Iliane Ogilvie Thompson
We are delighted to introduce our latest Marfa Muse, Iliane Ogilvie Thompson.
With a career background in corporate brand management and marketing, Iliane now invests and champions a portfolio of early-stage female founded brands with a focus on sustainability.Iliane also upholds numerous non-profit board roles, including the organization Nest, who Marfa Stance partnered with for a collaboration with the Quilters of Gee’s Bend, and how Iliane first met Founder Georgia.Her values align and connect perfectly with Marfa Stance to support and uplift women and build community.
Iliane wears her Parachute Quilt Vest in Granite and Dove Grey / Chartreuse in size XXS-XS with the Zip Hood in Mineral Green / Chartreuse. On the reverse side, Iliane styles her vest with the Shearling Collar in Fuschia. For her second look, Iliane styles her Wool Patchwork Signature Quilt Jacket in Wine / Amber with the Aviator Collar in Rose / Chocolate.
Tell us about your background and talk us through your career journey
I am a Dutch citizen, though I have been in the UK for almost 30 years. My mother is South African and I have a strong African connection. I was at school in France and speak several languages. Thanks to South American travel - and Dualingo! - I am learning Spanish.
I was very fortunate to start out my career at Procter & Gamble, in brand management. It was like gaining an additional qualification, they were incredibly focussed on development and training and I learned so much that I still practise today. I briefly worked for Accenture in London when they launched a strategy practice, based in Europe, still in FMCG (consumer goods) and then joined Yahoo! in marketing, just as they launched in Europe. It was a real baptism of fire, we were doing everything for the first time. At Yahoo! I learned I really love deal making and I had the brilliant opportunity to run the e-commerce business development across Europe.
My last corporate role was with Diageo , where I ran the Business Development for the New Business Ventures group. We did a lot of partnerships across sectors and I learned about the effectiveness of collaborations between seemingly unrelated businesses.
We originally connected through the non-profit NEST who support artisans globally.Tell us about your philanthropic work
When I had children I decided to take a break from big corporates. I took on a number of non profit board roles, including Trustee of the International Rescue Committee, run by David Milliband, the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and Nest, which is how we met.
Through the IRC and two other refugee agencies I have visited almost 20 refugee camps. Refugees are among the most resilient, determined and inspiring people I have met. As someone who has lived in many countries in my life, I was very fortunate that my biggest challenge in adapting was learning a language and making new friends. I had a passport that made me welcome. The challenges refugees face are unthinkable. Even more so when trying to keep children safe when displaced. I really feel they deserve our support, love and welcome.
I serve on the board of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. The museum has shown great leadership in their work on decolonising museum collections. As a museum of anthropology - and part of Oxford university - they work closely with indigenous communities to better represent their culture and heritage and they are doing inspiring work in healing and reconciliation. We have so much to learn from indigenous communities.
This is also very aligned with Nest’s work. They support the preservation of cultural heritage through handcraft. Nest works with over 350,000 artisans in 127 countries. Many of the (predominantly women) artisans represent indigenous communities.
The friends I have made through my philanthropic work, connected by a common purpose, are some of the most inspiring and wonderful people in my life.
What advice do you have for female founders?
My advice to anyone who is thinking of starting a business is that you will never feel ready. Just press the button and know that whatever your business is today, it will be an evolved version even a year from now. I strongly recommend finding a practice that allows for a moment to reset and distance from an intense daily reality. I practise daily Transcendental Meditation. Regardless of the day I am about to have, I get to plug into a positive energy bank. Of course it’s not magic and I still have the same day, but how I react to it is completely different. I think as women we need to share the constructive, invaluable things we learn that help us to succeed. We don’t have time for trial and error. Most of the women founders I invest in and work with have multiple roles. They are founders and also mothers, partners, daughters, community leaders. Women founders have to work harder to combat burnout and so they need to build in resilience. It is often in the form of a community and shared wisdom. I advise women to find even a handful of other women who will show up regardless of the hour and the circumstances. Walk through flames with them. When we find those women we need to cherish them and support them right back with everything we have. A collective of women who have each other’s backs is greater than the sum of our individual parts. Women supercharge their powers through collaboration.
Why is it important to you to invest in female founders
Women founders are dramatically undervalued. Women consumers make more than 80% of product purchase decisions and yet women founders have to work twice as hard - and outperform their male counterparts - to be taken seriously. This is even more the case when it comes to investment. Women-led startups got less than 3.5% of the venture capital available in Europe & USA in 2023. A number that has not shifted in recent years.
I believe that as women we have an imperative to unapologetically invest in and support women.
Tell us about the fund you are launching
Over the past decade I have invested in and mentored an informal portfolio of women-led businesses, all of which are under a sustainable umbrella and all early-stage. I have watched how hard these amazing founders have worked to succeed and how they have had to put their work on hold to raise capital. The process of raising money is so much harder than it should be, particularly for such great businesses. I want to be able to make it easier, particularly at this early stage and when I know that through a network we can scaffold and mentor and help to guide that business to the next round, some of the risk of early stage investment is offset. So it’s something I feel compelled to do - and I want to help more people to do so. I absolutely love working with female founders!
What are you most proud of?
On a personal level, I am most proud of my two sons. They are my greatest teachers and they are a lens for seeing and understanding the world that I could not have found without them.
On a professional level I think I am most grateful that I managed to drown out the voices that told me success was linear and only commercial. I was told that particular qualifications were needed to achieve and that measurements of success were material and tangible. I am so grateful I saw and lived and reached beyond that. It was thanks to some incredible mentors and teachers. The reality is that the things that ultimately make us happy are so much more spiritual and communal. Generosity of spirit, kindness and love. I have so much more of that to learn and to share!
How did you discover the brand?
I remember seeing some of the women whose taste and work I respect wearing beautiful, modular considered pieces. I couldn’t find the brand in a store or in mainstream advertising, which was so compelling. Of course Marfa Stance is really well known now and for me really represents an intelligent, engaged woman who makes considered choices with her wardrobe.
How do you style your Marfa Stance and what is your favourite combination?
I live in the country but work in London several days a week. My wardrobe needs to be lightweight (I carry a small bag on the train and to meetings and onto evening commitments). I rely on layering and colour, so Marfa Stance pieces are perfect. I wear a sleeveless piece over a denim jacket with flared jeans or a parachute bomber over a white lace dress with combat boots.I am still finding new combinations!