From the multi-million-dollar sale of his solar tech business to the now highly-anticipated launch of his luxury fashion brand PLACE OF ELMS, the only way for serial entrepreneur Lennie Moreno is up. 

 Getting to the summit of Mont-Sauvage, an abandoned ski mount in the Laurentians of Quebec and home to luxury fashion brand PLACE OF ELMS founder Lennie Moreno, is quite the hike, but according to him, “the climb only begins at the top.” Indeed. 

After the successful sale of his solar tech business Sofdesk to S&P 500 company Enphase Energy in 2021, Moreno didn’t opt for retirement; instead, he decided to keep scaling and pursue his lifelong dream of fashion design, leading to the soon-to-be-launched first collection of PLACE OF ELMS a mere three years later. Moreno’s drive, he says, is fueled by his desire to change the world. “Selling [Sofdesk] was just the beginning; it provided me with the means to create an even bigger impact, one I hope will help expand our collective consciousness.”

Philanthropy has long been a part of Moreno’s life; he has spoken at detention centers and organized local charity initiatives since before his rise to financial success. Despite growing up poor, Moreno found wealth in helping others. “It should always be about giving.” Today, he leads the Freedom Accelerator Fund, which guides early-stage startups toward accelerated growth. Likewise, he runs a mentorship program, bringing value to students, entrepreneurs, and future leaders. “When you come from nothing, help—in whatever form—feels like everything.” 

From this vantage point, it’s hard to imagine that Moreno’s multi-acre estate atop a mountain belongs to someone who once couldn’t afford proper room and board for the better part of his life. “I’m scrappy, but I attribute my success to staying authentic. Rich or poor, my values have always been the same, plus I have God working through me.”

Integrity is an integral part of Moreno’s MO, and it’s one of the tenets—if not the tenet—of his new venture, PLACE OF ELMS. Although the brand’s thoughtfully crafted, high-quality, limited-quantity designs uniquely position it as a prominent force within the luxury fashion space, the strong foundation on which the brand is built sets it apart. The brand’s ethos—luxury with integrity—is not a marketing ploy; it’s a belief system. To buy PLACE OF ELMS means to buy into its values of strength, respect, truth, freedom, and, above all, integrity.

The impetus for the brand came after Moreno noticed a misalignment between his values and those of other big labels. “Once I began to afford luxury goods and paid closer attention, I realized that the majority of this industry isn't pushing pro-human values; instead, it covertly pushes the latest socio-political trends, which aren’t necessarily empowering for the next generation.”

“The demand for a value-based economy will be trendy in the years to come, and PLACE OF ELMS will be leading the charge.”

Moreno’s long-standing advocacy for pro-human values and his call for unity has clearly resonated. In recent years, his personal Instagram videos have garnered over one hundred million views, inspiring a new wave of supporters. Thus, Moreno’s vision for the brand was simple: to produce luxury items that embody values people are proud to unite behind. He emphasizes that sporting PLACE OF ELMS is not just a fashion statement but a symbol of our collective strength, underlining the brand’s role in helping to elevate humanity. “Wearing PLACE OF ELMS is like wearing a badge of honor, regardless of race, religion, vaccination status, or political affiliation; it’s a symbol of leadership, empowering those who wear it to stand up for truth and righteousness.” 

Despite push-back from the mainstream, Moreno is confident that others will eventually join the movement. “The demand for a value-based economy will be trendy in the years to come, and PLACE OF ELMS will be leading the charge,” he says as he pulls on a Hoyo de Monterrey cigar, crossing one barefooted leg over the other. Moreno reclines outside and gazes at the mountainous vista surrounding him. “When I’m out here, I’m always grounding,” he shares, a practice that involves walking barefoot to connect with nature. 

Moreno’s certitude in the power of nature is the very essence behind the PLACE OF ELMS moniker. In keeping with the brand’s philosophy, the name embodies a place deeply rooted in its core values, inspired by nature’s wisdom. “Reconnecting with nature helps to restore things to their original, harmonious state,” and with PLACE OF ELMS, it’s a mountain Moreno is willing to climb. On the PLACE OF ELMS official website, one can navigate to a section aptly titled “Awakening” and find a range of resources from videos to the brand’s “Weekly Wisdom” newsletter, dedicated to helping move the needle towards our collective enlightenment and reconnection with God and nature. Of the brand’s slant, Moreno says, “I wanted to create something beyond myself.”

And create, he did, weaving the brand’s values of luxury and integrity into every aspect of its products and business model—Moreno sources only the finest fabrics and collaborates exclusively with small, family-owned businesses that support the brand’s values, going as far as personally meeting all his suppliers and artisans. "It's not just about the products; it's about the people and the shared values that bind us.” A true artist at his core, self-taught first-time designer Moreno is blazing the trail toward value-based luxury fashion, one mountain at a time.