- Leila Ismailova began her career as a broadcasting star in Belarus at the age of 15.
- She worked as a TV host for 10 years before venturing into the world of Web3.
- Ismailova recalls her audaciousness as a child, sneaking into buildings to handwrite stories for newspapers and magazines.
- She moved to the United States in 2016, marking the start of a migration journey for her family.
- Ismailova is a Web3 veteran, having spent three years at Artisant, a digital fashion brand she co-founded.
- She is now a consultant for digital-savvy fashion brands.
1. You moved from Belarus, where you were a TV journalist, to the United States. What’s the story behind that?
Ismailova was the first in her family to move to the United States, and her siblings followed after her due to political unrest in Belarus.
2. What got you into crypto?
Ismailova’s interest in entrepreneurship and her experience with the first wave of crypto in 2017 sparked her curiosity and led her to invest in her first cryptocurrency.
3. What brought you to Miami?
Ismailova felt limited in Los Angeles due to COVID-19 restrictions and found herself drawn to digital fashion. She joined Artisant and eventually moved to Miami, where she found a welcoming environment in the crypto community.
4. How do you see digital fashion evolving over the next five years?
Ismailova sees digital fashion as a potential solution to the issues of overproduction and overconsumption in the traditional fashion industry. She believes technology can be used to create more sustainable and well-rounded fashion experiences.
5. You recently left Artisant. Where are you going next?
Ismailova is embarking on consulting jobs and plans to focus on companies that specialize in digital fashion. She wants to contribute to the reform of the fashion industry through technology.
6. What’s your life like outside of crypto?
Ismailova enjoys a balanced life outside of crypto. She has hobbies like playing chess, practicing yoga, engaging in water sports like paddleboarding and kite surfing, and taking dance classes.
By Leila Ismailova, journalist
