Maider Irastorza, Founder of Miia

About

Maider Irastorza is a global innovation leader with 20+ years of experience building product innovation systems across apparel, consumer goods, and technology.

She specializes in translating material science, sustainability and consumer insights into scalable product platforms—partnering with organizations to drive meaningful innovation and long-term business value.

Her work sits at the intersection of product creation, materials development, and business strategy—bridging design, sourcing, and manufacturing to move from insight to execution.

She has led cross-functional initiatives across global organizations, helping teams navigate complexity and bring innovation to market at scale.

Depending on the scope, she collaborates with a trusted network of experts across materials, design, and manufacturing to deliver at scale.

Selected impact:

  • Reduced product development timelines by 67% and accelerated testing cycles by ~40% at Thinx.

  • Contributed to product innovations generating $500M+ in cumulative growth across global brands.

  • Supported the development of category-defining products, including UE Boom.

  • Helped organizations integrate materials and sustainability into scalable product strategies.

She has worked with global brands including Nike, IKEA, PUMA, Logitech, VF Corporation, and Kimberly-Clark.

How I work

 

  • I focus on turning innovation into tangible outcomes—aligning teams, materials, and processes to bring ideas to market.

  • I operate at the intersection of product, materials, and business strategy—bridging disciplines to unlock progress and drive execution.

  • I design for scale from day one, ensuring solutions align with cost, operations, and supply chain realities.

  • I integrate sustainability as a driver of performance, resilience, and long-term value—not as a parallel initiative.

 

  • “Maider managed an important project for us with regard to preferred materials and production techniques for apparel and footwear. I was impressed with her extensive knowledge of the subject matter and the quality of her work. She was an exceptional collaborator, and I appreciated her perspective and guidance. Maider’s great work helped craft a strategy that advances the approach to preferred materials at the company.”

    —Adrian Sherma, Vice President, Environmental and Social Responsibility - The Children’s Place

  • "Maider's infinite connections, knowledge of diverse consumer industries, and her multi-cultural experiences definitely can contribute to organizations that strive to find an innovative breakthrough."

    —Kiwan Nahm, Head of CMF Design - LG Electronics

  • "Maider conducted several projects for us and she truly was a pillar of the research and the execution on each of the projects. Maider is a fantastic person to work with; always friendly and enthusiastic, extremely reliable, and amazingly dedicated. She has been instrumental in managing complexity related to an innovative project coordinating numerous stakeholders across the world."

    —Simone Mandelli, Global Product Manager - Logitech

  • "I worked with Maider on multiple projects at PUMA. Every interaction I had with her was enjoyable and productive. Maider's experience in sustainability, design, and materials helped guide our initiatives at PUMA to be truly innovative. I'll always look forward to working with Maider."

    —Hailey Broderick, Manager, Clever Programs Brand Management - PUMA

  • "Maider's expertise in marketing and strategy allowed us to develop an impactful Sales & Marketing tool that enables our Global Sales Teams to engage more deeply with our clients to identify solutions that meet their needs and ultimately drive revenue growth. The tools she helped create clearly articulate our value proposition and will facilitate meaningful discussions that lead to co-creation opportunities with our clients."

    —Lakessa S. Wright, Sr. Sales Executive - Performance Colorants & Ingredients - Milliken & Company