Team

Jonathan Newman

Jonathan Newman

Jonathan is élé INSIDERS™ founder. He conducts the company like an orchestra, guiding all instruments to play the right note at the right time – making sure we have and follow a solid strategy from product development to marketing campaigns. An avid traveller since a very young age Jonathan has explored Europe and Asia extensively and considers Catalonia his home away from home. He loves to take long walks in the forest with his dog and spending time sharing stories with family and friends over a glass of Malbec.

Jonathan began his professional career in advertising and marketing communications – working first as a commercial photographer, then as an art director and marketing consultant. He directed and produced visual media that included print, point of sale and TV commercials.

His love of design and world travel led him to launch an importing and distribution company that for 27 years was one of the leaders in the gift and home décor arena. You can learn more about Jonathan’s inspiration to create élé INSIDERS™ visiting our company’s story page.



Edie Lufkin

Edie Lufkin

Edie is the visionary and business development voice of élé INSIDERS™. Providing innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to our business, she has navigated our go to market strategies. She has seasoned experience and ability to identify , launch and manage new businesses. A long-time resident of Boston, she loves the adventure of discovering all things New England! 

Edie brings 28 years of experience in the Gift and Decorative Accessories Industry – developing strategies in both existing and emerging companies. She works proactively to connect opportunities, people and organizations. 

Her desire to create something special and to have customers feel right at home… makes élé INSIDERS™ the perfect strategy to insure that happens! 



Carlos Villamil

Carlos Villamil

Carlos is the creative force behind élé INSIDERS™. He designs our shoes and oversees all the visual communication and branding components of the company from packaging to collateral materials. He loves to ride his bicycle around Boston and when working from his home studio he starts the day with a strong cappuccino and unwinds with a good beer in the afternoon. During his design work, either on the computer, the drafting table, or the sewing machine, electronic music is always playing in the background, a reminiscent from a former life as a Dj.

He is a multidisciplinary designer born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia but since early 2006 he calls Boston his home. His background is in Industrial Design but his career spans from award wining jewelry entrepreneur to in-house graphic designer to fashion design graduate from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He became seriously involved in footwear design after working for Adolfo Domínguez in Spain in 2011.

Two years ago Carlos was selected to be part of The Launch, Boston Fashion Week’s emerging designers platform and more recently, in 2014, he won the 1st edition of Descience – Science on the runway, a global competition organized by MIT scientists with the aim of bringing scientific research to a broader audience through fashion. His personal work is oriented in Zero Waste fashion and currently he is a Masters candidate in Sustainability and Environmental Management at Harvard University.

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