Product Creation + Manufacturing
I help founders create original products with dynamic supply chains built to compete.
20+ years on factory floors. Trained under the shoe dogs behind Nike, adidas, Asics, Timberland.
100+ startups and brands. Product delivered 2–8x faster than the competition, on factory terms small brands can’t get alone.
700x client growth. From ~1000 to a million+ units a year by evolving a custom supply chain.
I thrive on the hard version of the problem: A founder with a vision bigger than their volume, a product that doesn’t exist yet, and a business model that only works if the supply chain is built right.
About
Sabrina has spent her career in the gap between brand and factory — building the product, the supply chain, and the companies that turned startups into eight and nine-figure businesses.
Her career began on the factory floor of a robotics-led facility, training under Shoe Dogs who led product development and manufacturing for Nike, Adidas, Asics, Fila, Lotto, and Timberland. Working alongside industry veterans, Sabrina gained invaluable experience in product development, materials and component sourcing, equipment management, quality control, and coordinating supply chain operations across international facilities ranging from cutting-edge, highly automated production lines to high-touch workshops specializing in luxury goods across the US, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The experience prepared her to take on the challenge of building more agile manufacturing models that consider the unique needs of individual brands.
She co-founded a fast-fashion brand that achieved rapid success, securing acquisition by Thrillist Media Group in 2013 within 18 months of its retail launch. The brand's innovative product development and life-cycle model propelled it to become a top-selling high-margin label on their $100MM e-commerce platform.
In 2016 she founded a manufacturing company specializing in developing innovative product strategies and custom supply chains for DTC startups and fast-growth brands in fashion and athletics. Her integrated product teams, with expertise spanning diverse market categories, bridged the gap between retail and factory operations. By leveraging advanced materials and tooling technologies, streamlined processes, and design integration with supply chain, she enabled delivery timelines 2-8 times faster than the industry standard, optimizing inventory and cash-flow models for rapid and stable growth. Her company's success led to its acquisition in 2021 by a private equity-backed athletic brand.
Driven by the challenge of building uniquely competitive business models for visionary brands, Sabrina founded Borderland in 2024 to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in an ever-evolving world.
Experience
Footwear to fighter jets. Brands, partners and programs across two decades.
First-time founders and global labels. Athletes, artists, and a few programs that had nothing to do with fashion: fighter-jet equipment for Lockheed Martin, a moon-landing anniversary boot with General Electric, body-mapping technology for 180 orthopedic clinics. The common thread is a product that didn’t exist yet, and a factory that had to be convinced it could.
A selection of work history
- NFL
- Vasto Switzerland
- UNIF
- Lockheed Martin
- United Nude
- October's Very Own
- AKID
- PGA
- Kujo Yardwear
- NOBULL
- Velaasa
- Ariana Grande
- J. Cole
- ASICS
- Robb Report
- adidas
- Android Homme
- HSN
- JackThreads
- FootJoy
- CrossFit
- HMD Superfabric
- LPGA
- The Weeknd
- Antonia Saint NY
- BANGS
- Archaix Labs
- Salient Arms
- Gymreapers
- CUCE
- STR/KE MVMNT
- Pole + Swede
- French Montana
- GOBE Golf
- Plant Athletic
- Shark Tank
- Honda
- US Air Force
- Christopher Bevans
- Athalonz
- Hillsboro
- LPD New York
- Hersco
- Finespun Clothiers
- Paromed Germany
- Ingredients Matter
- Quiet Golf
- General Electric
- Golf Digest
- I-Ware Lab
Timeline
- 2002 – 2008
PGA + LPGA
Ran bespoke golf programs focused on hand-welted, premium leather constructions and developed custom performance product for PGA and LPGA players. Developed custom styles for Robb Report and Golf Digest.
- 2002 – 2008
Custom Orthopedics
Led development of 3D scanning technology for body mapping, production and compliance protocols, and a proprietary ERP system integrating 180 clinics and labs with factories for medical programs across the US, Canada, UK, Japan and China.
- 2009
ASICS
Contracted under the Japan-based implementation team to support the launch of Asics Foot ID New York.
- 2010
Lockheed Martin
Subcontracted under I-Ware for Lockheed Martin as part of a team to develop a fighter jet equipment program and execute calibration of highly customized vision-guided systems for the US Air Force.
- 2010 – 2013
JackThreads
Co-founded Hillsboro, acquired by JackThreads. Created a product development and life-cycle model that catapulted Hillsboro to become the #1 selling footwear label on the $100M e-comm platform, ahead of brands including Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Sperry, and Reebok.
- 2014
General Electric
Subcontracted to develop and produce 100 pairs of the limited edition Missions Boot with General Electric to commemorate 45th anniversary of the first NASA moon landing.
- 2016 – 2021
Otabo
Founded Otabo to support over 100 startups and fashion and athletic businesses with supply chain strategy, product development, and manufacturing. Executed on lead times 5X-8X faster than industry standard with a team of 70 managing a network of 50+ factories and vendors across China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, India, Germany, France, Italy, Morocco, Botswana, and the United States.
- 2013 – 2022
NOBULL
Launched original footwear, apparel and accessories product concepts and managed international supply chain for NOBULL, including the build out of custom production lines. Otabo was the exclusive footwear developer and manufacturer for the athletic brand, which enabled growth to nine figure revenues. Her team propelled competitive advantage with materials technology, tooling advancements, and delivery timelines 5X the industry norm to maintain a bi-weekly product launch cadence. Otabo was acquired by NOBULL ten years later to establish apparel and accessories supply chain and build compliance programs necessary to fulfill CrossFit, PGA Tour and NFL partnerships.
- 2024
Borderland
Founded Borderland. Recent work has been focused on supply chain projects in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Guatemala, and Brazil.
Now
Borderland
In 2024 I founded Borderland to do this work with founders and their teams. I’m brought in to launch a new brand, product or category; to fix what isn’t working in product operations and the supply chain; or to figure out the team a brand needs and build it, hire by hire, into the factory relationships.
Whatever the starting point, the strategy accounts for outcomes on the factory-side, where product, cost and timeline are decided.
Contact
Get in touch.
Tell me what you're building and where you are in the process.