2022 Honorees

Catarina Oliveira

Founder and CEO

“It's scary sometimes, but the tenacity to just go and not give up is what will make you succeed.”

Founder2022

Tell us about where you work and what you do there.

I am the Founder and CEO of Hey Harper! I started Hey Harper three years ago from my apartment in Lisbon. We are now 20 people and we sell our jewelry all over the world. My job at Hey Harper is always changing and evolving depending on the needs of the company, and that’s why it’s so exciting.

How would you describe yourself?

I love my job and it plays a huge part in my life. I get really excited about my company — there’s always something happening. I know I can be a little intense and I am famous for my mood changes, but overall everyday is a thrilling experience.

What drew you to entrepreneurship?

I believe that I’ve always had it in me, but it happened naturally. Hey Harper was not my first attempt. I still remember the days I started using Shopify, designing websites (with zero experience in design), exploring for example the drop shipping options. I failed miserably several times. Hey Harper simply started to take off and here we are. It’s scary sometimes, because you’re always doing things for the first time, but the tenacity to just go and not give up is what will make you succeed. I grew more in the last three years than ever before.

What do you think has been your biggest professional success so far?

What we’ve built at Hey Harper. It takes a village of really talented people to build a successful self-funded eCommerce business and I am really proud of myself and my team.

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What goals do you have for 2022?

To keep the growth rate at Hey Harper and continue hiring A-players. It’s going to be a challenging year and in order to meet our goals we are going to have to step out of our comfort zone.

What do you think is the next big trend in eCommerce?

I am very curious about live shopping. It’s something we are planning to explore at Hey Harper this year.

Name an eCommerce brand you admire and why.

It’s impossible to name just one. But I am fascinated by Casper. They sell mattresses online! It’s crazy to me.

What do you geek out over?

Fashion. I spend hours scrolling through fashion news, eCommerce websites and fashion shows. It’s hard to beat me on that.