Founder Profile
Founder of Haima · Former Operations Director
I’m an operations person. I don’t take things on faith. I started Haima after a hard stretch in my forties, and I run it the way I ran teams for nine years: specifics first, claims last.
Where This Started
My yiayia grew up in a village outside Chania, on Crete. She came to Chicago at nineteen, raised five children, and wore the same kind of heavy black hematite bracelet on her left wrist every day.
She called it to aima. The blood. The women in her village wore it “for the hard years.”
I didn’t think much about that bracelet when I was younger. It was simply something my grandmother wore.
Then I turned forty-four.
I was running a team I had managed for nine years when I forgot the word budget in front of everyone.
That moment stayed with me.
I was running on fumes by two in the afternoon. I was snapping at my daughter. I was awake at three in the morning. And one day I looked at a photo of myself and barely recognized the woman in it.
My doctor told me my labs were fine and offered me an antidepressant. I remember thinking:
“I wasn’t depressed. I was depleted.”
I tried the things I thought might help. Magnesium gummies. Ashwagandha. Iron supplements. A sleep tracker. Even a $300 set of grounding sheets.
I had a drawer full of half-used products and very little patience left.
My grandmother’s bracelet had been sitting in a jewelry tray for two years after she died.
I finally put it on.
It was cold. Heavy. Solid.
It felt like being held by the wrist.
I’m not going to tell you it changed my life. I’m going to tell you what I noticed.
A few months later, I felt like myself again. I noticed I wasn’t reaching for a second coffee at three. I stopped rereading emails late at night. I laughed more at dinner. I slept through more nights.
I can’t separate what caused what. And I don’t need to pretend that I can.
What I did know was that I wanted to understand the bracelet I had inherited from my grandmother.
That curiosity eventually became Haima.
Read the full story on our About page .
Background
From operations management to founding Haima.
Founder, Haima
I founded Haima around a simple idea: create a straightforward hematite bracelet inspired by the one my Greek grandmother wore, and communicate about it without exaggerated promises. Today, I oversee the product, research, content and customer experience with the same practical approach I developed throughout my career in operations.
A Personal Turning Point
At 44, I went through a difficult period that made me reconsider how I approached my own wellbeing. Returning to the hematite bracelet I had inherited from my grandmother sparked a deeper interest in the stone, its history and the claims surrounding it. Rather than accepting those claims at face value, I began researching them for myself.
Operations Director
Led a team of 12 for nine years, overseeing day-to-day operations, processes, accountability and team performance. My work in operations taught me to pay close attention to details, question assumptions and understand the difference between a claim and something you can actually support.
Senior Operations Manager
Took on broader responsibilities across process improvement, internal project management, team development and performance monitoring. This period strengthened my approach to solving problems systematically and making decisions based on information rather than assumptions.
Operations Manager
Progressed into management, overseeing operational processes, team performance and the systems that kept day-to-day work running efficiently. I began developing the practical management habits that would later shape my approach to leading teams and building Haima.
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Operations Management
DePaul University : Chicago, Illinois
Studied business administration with a focus on operations management, process improvement and organizational decision-making. My education provided a practical foundation in systems, accountability, problem-solving and evaluating information before acting on it.
At Haima
I bring the same practical mindset to Haima that I brought to operations.
I care about what the bracelet actually is: real hematite, polished beads, no magnets, no batteries and no complicated setup. It is jewelry designed to be simple to wear.
I approach information the way I approach most things: carefully. I want to understand what is established, what is uncertain and where a claim comes from before we put it in front of a customer.
The same process, every time.
Usually one that I have asked myself first. I want our content to answer the questions women are actually asking, rather than simply fill a page.
When we discuss hematite, its properties or its history, I want to understand where the information comes from before repeating it. If possible, I go back to the original source.
What happened to me is my experience. It is not clinical evidence, and I don't present it as evidence.
I read the 1-star reviews first. I look at the fine print. If a claim sounds too good to be true, I want to know what supports it.
We are not trying to sound perfect. If information changes or we get something wrong, the right response is to correct it.
My experience is personal. It is not medical advice, and I don't want to turn a personal story into a medical promise. If you have questions about your health, symptoms, medication or treatment, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
Public professional profile will be linked here.