Accelerating performance: Tulip Shades
Tulip Shades is a US-based design-led brand redefining how people experience overhead lighting. Born from a frustration with the ubiquitous “boob light” common in many American rental properties, Tulip offers renter-friendly fabric shades that install magnetically in minutes—no tools, no rewiring, no damage.
Their approach blends smart functionality with elevated design, offering soft, sculptural forms and artist-led collections that turn a practical product into a statement piece. With roots in ethical, small-batch production and a focus on sustainability, Tulip has built a loyal following among design-conscious renters and interior stylists alike.
At its core, Tulip transforms a pain point into a design opportunity—proving that better living can start with better lighting.
My Role
As Fractional General Manager of Tulip, I worked across finance, operations, product, and brand to strengthen the business from the inside out. My core focus was to build operational clarity, drive commercial performance, and shape a cohesive product and brand strategy to support sustainable growth. I collaborated with Tulip’s founders on long-term growth planning, P&L management, and organisational structure to support scaling.
An example of the impact of my cross functional approach (strategy, merchandising, marketing) was managing and executing new product launch campaigns, including “Red Hot Summer” and Tulip’s first designer collaboration with Xavier Donnelly, driving growth and engagement.
Success
My work established financial and operational visibility, united a lean cross-functional team and delivered Tulip’s first $1M in revenue, culminating in a successful rebrand and a scalable foundation for continued growth.
Led the commercial direction for brand strategy and a rebrand to enable future scaling and rollout across digital, physical, and product touchpoints. Directed the team across marketing, social, operations, and content to align execution with commercial and brand goals.
Led Tulip to achieve its first $1m in revenue, enabling full profit and cashflow visibility through improved reporting and margin tracking.
Built and implemented an internal inventory planning and supply chain framework to streamline production, prevent stockouts, and improve cost efficiency. Oversaw end-to-end supplier strategy—from vendor selection and contract structure to risk management and quality control.
Developed the product merchandising strategy, ensuring balanced inventory, product mix, and pricing to maximise sell-through.
Supported compliance research and brand protection strategy to safeguard design IP and production integrity.