Alumni Business Spotlight: Matthew Sierra, Founder of YWRLD_365体育官网

Brianna Newman
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:45:54 +0000
People, 365体育官网, Alumni, Career, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Champlain College, Sustainability

A 2022 graduate with a degree in Marketing and a minor in Entrepreneurship, Matthew Sierra ‘22 has channeled his passion for business, style, and sustainability into YWRLD (pronounced “your world”)—a sustainable fashion brand that’s redefining what it means to look good while doing good. Today, Sierra and YWRLD are planting one tree for every product sold.

In this Q&A, he shares how his upbringing and time at Champlain shaped his values, the role of sustainability in his entrepreneurial journey, and how he leads with purpose in every aspect of the brand.

Watch a portion of Matthew Sierra's interview on Instagram!

Q: Can you tell us about your background and upbringing?

My upbringing is everything to me. My parents immigrated from Colombia in the ’90s, and in the year 2000, they started creating a family here in the United States. I am the oldest of five. Being from immigrant parents, it’s been really hard because they did not know the language at all. Their education credentials were invalid here in the United States, no matter how much time they spent in college or school in Colombia. I grew up on one of the worst streets in Lynn, Massachusetts, in a low-income community full of families just trying to make it day to day.

Q: How did education change your trajectory?

Growing up in Lynn’s educational system wasn’t ideal. There was no motivation. Everything changed when I went to a charter school named KIPP. KIPP rewired my brain to become a fanatic about education and realize that if you have education, you have power; KIPP actually stands for Knowledge is Power Program. I’m now a Special Education teacher at KIPP. Education is something I am deeply rooted in.

Q: How did you discover Champlain College?

I went to a charter school named KIPP, which stands for Knowledge is Power Program. The moment I went to KIPP, they started to introduce the idea of college to me. I found Champlain through a partnership KIPP had that gave students from KIPP an opportunity to go to Champlain. I knew a few people who went to Champlain before me, and they would always say that it was really peaceful, really nice. This was completely the opposite of what I had experienced in my life.

When I went to Champlain, it was a complete culture shock. The way people behaved was completely different, even just the demographics of people, coming from a community where most are immigrant families. But Champlain was really accepting, really inclusive. Over time, I felt warm and that I was part of the Champlain community, and that’s when I was able to make some strides.

Q: Did you know what you wanted to study when you arrived at Champlain?

I’ve always thought about business, ever since I was a kid. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset—it was just more about getting the confidence and knowledge, and that’s what Champlain provided me.

Initially, I wasn’t sure which field in business I wanted to study, but I decided to major in Marketing because I liked the creative aspect of it. During my sophomore year, Professor Patel and Dr. Elaine Young helped me find my path and recommended Entrepreneurship as a minor to help me build that foundation. It was great. The class I had with Kylie King was amazing. I want to thank them for, you know, guiding me as well because they helped me out during my journey there.

My time at Champlain gave me insight that I have the power to make a difference.

Matthew Sierra ’22, Marketing

Products from the YWRLD Life and YWRLD Studios collections.

Q: What is YWRLD and how did you start it?

I’m always gonna start like this: YWRLD is not a clothing brand. It is a movement. It is a lifestyle. YWRLD is built to inspire, elevate, and transform individuals and communities through fashion. This brand and business plan was my capstone project, which I still use, and have updated it as I’ve learned more.

But the most important research I did was to find providers for my blanks, the plain t-shirts that I then add my designs to. The main part of the brand is sustainability, so I couldn’t just go to any wholesaler. I looked into different companies that said they were “sustainable,” but oftentimes weren’t. It took me some time, but I ended up liking two companies that provide 100% organic cotton and 50% recycled cotton, mixed with 50% organic cotton materials. Using sustainable, biodegradable blanks is something I pride myself on, and it was all thanks to the research I did for my capstone project.

Q: What inspired YWRLD?

I’m purpose-driven. No matter what I do, I want it to have a good cause. I’ve always loved fashion, but wasn’t sure I was going to do anything with it. But when I came to Champlain, most of my business classes always talked about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN. So, I saw how I could have a business, have my own power, but do it with a purpose.

There were also tabling events on campus, and I remember one of the brands was Yerba Mate. They said one of the main reasons they started their company was the sustainability factors; they wanted to have organic and ethically sourced mate, which was usually not the case.

And I was like, “Oh, when I drink a Yerba, I feel good. Like, I’m doing good and it tastes amazing.” So I started with that idea: That product made me feel good when I was drinking it. Let’s make a product that will make somebody feel great while they’re wearing it.

Q: Tell us about your partnership with One Tree Planted.

That partnership came about a few months after graduating from Champlain. During that summer, there was a huge fire at Lynn Woods, one of the biggest wooded areas in a city in the northeast. I walked around it. I saw the burnt bark, the ashes on the floor, everything. I wanted to see how I could plant trees here in the city of Lynn, to give back to the community and inspire people in the community.

I found and reached out to One Tree Planted, and a couple of days later, they asked for a Zoom interview. We talked about the brand and the vision, and they gave me options for tree planting. Now, every item purchased by a customer plants a tree.

I want somebody to feel good while they’re wearing my shirt. When they’re clicking “add to cart,” I want them to be like, “Oh, I’m planting a tree right now.” You know, that’s really the idea here. Make people feel good about themselves, that they’re doing good while looking good.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Don’t lose confidence. There’s always going to be people who talk down on you. You just can’t let those people dictate your outcomes. You really have to take control of your own outcomes.

One thing I want to highlight is the growth that the brand has been having. Many people, when they start a business, want to see the growth right away. It took me a while to understand that growth in business takes a while. Not doubting myself became an accomplishment I had. I feel like a lot of people are held down by their self-doubt. The main thing is just having patience with yourself.