Before co-founding 57Grand, Saukok Chu Tiampo spent eleven years armed with sharp suits and her power blackberry, making her mark in investment banking and private equity at finance houses like Bank of America and Merrill Lynch.  Saukok dreamed up the idea for 57Grand while dressing her 8 bridesmaids for her destination wedding in Anguilla, British West Indies.  Saukok has lived in New York City since graduating from Harvard University, where in addition to all the old school ivory tower topics, she studied womens' studies and social activism. 

Before parterning with Saukok to co-found 57Grand, Carmen Ho started a successful luxury footwear company, Carmen Ho Shoes. Carmen Ho shoes were available at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, and specialty boutiques across the US, Europe and Asia and featured in Vogue, InStyle, and Lucky.  Carmen built the company from the ground up, starting as a student at the prestigious Ars Sutoria School in Milan.  A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carmen has also lived and worked in Shanghai, London, San Francisco, and New York, working in a variety of industries including retail, new media, and finance.