For some small businesses, the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak has been a major hinderance for entrepreneurs. For others, the pandemic has created a great opportunity to try something new and rebrand. That is the story for the latest Queen Feet founder I’ve met this week. Laurice Fox (Size 12) recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for her namesake footwear brand that exclusively caters to the extended size market.

Like many folks before the pandemic, life looked a little differently for Laurice. For one, she lived in New York, USA and worked in the music industry. However, after visiting Mexico City during her work assignments, Laurice fell in love with the Mexico City culture and decided to relocate to Mexico last year. It was then that she met a woman who introduced her to a major shoe hub also known as the shoe capital of the world– Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico–known for its leathers and thriving footwear industry.

As a new expat, Laurice decided to take full advantage of her proximity to footwear industry experts to tackle the problems faced by the women’s extended size footwear market, specifically women’s sizes US 10-15. Laurice doesn’t want to just make shoes. As a very environmentally conscious millennial, she designs with sustainability, fashion, fit, and utility at the forefront of her mind. After getting adjusted to her new city, she was able to begin developing a couple of designs for everyday wear including a boot, mule, pump, and two sandals. Right now, three styles are available for pre-order.

Over the weekend, we had the opportunity to have some very relaxed girl chat recently via Zoom as I sought to learn more of her story, the Laurice Fox brand, its fundraising goal, and upcoming plans. See more in the video below.

To learn more about the Laurice Fox brand fundraising campaign, please visit here. You can also follow Laurice Fox on Instagram @laurice__fox.