About

NICE TO MEET YOU

WHO WE ARE

The Nest is a sustainable fashion collective and community hub based in Providence, Rhode Island, dedicated to reducing textile waste and reimagining the way people engage with clothing. Through our curated secondhand and vintage stores, mending & repair services, upcycling, educational workshops, waste management services and community events, we make sustainable fashion accessible, creative, and inclusive.

Our mission is to fight the toxic cycle of overconsumption by extending the life of garments and textiles and empowering people to make more conscious fashion choices.

Visit The Nest’s flagship store and community hub at 272 Carpenter Street, or our Newport Location at 400 Thames Street. Since opening in 2021, we have diverted hundreds of thousands of pounds of textiles from our landfill while creating opportunities for skill-building, self-expression, and connection within our community. By combining retail, education and activism, The Nest is building a more circular and community-centered future for fashion.

MEET OUR TEAM

Charlotte von Meister

Charlotte von Meister (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of The Nest. She's on a mission to inspire conscious consumerism by showing people that they can still be stylish while also shopping sustainably and supporting their community.

Charlotte has a degree in Fashion Marketing and Management from Savannah College of Art and Design. Post grad, she lived in New York City and Los Angeles where she gained entrepreneurial experience working as the first employee at a venture capital backed bridal fashion brand. But even within an industry that prides itself on the concept of "the one", she saw the wasteful toxicity of the fashion industry at large. So in 2019 she pivoted into professional organizing and got certified as a KonMari Method™ consultant. This launched her onto a new career path: helping people shed the excess clutter in their lives, rather than pushing sales and consumption.

Charlotte moved back to Rhode Island in 2020, continuing her decluttering work while starting The Nest in 2021. Born from Charlotte and Danielle's shared belief in the power of sustainability, style, and community, The Nest has become a pillar in Providence offering not only a place to shop secondhand but also a third space to learn new skills and make your clothing last.

In 2025, Charlotte connected her two career paths (bridal and vintage) by launching a pre-loved bridal collection on the second floor of The Nest in Providence. It is open every day for brides to walk-in and try-on heirloom gowns in a low-stress environment.

In her role as Creative Director, Charlotte curates The Nest's secondhand inventory, designs and develops its upcycled collections and WearCare™ product offerings. She loves how her work at The Nest is a vehicle to spread her mindset on intentional living across her community and show people they can live with less without sacrificing anything.

Danielle Sturm

Danielle Sturm (she/her) is Co-Founder & CEO of The Nest. Her deep passion for secondhand clothing and thrifting–mixed with a love for the local and underground art scene–has led to a personal mission to change people's mindset of how we consume and support our local communities.

Danielle graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Johnson & Wales University Providence. She got her start working in marketing and communications for startups and nonprofits in the medical technology and life science industries. Through her work, she has also produced two podcast series.

Danielle has interest in encompassing communication and culture, specifically through how music, sound, art, and history bring communities together. At The Nest, she has found the perfect avenue to successfully connect people over a sustainable cause and create a community of inclusion, culture, and fun.

Alyssa Ford

Alyssa Ford (she/her) is the Director of Marketing & Communications at The Nest. A Rhode Island native, she spent six years in New York City while earning a B.S. in Communication Arts and an M.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Confronting Inequalities from St. John’s University. It was there that her love for sustainable fashion took root, leading her to help create SUSTAIN, an online sustainable lifestyle magazine where she served as Wellness & Culture Editor, telling stories about the ways people, culture, and the planet are deeply intertwined.

Guided by a deep appreciation for the natural world, Alyssa believes that caring for the Earth begins with feeling connected to it, and that the stories we tell can inspire people to see their everyday choices a little differently. Through creative digital storytelling and educational campaigns, she hopes to make conscious living feel less like a set of rules and more like an invitation to slow down, pay attention, and move through the world with more care and intention.

Emily Warren

Emily Warren (she/her) is the Director of Operations at The Nest, responsible for managing our supply chains and stocking our stores. She also ensures that the day-to-day operations of our production space and two retail locations run smoothly. Over the last 10 years, Emily has built the foundation of her career at the intersection of design and sustainability.

Before moving to Providence, she managed a jewelry boutique in Cambridge, MA, where she led a team in designing and marketing custom sustainable engagement rings. Once in Providence, Emily managed the Events and Hospitality department of a bridal bakery and events space, designing custom wedding cakes and hosting large-scale formal events. At The Nest, Emily relishes the opportunity to combine sustainable practices, community involvement, and creativity.

Elena Prenovitz

Elena Prenovitz (she/her) is the Director of Finance & Business Strategy at The Nest. Elena double-majored in economics and environmental studies at Kenyon College, and continued on to get her MA in economics at George Mason University. Since she could remember, her two favorite things have always been fashion and nature. Deciding to follow the traditional educational path in college over art and design was one of the most difficult decisions she’s ever had to make, so she’s ecstatic to be combining all of her passions at The Nest!

Carlin Ash

Carlin Ash (she/her) is the Director of Sewing Production & Design at The Nest. Carlin is a hand-sewing specialist and professional mender from the Philadelphia area. She earned her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she studied illustration and fiber arts.

Postgrad,she worked as a tailor in Northern Michigan and Rhode Island. Her practice now centers on clothing repair and visible mending to help keep garments out of the landfill and combat textile waste. In addition to her studio work, Carlin teaches sewing and mending skills to empower others to care for and maintain their clothing. Her work advocates for longevity, sustainability, and a more thoughtful relationship with clothing and labor.

Julia Medeiros

Julia Medeiros (she/her) is the Director of Tailoring at The Nest as well as the instructor and curriculum developer for The Nest's Tailoring Academy launching in Fall of 2026. Julia is a technical apparel designer and has been a professional sewist for 25 years. She has run her own sewing studios in Ukraine, Portugal, California, and now here in Rhode Island. Julia specializes in almost everything: from custom clothing, to alterations and repairs, to working with drapery and leather. With over 20 years of sewing, management, and industry experience, she is extremely well-known as a subject matter expert in the professional sewing industry and has years of teaching experience.

Keelin Maloney

Keelin Maloney (she/her) is the Manager of The Nest's Mending & Repair Service and a Fiber Arts Community Educator. Keelin is a Providence native & textile lover with a background in hand knitting & sewing, machine knitting & sewing, crocheting, weaving and natural textile dyeing. Her years in fine art school have led her to create her own knit collections and participate in various local sustainable fashion projects. She is the Lead Mending Technician at The Nest and teaches knitting, crochet, embroidery & natural dye bath workshops.