The Mills Fabrica Pitching Competition TechStyle

Cintia Nunes is the General Manager and Head of Asia of The Mills Fabrica. As the innovation engine to sustainability and impact of Hong Kong conglomerate Nan Fung Group, Cintia leads the team to connect innovators in the techstyle and agrifood tech space with capital, connections, and expertise — to bring sustainability tech innovations from concept to market.

Drawing inspiration from social business principles that prioritize both profitability and purpose, she is committed to facilitating collaboration among stakeholders across the ecosystem to advance positive environmental and social impact at scale.

Before joining The Mills Fabrica, Cintia served as Chief of Strategy and Growth at Hong Kong’s largest network of social enterprises and impact ventures. She also held leadership roles at a multinational FMCG company where she formalized business strategies for over 10 brands.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

• More industry level cross-sectors collaborations
• Open dialogues across stakeholder groups on what works/what doesn’t
• Accessibility/transparency to capital across asset classes for impact

Dennis G Zelazowski is a 3rd generation optician, eyewear designer, entrepreneur and founding partner of 3DNA Technology Limited. He is author of 7 issued US and international patents for eyewear and optical lens design, winner of the Japan Good Design Award and Award of Excellence by the Optical Lab association. He has been a featured speaker at: Future Retail Conference, Cutting Edge 3D Fashion and Retail, Retails Cutting Edge. 3DNA Technology is a recent graduate of Betatron, a Hong Kong based, VC-backed Accelerator, Cyberport Incubation Program Alumni and member of Hong Science & Technology Park. 3DNA Technology has been awarded the Top 50 Innovative Retail Leaders of Hong Kong by Inside Retail two years in a row.

Dennis is an inventor and entrepreneur passionate about empowering the next generation of eye care professionals and brands. His first patented invention, Chemistrie Lenses, is sold at over 50,000 retail stores worldwide, by the company he founded in 2005, Eyenavision Inc.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

• Diversification of commerce away from over-financialization and property flipping.
• More Support from investors for sustainable manufacturing and physical AI.
• Higher effectiveness from government programs like Cyberport, HKSTP, and InvestHK to connect founders to investors.

I am the Founder of Caterina Amelia Studio, a creative research practice exploring the future of materials at the intersection of fashion, biotechnology, and human wellbeing.

With a background in fashion design and creative innovation, I develop interdisciplinary projects that combine material experimentation, sustainable design, and emerging technologies. My experience includes working with internationally recognised fashion studios such as Iris Van Herpen, Gareth Pugh, Steven Tai, and Santoni, where I explored the relationship between craftsmanship, technology, and creative development.

My current research project, Interactive Second Skin, investigates the potential of bioactive textiles — exploring how biomaterials and responsive material systems can transform garments from passive surfaces into interactive interfaces between the human body and the environment.

Through my practice, I aim to redefine the relationship between people and materials, contributing to a future where textiles become more sustainable, adaptive, and connected to human experience.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

1. Support the creation of more spaces and opportunities where designers, scientists, and innovators can collaborate, experiment, and develop sustainable solutions through material research and technology.

2. Encourage the exploration and adoption of biomaterials, circular approaches, and next-generation textiles to create a more responsible future for the fashion and textile industry.

3. Foster a culture where creativity and scientific research come together, allowing new ideas to move from experimentation into meaningful real-world impact.

Shao Hua Huang is the Founder and CEO of Cocoon Bravolution Ltd., a Taipei-based FashionTech startup transforming intimate apparel through AI-powered fit intelligence and digital twin technology. Cocoon combines computer vision, data analytics, and personalized recommendations to help consumers find better-fitting bras while enabling brands and retailers to improve conversion, reduce returns, and deliver a more inclusive and sustainable shopping experience.

With over 10 years of experience in fashion management, Shao specializes in data analytics, business strategy, operational efficiency, digital fashion, and fashion sustainability. She designed and developed Cocoon’s data-driven bra recommendation system, integrating AI, body measurement intelligence, and consumer insights into a scalable SaaS platform for the global intimate apparel industry.

Her professional background spans sourcing, retail operations, inventory management, logistics, product management, entrepreneurship development, and large-scale event planning. She is passionate about applying emerging technologies to modernize the lingerie industry while advancing more personalized, sustainable, and data-driven fashion ecosystems.

Beyond entrepreneurship, Shao is a strong advocate for women’s empowerment and gender equality. She serves as a Youth Representative of an international NGO with consultative status with the United Nations, where she promotes women’s leadership, youth engagement, and cross-cultural collaboration. As a women entrepreneur in the FemTech sector, she is committed to building technologies that empower women through better health awareness, body confidence, and access to inclusive innovation.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

1. Make personalization the new standard in fashion retail, helping brands reduce unnecessary product returns, overproduction, and textile waste through better purchasing decisions.

2. Advance women’s health and empowerment through technology by making body data more accessible, inclusive, and privacy-first, enabling women to make more informed decisions about intimate apparel and breast health.

3. Accelerate collaboration between fashion, technology, and sustainability ecosystems to drive digital transformation in the intimate apparel industry, creating more circular, data-driven, and consumer-centric solutions.

Alvin Wong is the Co-founder of Textime, a materials innovation startup developing aerogel technology for next-generation sustainable textiles. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainability and Global Business at CUHK.

At Textime, Alvin focuses on transforming advanced aerogel materials into high-performance yarns and fabrics that offer superior thermal insulation with significantly less weight and bulk. His work aims to provide more sustainable and practical alternatives to traditional materials such as down, supporting the shift toward lighter, warmer, and more environmentally responsible outdoor and apparel products.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

• Raise awareness of animal ethics issues in Hong Kong and promote care for life both underwater and on land
• Reduce reliance on animal-derived insulation
• Lower the environmental footprint of thermal textiles