Sidney co-founded the business with her best friend Jessica Warch, starting Kimai with a unique expertise formed from growing up in diamond trading families in Antwerp. They were frustrated with the lack of transparency and ethics found in mining and across the jewellery industry, so decided to forge their own way by using 100% traceable lab-grown diamonds and recycled 18k gold, creating fine jewellery that doesn't cost the earth.
Since launching in 2018, Kimaï has pushed design boundaries, especially in the engagement ring space, and has been worn by the likes of Meghan Markle, Emma Watson, and Jessica Alba. Diane von Furstenberg was among the first female investors to support the brand in its early days.
Kimaï is also proud to be one of the first fine jewellery brands certified as a B Corp.
Highlights
When you don’t know what’s not possible you can build anything.
I have always thought that I want to do my own thing, a small group of people having some sort of a vision and some sort of an idea potentially to change the world.
All of these obstacles can be overcome. It is fun to overcome obstacles.
The bonkers part was actually not technology, the bonkers part was changing people’s behaviour.
As long as you believe that you can put one foot in front of the other it’s possible to go forward.
If you are alone then it is I think hard... you really need to be a psychopath to be able to do it alone, keep the focus.
You have to keep in mind this dream, this simple idea.
I set out 10 years ago to build this company and to revolutionise last mile delivery in the world.
I want to get to a point where I see okay, I have really done the revolution in the world and until that is done, I am just halfway.
I encourage everybody to look outside of your media bubble and also be interested in what is happening outside of that.