of Business, oversees the operations and marketing while Nye takes the lead on production.

Pingad credits DePaul’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Executive Director Bruce Leech with providing guidance for starting her business.  The center also hosted a “hackathon” competition over the summer that challenged other DePaul students to create marketing ideas for Fashion Masks.

The business focuses on producing masks with premium cotton fabric, adjustability and fit, and has partnered with at least 15 different real estate businesses, apartment complexes, hotels and medical clinics throughout Chicago to provide masks.

Watch the full video to learn more about this startup: