Krissy Mashinsky: The Entrepreneur Bringing Transparency to the E-commerce Industry

The advent of the internet in the 80s changed how we live forever, making it easier than ever to connect with people and services around the world. However, few would have imagined that a small website by the name of Amazon launched in 1994 to sell books would eventually become one of the biggest monopolies the world has ever seen. Today, it is difficult to imagine a world without Amazon despite all the controversy surrounding it. However, this hasn’t stopped entrepreneurs and visionaries like Krissy Mashinsky from offering a better way to buy and sell online.

A mother to six kids and husband to serial entrepreneur Alex Mashinsky, Krissy is one of the people leading the fight for transparency in the e-commerce industry. This mission led her to found USA Strong in 2020, a platform focused on sellers offering products made in the United States to support local manufacturing while also maintaining high levels of transparency.

Krissy has more than two decades of experience in marketing and supply-chain leadership positions, which she poured into her new project.  This experience includes being a founding member and global president of Free People, a clothing brand she would help achieve $1B in annual gross sales; taking over as president of URBN, the parent company of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie Group, Free People & Nuuly; and helping Calvin Klein grow globally as its Marketing Manager.

In less than two years, Krissy’s passion would result in USA Strong being the go-to platform for more than 200 sellers across 50 states. With Tech giants being the focus of intense scrutiny and local manufacturing being expected to increase, the time seems right for USA Strong to experience rapid growth.

Back in 2019, Amazon found itself accused of child labor after it was revealed that one of its suppliers was employing schoolchildren under the age of 18th. An official supplier list published the same year also showed that the e-commerce giant relied mostly on suppliers in China and India, as well as other countries known for practices like child labor. This not only raises additional ethical questions but also concerns regarding the quality and authenticity of the products.

To address all of these issues, Krissy introduced blockchain technology to USA Strong, which allows users and manufacturers to enjoy the transparency and security that the technology provides. By curating products and allowing customers to verify them, the platform seeks to create trust between buyer and seller to allow local small businesses to grow rapidly, generating a social, environmental, and economic impact.

Krissy has made a name for herself as a visionary who is always looking at how to integrate the latest technologies. This passion has not only led to her being a featured speaker in important conferences like NFT NYC but also to help government officials understand the implications of blockchain verification among other uses of blockchain. She has also put special effort into helping other women succeed in the increasingly competitive market, with 70% of all USA strong sellers being female entrepreneurs. 

Times are changing, and it is people like Krissy who will be helping shape a better future not only for their loved ones but also for all of us. With more consumers looking for alternatives that offer responsible and sustainable supply-chain practices, Krissy is focused more than ever on providing it.