Zoe Damacela

It’s hard to believe that a girl who once lived in a homeless shelter is now running a successful clothing business. But it’s even more amazing that Zoe Damacela has been doing it since she was 14. While her single mother was struggling to make ends meet for her family, Zoe was busy learning how to sew — and as she got older, she enrolled in business classes so she could create a business plan. What motivates her: the desire to create a better life for herself and her family.  Zoe designs and sells clothes from her Northwestern dorm room and through her site: zoedamacela.com. She sold her first dress for $13, but now her custom-made designs, which include dresses for weddings, proms, and quinceañeras, sell for as much as $3000 each! Her success has taken her to Oprah’s Web site, C-SPAN, The Tyra Banks Show, the White House to meet President Obama, and even the cover of the October 2011 issue of Seventeen Magazine! But she’s not just out to make money — Zoe also donates clothing to homeless shelters and charity fashion shows. “I’m passionate about improving the lives of people in difficult circumstances,” she says. “Fashion has helped transformed my life, and I want to help improve the lives of girls like me too!”