On Thursday October 17, 2013 AAAYA Chicago paired up with the Young Professionals Committee (YPC) of the Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC) to attend the YPC’s business lecture “Vera Bradley: Bringing Color to Japan” highlighting the Indiana based company’s expansion into the Japan. Sachin Shah, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, shared the reasons behind choosing Japan and his insights on this process with us. (Vera Bradley, maker of fashionable handbags and accessories, is a true American success story. Friends Patricia Miller and Barbara Baekgaard started the company in 1982 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. More than 30 years later, the company’s brightly colored handbags and luggage have become “must have” accessories for women everywhere. In late 2010, the company went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange. In early 2011, Vera Bradley began to sell their bags and accessories in Japan. This was the company’s first international expansion.)
Thanks to everyone who attended!