Purpose, persistence and the future of fashion tech

In this episode of Tech & Thrive, we sat down with Isabelle Ohnemus, founder of EyeFitU, longtime entrepreneur, and one of the leading voices shaping the future of fashion technology. With a background in global finance and over a decade spent building one of Europe’s most respected fit-tech companies, Isabelle brought clarity, candor and experience to a conversation about innovation, resilience and what it really takes to build something meaningful in a complex and fast-moving industry.

From finance to fashion tech

Isabelle’s journey into fashion technology did not begin with fashion. It began in global finance, where she spent years working in highly analytical, high-performance environments. Yet over time, she became increasingly aware of a simple but systemic problem in online retail: customers rarely know which size will fit them.

What seems like a minor point becomes a major challenge at scale. High return rates strain margins, supply chains and carbon footprints. Brands lose revenue. Customers lose trust. The industry loses efficiency.

Isabelle saw an opportunity to solve a real problem with technology. She founded EyeFitU to make sizing more accurate, more reliable and ultimately more sustainable. Her team built machine learning models that understand fit across brands and categories, allowing customers to choose sizes more confidently while helping retailers reduce returns and waste. It is fashion tech that quietly improves the entire ecosystem, not by changing consumer behavior but by improving the infrastructure beneath it.

The reality of building in Europe

When discussing entrepreneurship in Switzerland and Europe, Isabelle is remarkably direct. She speaks openly about the challenges that founders, especially women, face when raising capital in a region that still tends to be cautious with early stage investment.

Switzerland, she explains, is an extraordinary place for talent, education and stability. But when it comes to risk, especially in tech, it still moves conservatively. Seed rounds are smaller. Investors want more proof. Networks matter immensely. And failure, unlike in the United States, is still culturally perceived as something to avoid rather than a natural step in learning.

For Isabelle, this was the most difficult part of the journey. Where the US often rewards ambition and fast iteration, Europe rewards certainty. Yet certainty is a luxury that early stage founders rarely have.

Despite that, she built EyeFitU through persistence, strong relationships and continuous excellence. Her investors are family offices discovered through years of networking. None of it was accidental. All of it required endurance.

Resilience as a skill, not a trait

One of the most striking parts of our conversation was Isabelle’s perspective on resilience. She does not romanticize it. She does not frame it as strength or stoicism. For her, resilience is practice.

You pitch repeatedly. You face rejection repeatedly. You learn not to internalize it. And through that repetition, the emotional weight of “no” begins to change. Early on, she says, each rejection felt personal. Over time, it became part of the rhythm of building. Every “no” brought clarity about the next iteration. Every difficult conversation became training for the next one.

She holds a simple conviction. The only real regret is not trying. Everything else is learning.

What it means to lead with purpose

Across the entire conversation, one theme continued to surface. For Isabelle, purpose is not something abstract. It is responsibility.

She feels responsible for her company, her team and her mission. She cares deeply about the role EyeFitU plays in reducing waste, cutting unnecessary shipping, and helping the fashion world move toward more sustainable practices. And she believes in building a workplace where people are trusted, respected and able to do their best work without unnecessary rigidity.

EyeFitU has always been remote. Long before it became mainstream. Isabelle embraced flexibility early, believing that individuals do their best work in environments that support their lives, not interrupt them. Today, clients barely react when she mentions the company has no office. For her team, it is simply how things have always been.

Wellbeing, performance and discipline

Behind the entrepreneurial demandingness lies a lifestyle built on structure. Isabelle does not hide it. Sleep is non negotiable. Movement is routine. Discipline is a form of energy management, not control. She knows she performs better when she is rested, grounded and physically active, and she sees no virtue in the myth of the four hour founder.

In a world that often glamorizes burnout, her approach is refreshing. Sustainable performance, she explains, comes from taking care of the system that carries you.

Women in tech and the value of taking up space

When asked about being a woman in tech, Isabelle’s perspective is nuanced. She does not define her achievements through gender. Her successes come from curiosity, persistence and the satisfaction of building something that works. But she acknowledges that the funding landscape is different for women.

Her advice is simple. Do not be shy. Knock at every door. Ask for what you need. And do not let someone else’s hesitation turn into your obstacle.

For mothers considering a return to the workforce or a new chapter in their careers, she gives the same advice she gives young founders. Just do it. The doubt is always louder before you begin. The regret lies only in not trying.

What entrepreneurship really is

Throughout the conversation, Isabelle spoke with honesty about what the entrepreneurial journey feels like. It is highs and lows. It is uncertainty. It is moments of progress that arrive right after moments of doubt. But it is also meaning, momentum and growth. And for her, the most important part is the sense of ownership that comes with building something that reflects your choices, your integrity and your vision.

Entrepreneurship, she says, is not just about success. It is about motion. It is about the desire to create. And it is about the willingness to navigate all the moments in between.

Where to find Isabelle

To follow Isabelle’s work and learn more about EyeFitU, you can connect with her on LinkedIn. She remains open to conversations, questions and connection, especially with women embarking on new chapters in tech.