Woven Together by Mentorship and Gold Thread

Ruby Veridiano G’15 is no stranger to the way life’s coincidences, coupled with bold decisions, shape our destiny. On the ten-year anniversary of earning her Master's in Global Communication from AUP, her professional path came full circle when she hired Rona Phi ‘24 to join her team at Gold Thread Communication—a boutique consultancy named after the concept of the "golden thread" in brand messaging, as well as the symbolism in Greek mythology that refers to the invisible link between us and our life's purpose.

Beginning in October 2024, the two alumnae, with more in common than either could have predicted, embarked upon a path of mentorship and connection that would enrich each other’s professional lives and demonstrate the power of AUP’s talented alumni network.

It was her decade-long work as a spoken word artist during her twenties that first brought Veridiano not only to Paris, but to AUP, for a group performance in 2005. Having co-founded Ill-Literacy Spoken Word Collective in 2002, the chance to perform in Paris was a dream come true. For Veridiano, who was born in the Philippines, the experience felt particularly validating. “As someone who grew up in a traditional family who didn't believe in the arts as a career choice, it was hard to conceptualize that I could give myself permission to pursue a creative career. AUP gave me my first legitimacy as a creative professional.”

Brimming with newfound confidence, her career began to evolve, taking her from performing poetry onstage to helping nonprofits use creativity to enact societal change—and eventually back to Paris.

Hired by a literacy nonprofit called LitWorld, she moved to the Philippines to work with empowerment programs, using literacy and literature to help girls find their voice, just as she found hers.

When she moved to New York in 2010, she was drawn to the fashion industry, but struggled to find jobs that fit her background and strengths in social impact. In the absence of linear connections, she just kept “following the dots.” Luckily, a recruiter recognized her potential and ushered Veridiano into her first fashion job in Louis Vuitton’s San Francisco corporate office in 2013. There, she discovered the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) corporate social responsibility team, and the puzzle pieces fell into place.

AUP’s MAGC program with a fashion specialization was the perfect next step. “It sounded crazy at the time,” she says, “because I was about to turn thirty—so I should be, according to everyone else, doing things besides trying to live abroad again and having this crazy, unconventional adventure.”

What would be a risky adventure for some, was spun, in Veridiano’s capable hands, into a brilliant professional decision. By fall of 2023, her own brand consultancy, Gold Thread Communications, was born, fulfilling Veridiano’s dream of a fully remote business that would grant her both geographic freedom and the ability to offer her tailored storytelling and communications services to purpose-driven organizations in fashion.

Soon after, Veridiano would cross paths with another AUP alumna on LinkedIn, and discover a remarkable connection.

Rona Phi—a graduate with a BA in International Business Administration—was also searching for people who worked across fashion and sustainability. As a student, she had interned with AUP’s Student Leadership Office, a French AI startup, and a clothing brand during Paris Fashion Week, so she was well positioned to land her first full-time job. When she saw Veridiano’s profile in 2024, and read about Gold Thread Communications, Phi sent her a message.

“When Rona reached out to me, it was the right place at the right time. All of the skill sets Rona had were the skill sets I needed,” says Veridiano. The coincidences didn’t stop there. Veridiano and Phi—both from Manila, and alumnae of a strict Filipino-Chinese Catholic school system, were each initially attracted to studying fashion in the undisputed epicenter of the fashion world.  

Veridiano hired Phi to help with one of Gold Thread Communication’s clients, LitWorld, Veridiano’s former employer. For LitWorld’s World Read Aloud Day™, Phi designed graphics, created brand guidelines, helped with the annual report, and generated templates for the organization‘s communication assets. Phi also managed the campaign across social media platforms, establishing LitWorld as the central hub during the global event.

Veridiano approached mentoring with a clear focus: “My intention was to sharpen Rona’s skill sets and set her up for success. Given that I worked in the field with young women, mentorship is a part of my life's work that I find purpose and joy doing. When I met Rona, I was intentional about wanting to be the mentor I didn't have when I was her age. And I was learning so much on my journey, I felt I needed to pour this knowledge into other people.” Veridiano aims to co-create a fulfilling and inspiring situation for her employees: “As a mentor and a leader, my role is to facilitate and optimize someone's talent and growth.”