Shauna_resized

AHAlife: Reinventing The Online Shopping Experience

October 26 2010


AHA: The universal sound of discovery.
Life: Be inspired every day.

AHAlife is the online discovery destination where you can learn about—and purchase—the best unique products from around the world, collectively curated by our group of influential tastemakers. I was inspired to start the site when I was the CEO of Casall and living in Stockholm. Stockholm is an amazing city, but I found that I couldn’t access all of the amazing products that I wanted to buy. That’s when the light bulb went on. Why couldn’t there be one trusted destination where you could not just educate yourself about amazing products, but buy them, too? That’s exactly what AHAlife is.

We showcase and sell a new hand-selected item each day and tell the story behind the making of the product, along with a designer profile and sometimes a video or audio slideshow that takes you inside the creative process. Our products range from fashion and beauty to home décor and tech, but they all have three things in common: their craftsmanship, unique provenance and amazing aesthetic. On Sundays, we don’t sell anything. Instead, we highlight an artist, idea or charity that we think is worthwhile. Bottom line, we’re dedicated to bringing you a unique experience every single day.

Here’s a typical week’s worth of products and people we love:

Monday: OPTIMIZE ME: SunBRELLI (a handmade, biodegradable umbrella made in Thailand).
Tuesday: DRESS ME: Peace Treaty Scarves (hand-embroidered by widows in Afghanistan).
Wednesday: NOURISH ME: Let it Bee Honey Sampler (harvested from hives in New York City and Westchester).
Thursday: DESIGN ME: Lotus Wall Clock (made in the same UK factory that produces Bentley and Aston Martin cars).
Friday: TREAT ME: Canon/Diane von Furstenberg G12 Camera (created especially for AHAlife).
Saturday: GO WITH ME: Nomi Tote Bag and Wristlet (made by/benefitting survivors of human trafficking in Cambodia).
Sunday: ENLIGHTEN ME: Mating in Captivity (Cindy Gallop’s video interview with erotic intelligence expert/author Esther Peel).

Want help discovering your daily AHA? Come visit our website, [AHAlife.com].
You can also follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook for up-to-the-minute happenings, curator news and more.

 

Shauna Mei is the Founder and CEO of AHAlife.

AHAlife is a new online destination founded by 85 Broads member Shauna Mei, a creative connector and entrepreneur. Prior to launching AHAlife, Shauna was the CEO of Casall International, a Swedish wellness/activewear company, and a co-founder of the Aronsson Group, a luxury fashion investment and advisory firm. Shauna also worked in both Private Equity (Principal Investment Area) and Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs, where she worked on several deals in the fashion media space, most notably the sale of Neiman Marcus Group. Originally from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, she currently lives in New York City.