Best Startup
At Best Startup US we track over 1,000,000 US startups and over 3 million people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United States based CEO’ operating in the Lifestyle space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.us.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Roger Farah
Co-Chief Executive Officer of Tory Burch
Roger N. Farah is Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director of Tory Burch LLC (lifestyle brand), a position he has held since September 2014. He is former Executive Vice Chairman of Ralph Lauren Corporation (lifestyle products), having served in that position from November 2013 to May 2014. He previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer from April 2000 to October 2013 and Director from April 2000 to August 2014. Prior to that, he served as Chairman of the Board of Venator Group, Inc. (now Foot Locker, Inc.) from December 1994 to April 2000, and as its Chief Executive Officer from December 1994 to August 1999. Roger Farah served as President and Chief Operating Officer of R.H. Macy & Co., Inc. (retailing) from July 1994 to October 1994. From June 1991 to July 1994, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Federated Merchandising Services (retailing), the central buying and product development arm of Federated Department Stores, Inc. (retailing). From 1988 to 1991, Roger Farah served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rich’s/Goldsmith’s Department Stores (retailing) and President of Rich’s/Goldsmith’s Department Stores from 1987 to 1988. He held a number of positions of increasing responsibility at Saks Fifth Avenue, Inc. (retailing) from 1975 to 1987. Roger Farah is a director of The Progressive Corporation (auto insurance) and a non-executive director of Metro Bank PLC (an independent U.K. bank).
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About Tory Burch: Tory Burch is an American lifestyle brand that embodies the personal style and sensibility of its CEO and designer, Tory Burch.
Adam Goldenberg
Co-founder & Co-CEO of TechStyle Fashion Group
Adam Goldenberg has evolved from entrepreneurial prodigy to eCommerce industry thought leader. While still in high school, Adam founded his first company, Gamer’s Alliance, which he then sold to Intermix Media. The birthplace of MySpace, Intermix named Adam its Chief Operating Officer when Adam was just 19 – making him the youngest COO of a public company in history. At Intermix, Adam co-founded Alena Media – a first-of-its-kind eCommerce platform that would go on to serve as the template for TechStyle – with future TechStyle co-CEO Don Ressler. Adam and Don further cemented their burgeoning partnership by shepherding Intermix to a successful exit, selling Intermix to Fox News Corp. for $670 million dollars. In 2006, Don and Adam launched Intelligent Beauty, a vertically integrated beauty brand incubator. Intelligent Beauty scored a major success selling it’s flagship property Dermstore.com and portfolio of beauty brands to Target in 2013. In 2010, Don and Adam founded TechStyle Fashion Group. TechStyle’s mission: reimagine the fashion industry by creating the world’s most innovative, digitally native fashion brands. To date, TechStyle has launched successful, category-redefining fashion brands such as JustFab, Shoedazzle, FabKids, Savage X Fenty, and Fabletics. As of 2020, Don and Adam’s roster of brands have generated over $8 billion dollars in sales.
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About Fabletics, TechStyle Fashion Group: TechStyle is a global membership fashion commerce company focused on reimagining the global fashion business.
Doreen Bloch
CEO & Founder of Poshly
Doreen Bloch is the CEO & Founder of Poshly Inc., a data analytics company focused on consumer intelligence. Inc. Magazine named her one of the 30 Under 30 CEOs of 2015, and she is the winner of L’Oreal’s NEXT Generation Women in Digital Award. Doreen is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley (Class of 2010), where she was awarded the Jack Larson Fellowship for Entrepreneurship & Innovation for her work founding BARE magazine, one of the nation’s first collegiate fashion publications. She was a three-time Yahoo! Inc. intern during college, and after graduation she worked at SecondMarket, where she helped on auctions for shares of pre-IPO companies, including Facebook Inc. Doreen is also the Author of “The Coolest Startups in America” published February 2012, and a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council. Her work is regularly featured by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Inc., ForbesWoman, Feministing, Women 2.0, and more.
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About Makeup Museum, Poshly: Poshly is the consumer intelligence company that specializes in the fields of internet, data, consumer packaged goods, and technology.
Alejandro Zozaya-Gorostiza
Founder & CEO of AMResorts
Alejandro Zozaya-Gorostiza was recently named CEO of Apple Leisure Group, which consists of Apple Vacations®, the largest tour operator in the United States and the most important international tour operator in Mexico; Amstar® DMC, a destination management company offering a large range of transportation services, tours and excursions in popular destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean; AMResorts®, owner and operator of the luxury resort brands Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Now and Sunscape Resort & Spas, with resorts located in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Curaçao; and UVC (Unlimited Vacation Club), an elite vacation membership loyalty program.
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About AMResorts, Apple Leisure Group: AMResorts is a hotel and brand management company.
Winder Hughes
Founder and CEO of Relevnt, Inc.
Winder Hughes is the founder and CEO of Relevnt. he is also the current founder & CEO of LIFE IN HI-FI, Inc. Winder evangelizes Order and Vision with great attention to detail alongside a nose for detecting danger. Driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, Winder has over 25 years of investing experience in start-up companies, and founded Relevnt as an outgrowth from his investment partnership, the Focus Fund. He is fascinated by what makes a brand become a global success and thus his lifelong passion has been to create a world-class consumer brand experience that favorably changes the human condition – he has found it with Relevnt. Winder graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a BA in Economics.
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About Relevnt, Inc.: Relevnt is a live audio chat network centered real-time, authentic connection.
Dot Bustelo
CEO/Founder of Loupe
Dot Bustelo, CEO/Founder of Apple TV visual art streaming platform Loupe, recognized as a Creative Technologies/Entertainment Software Strategist. She developed Loupe in 2016 as a visual complement to streaming music platforms, featured by Apple and reaching #1 Lifestyle app around the world. An internationally-recognized Apple Logic Pro consultant, music producer, Emmy Award-winning sound designer, author and stage demonstrator of Apple software, Dot formerly worked on Apple’s Worldwide Product Team introducing Apple product software techniques to A-list artists, engineers and their producers such as Maroon 5, The Killers, John Legend, One Republic, T. Pain and M.I.A. After Apple, she went on to author #1 Amazon best-selling books on Apple software and online courses for Lynda.com and consulted to iOS and Mac audio app companies. An electronic music producer herself with licenses to Sony PlayStation, NBC, VH1, CBS, and MTV, she serves on the Recording Academy’s National Advisory Council of the Producers & Engineering Wing. In her spare time, Dot writes science fiction.
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About Loupe: Pioneering service transforming how art is experienced; #1 Lifestyle app in 64 countries on AppleTV/Fire TV/Android/PlutoTV/Samsung/Comcast
Justin Wang
CEO of LARQ
Justin Wang serves as the Chief Executive Officer at LARQ.
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About LARQ: LARQ helps people access pristine drinking water easily and sustainably.
Allen Chen
CEO & Co-Founder of Fitbod
Allen is the Co-founder & CEO of Fitbod.
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About Fitbod: Fitbod allows users to maximize the use of indoor gym equipment and confidence to train effectively for strength.
Kevin Sloan
CEO of MeatEater
Kevin Sloan is the chief executive officer at MeatEater. Previously, Kevin has worked at Sitka Gear as a president for over ten years.
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About MeatEater: MeatEater is an outdoor lifestyle media and commerce company that provides content about the natural world.
Eric Grossberg
Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Brilliant Earth
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About Brilliant Earth: Brilliant Earth is a luxury jewelry company that offers ethically sourced jewelry.
Beth Gerstein
Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Brilliant Earth
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About Brilliant Earth: Brilliant Earth is a luxury jewelry company that offers ethically sourced jewelry.
Ryan Harwood
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of PureWow
Ryan Harwood is the CEO at Gallery Media Group.
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About Gallery Media Group, PureWow: PureWow is a digital media company that specializes in women’s lifestyle content, covering fashion, beauty, tech, recipes, health & more.
Richelieu Dennis
CEO & Founder of Sundial Brands
Sundial Brands founder and CEO Richelieu Dennis has a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation that traces back to his family’s roots in Africa and that is sustained by a vision to fill unmet consumer needs. This passion has resulted in the independent 26-year-old family-owned & operated manufacturing company’s success today as the maker of top hair, natural, bar soap and bath and body brands via its SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage lines, as well as its newest brands and forays into prestige beauty via its Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture hair care line and Nyakio skin care line.
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About Essence Ventures LLC, New Voices Fund, SheaMoisture, Sundial Brands: An Amityville, N.Y.-based maker of branded skin and hair products
Katherine Power
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Clique
Katherine Power is the Co-Founder and CEO of Clique Media Group (CMG), the parent media company of WhoWhatWear (fashion), MyDomaine (lifestyle) Byrdie (beauty) and Obsessee (new omni-channel platform, specifically targeted at Gen-Z). In 2006, Katherine left her editorial role at ELLE to launch Who What Wear with her co-founder, Hillary Kerr. The goal was to disrupt the DNA of the magazine industry with a simple idea: do it digitally. By bringing print magazine sensibilities to the online space, CMG was born to offer readers elevated and curated access to their core passions: fashion, beauty, home and shopping. At CMG, Katherine drives all business operations, advertising and brand partnerships, along with the development of branded technology products. Just within the last year, Katherine has led the charge on exciting new initiatives for CMG, which include announcing the brand’s first foray into product with the launch of the Who What Wear collection at Target, a Series B round of funding that Amazon participated in, international expansion to the UK and Australia, and the acquisition of Wantering, a Canadian startup and social shopping search engine. Additionally, a third co-authored book, The Career Code, which serves as the modern girl’s guide for creating your own professional success, came out in the spring of 2016. As a leader that constantly innovates about what readers and consumers might want next, Katherine and her CMG team are continuing to enhance their offerings and user experience for the new generation of consumers.
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About AVALINE, Clique, MERIT Beauty, Sonoma Brands, Versed, Who What Wear: Clique is a media and commerce company
Sean Connolly
President & CEO of Conagra Brands
Sean M. Connolly joined ConAgra Foods in April 2015 as president and chief executive officer. ConAgra Foods is one of North America’s leading packaged food companies with recognized brands such as Marie Callender’s®, Healthy Choice®, Slim Jim®, Hebrew National®, Orville Redenbacher’s®, Peter Pan®, Reddi-wip®, PAM®, Snack Pack®, Banquet®, Chef Boyardee®, Egg Beaters®, Hunt’s® and many others found in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet potato products as well as other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. Prior to joining ConAgra Foods, Sean was president and CEO of The Hillshire Brands Company from the time of its formation as an independent company in 2012 to its sale to Tyson Foods in August 2014. Prior to his Hillshire Brands leadership, Connolly was CEO for Sara Lee North American Retail and Foodservice, as well as president, Campbell Soup North America. He also managed numerous brands in the food and beverage division at Procter & Gamble. Sean has used his general management, marketing, and innovation skills to improve business performance across a diverse range of food and beverage categories and channels of trade, with a focus on innovation and disciplined execution. Sean earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University, and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
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About Conagra Brands: Conagra Brands is a packaged foods company.
Geoffroy van Raemdonck
CEO of Neiman Marcus Group
As a visionary retail transformation expert, Geoffroy van Raemdonck is enabling thoughtful and performance-driven business decisions at NMG, encouraging and fostering innovative thinking, and leading a strategy of integrated luxury retail across stores, e-Commerce, and remote selling. Geoffroy was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) in February 2018. During his tenure, he has turned the business trajectory positive, built a leadership team committed to digital excellence, and enhanced NMG’s unique ability to serve customers at the highest levels to drive new, global growth. He has woven in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards throughout the organization and fostered an inclusive culture at Neiman Marcus Group where everyone belongs. Early in his role at NMG, Geoffroy oversaw the management of MyTheresa, doubling its revenues which led to its successful initial public offering. In 2020, he led the company through a successful restructuring and debt-reduction plan, enabling investments in the company’s digitally-enabled future. Geoffroy has built a career driving performance improvements and digital growth platforms at several prominent luxury brands in Europe and the United States and is deeply passionate about the art and beauty of luxury fashion. Prior to NMG, Geoffroy served in leadership roles at Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton and was Chief Executive Officer of St. John Knits. Earlier in his career, he advised consumer and brand-driven companies at The Boston Consulting Group in the New York, Chicago, Paris, and Brussels offices and served in senior roles of increasing responsibility at L Brands. A native of Brussels, Geoffroy graduated summa cum laude from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium with a master’s in business and sciences. He later obtained an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1998.
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About Neiman Marcus Group: Neiman Marcus Group is a company that owns an apparel store that sells everything from shoes to shirts.
Mark Thomas Lynn
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of DSTLD
Mark T. Lynn co-founder @winc @dstld. Founder and CEO of @AMASS.botanics
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About AMASS Botanics, Digital Brands Group (DBG), DSTLD: DSTLD is a direct-to-consumer premium denim brand.
Jim Bankoff
Chairman & CEO of Vox Media
Jim Bankoff is the Chairman and CEO of Vox Media, the pioneering media company known for building modern media properties and the platforms that enable them. Vox Media’s editorial networks and businesses include SB Nation, Eater, The Verge, Vox, Curbed, Recode & Code Conferences, Polygon, Vox Creative, Concert, Chorus, Vox Entertainment, and the Vox Media Podcast Network. A veteran of the digital industry, he also developed and led dozens of the most notable digital brands including AOL, Mapquest, Moviefone, AOL Music and Engadget as an EVP at AOL. Bankoff co-founded TMZ.com, won an Emmy award for his production of the Live8 Concerts, and oversaw AOL’s industry-leading applications including AIM, ICQ, and Netscape. Bankoff has been named to Adweek’s Power List; The Hollywood Reporter’s 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media; The Washingtonian’s Tech Titans; Business Insider’s Silicon Alley 100; and The Guardian’s 100 Most Powerful People in Media.
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About The Verge, Vox Media: Vox Media is an operator of an online media publishing agency created to influence editorial properties and premium advertising.
Shashank P S
Founder & CEO of CasaOne
Shashank is the founder and CEO of CasaOne. Prior to CasaOne, he worked at Accel and Bessemer Venture Partners. He previously founded two companies in the e-commerce and marketing automation respectively.
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About CasaOne: CasaOne is an online store for furniture, decor, and home goods. Furniture is also available on rent in SF, LA and NY!
David Osborne
CEO of Virgin Pulse
David Osborne is a seasoned business technology leader with more than 20 years’ experience in global sales, operations, transformation planning, execution and M&A. He brings deep experience in operations, strategic growth, and executive management and a proven record of helping organizations successfully integrate, operationalize, and scale their businesses. As President and COO of Virgin Pulse, Dave is responsible for streamlining, optimizing, and scaling Virgin Pulse as the company continues its aggressive growth strategy and solidifies its position as the largest workplace wellbeing company in the world. A former NCAA Division I golfer, Dave has seen and experienced, firsthand, that investing in building healthy habits and skills pays significant dividends in driving performance and long term success, personally and professionally. He is a firm believer in Virgin Pulse’s ability to help organizations drive business outcomes that matter by empowering and supporting employees across all aspects of their personal and professional wellbeing. Prior to joining Virgin Pulse, Osborne was the COO at Drillinginfo, which provides data software to the oil and gas industry, where he was instrumental in developing the company’s operating model and product growth strategy. Prior to Drillinginfo, Osborne served as Managing Director of Vista Consulting Group, where he helped Vista portfolio companies develop strategies to drive growth and improve operations while accelerating business outcomes. During his tenure he helped acquire, transform, and integrate over 30 companies. Dave holds an an MBA from the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business and an undergraduate degree in Finance.
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About CaseWare, Virgin Pulse: Virgin Pulse, part of the famed Virgin Group, is passionate about inspiring and engaging employees to live better every day.
Lesley Eccles
Founder and CEO of HelloRelish
Lesley Eccles is the Founder and the Chief Executive Officer of HelloRelish. She is a serial entrepreneur and start-up advisor, now working on her third start-up, in the health and wellness space. She is co-founder of FanDuel, the fantasy sports company, and served as its Head of Marketing for 9 years.
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About HelloRelish: HelloRelish is a relationship wellness app that delivers personalized plan to rebuild your relationships.
Imran Khan
Co-Founder & CEO of Verishop
Imran Khan is the Chief Strategy Officer at Snapchat.
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About Verishop: Verishop is a premium lifestyle company that offers everyday luxury in fashion, beauty, home, and more.
Billy Hawkins
CEO & Co-founder of Arsenic
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About Arsenic, Narrate: Arsenic Magazine is a by-the-people, for-the-people, online lifestyle and culture magazine based in the Arts District.
Uri Minkoff
Co-Founder and CEO of Rebecca Minkoff
Uri Minkoff, a serial entrepreneur, is the chief executive officer and cofounder of Rebecca Minkoff, one of the fastest-growing brands in the fashion industry and the largest global fashion label led by a female millennial designer. Minkoff is well known as the most forward-thinking CEO in fashion, especially when it comes to the innovative use of new technologies and the omnichannel customer experience. Minkoff is the driving force behind what Morgan Stanley describes as the “stores of the future.” Minkoff founded the company in 2005 with his sister Rebecca and also serves as the creative director for the brand’s men’s line. As of today, Rebecca Minkoff is a full lifestyle brand distributing accessories and apparel in 900 wholesale doors, with retail locations in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and international retail stores in Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong. In 2015, the brand is on target for substantial YOY growth and expansion in international markets around the world.
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About Rebecca Minkoff, Rebecca Minkoff: Rebecca Minkoff is an online store that offers luxury handbags, accessories, footwear, and apparel.
Matt Randall
Co-Founder & CEO of Spot Insurance
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About Spot Insurance: Injury insurance designed to protect against unexpected medical expenses
Gregg Marks
Chief Executive Officer of The Kasper Group
Gregg I. Marks studied architecture for S years before setting his sights on the apparel industry. He began his career as a shipping clerk for a coat and suit company and quickly moved up the ranks, assuming various leadership roles in several companies before joining forces with Arthur Levine 1983. Together, Mr. Marks and Mr. Levine built Kasper into a major women’s apparel manufacturer along with other notable brands such as, Albert Nipon, Nolan Miller, Dynasty Collection and Le Suit. In 1999, they acquired The Anne Klein company. In 2001, Mr. Levine left the company to pursue other interests and Mr. Marks stayed on as CEO expanding the company’s market share, profitability and brand offerings. In 2003 The Jones Apparel Group acquired Kasper and Anne Klein. At this time, Mr. Marks remained as CEO and assumed additional responsibilities including managing Jones’ apparel brands (Jones New York, Nine West and Evan Picone) and overseeing all production and sourcing for The Jones Group. In 2014, Sycamore partners purchased The Jones Apparel Group. During the acquisition, Mr. Marks was asked to stay on to create The Kasper Group, running all apparel and the Kasper Retail Stores. Mr. Marks’ vision and leadership over the last 30 years has grown the many companies that now make up The Kasper Group into industry leading brands, grossing an annual volume of approximately $400 million dollars.
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About The Kasper Group: The Kasper Group offers Women Wardrobe solutions for Their Wear-to-Work and special Occasion Dressing Needs.
Ming S. Zhao
Chief Executive Officer of Proven Skincare
Ming S. Zhao is a Co-Founder and CEO at Proven Skincare. She is a former Head Of Partnerships at NerdWalled and Private Equity Investor at Bain Capital.
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About Proven Skincare: Proven Skincare develops skincare products intended to allow customers to design and personalize products that fit their lifestyles.
Madison Wickham
Founder, CEO of Grandex
Madison is a Co-Founder and CEO of the Austin-based media and commerce company Grandex Inc. Madison was born, raised, and currently lives in Austin, Texas.
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About Grandex: Commerce powered by original media
Guido Campello
Co-CEO – Creative Director of Cosabella
Born and raised in Miami, Guido Campello graduated from the industrial design program at Design and Architecture Senior High in 1999 and New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2003 with a degree in Urban Design & Planning. He commenced his design career in interior finishes and renderings at Pompei AD New York for retailers Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Free People and MTV. After moving to Japan in 2005 as part of the J.E.T.T. English teaching program he joined the Sales and Marketing team at a Japanese distribution company in Tokyo. Upon returning to New York in 2007, he became VP of Sales, Branding & Innovation at Cosabella and in 2010 partnered with his wife, Dr. Sapna Palep, to launch her private practice Spring Street Dermatology. In 2014 Guido Campello took over as Cosabella’s first CEO and in 2015 he was inducted into The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA). At Cosabella he manages all exclusive design collaborations with the likes of Paul & Joe, Erin Fetherston, Urban Outfitters, Barneys, Bergdorf, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Galleries Lafayette, Lane Crawford, Amazon, Shopbop, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Carmen Marc Valvo & Sex and the City. He also led the Creations of extension lines Cosabella Lusso, Cosabella Amore and Cosabella’s soon to be launched teenager brand.
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About Cosabella: Find the world’s best lingerie, panties, thongs, bras, sleepwear and more from luxury lingerie makers Cosabella.
Silvia Campello
President and Co-CEO, Operations of Cosabella
Silvia Campello is a President and Co-CEO, Operations at Cosabella.
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About Cosabella: Find the world’s best lingerie, panties, thongs, bras, sleepwear and more from luxury lingerie makers Cosabella.
Charles Bergh
President & CEO of Levi Strauss & Co.
Chip Bergh is the president & chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.). He is also on the company’s board of directors.LS&Co. is one of the world’s leading apparel companies with sales of approximately $5 billion and business in more than 110 countries. The company operates more than 2,800 retail stores and has more than 50,000 wholesale doors globally for its two main brands: Levi’s® and Dockers®. Prior to joining LS&Co. in September 2011, Bergh retired from Procter & Gamble (P&G) after a 28-year career. Bergh grew up in brand management and served in a number of leadership positions with progressively increasing levels of complexity and scope. His last assignment before joining LS&Co. was group president, global male grooming. He was the first P&G employee assigned to the Gillette business following P&G’s $57 billion acquisition of Gillette in 2005. He led the integration and then ran the Gillette Blades & Razors business along with all of P&G’s male grooming brands (Gillette, Old Spice and The Art of Shaving). Bergh is a strategic leader with a proven ability to build and grow brand powerhouses, bring new products to the market and develop innovative marketing campaigns. He was the driving force behind a number of successful product launches and multi-platform media campaigns, including the launch of Gillette Fusion and Fusion Pro-Glide, the revitalization and dramatic growth of the Old Spice brand, the revival of the Clean brand and the creation and test market launch of Swiffer – P&G’s most successful new brand in the last two decades. Bergh has lived and worked in Europe and Asia during his career and has run large, global brands and businesses. He is married to another former P&Ger, who is from China, and they have a six-year-old daughter. He also has two grown sons.Bergh has previously served on the board of directors for VF Corporation and the Economic Development Board of Singapore and was a member of the US-ASEAN Business Council.
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About HP, Levi Strauss & Co., Levi’s: Levi Strauss & Co. is a brand-name apparel company designs, markets, and sells jeans, casual and dress pants, jackets, skirts, and more.
Jeffrey Raider
Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Harry’s
As co-founder of both Harry’s and Warby Parker, Jeff Raider aims to build companies and brands that people like more. Harry’s ambition is to create exceptional shaving and personal care products that better meet the needs of modern men. Prior to Harry’s, Raider co-founded Warby Parker, the transformative lifestyle brand that offers designer eyewear at a revolutionary price while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. In May 2019, Harry’s Inc. announced a combination with Edgewell Personal Care to create a next-generation consumer products platform. Raider will serve as co-president of US operations at Edgewell upon the transaction closing.
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About Harry’s, Warby Parker: Harry is a developer of an online platform used to sell shaving equipment and accessories for men.
Andy Katz-Mayfield
Founder & Co-CEO of Harry’s
Andy Katz-Mayfield is co-founder and co-CEO of Harry’s. Prior to co-founding Harry’s, Andy worked at Brighter.com for business development and strategy position. He holds an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a BA degree in public policy from Duke University.
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About Harry’s: Harry is a developer of an online platform used to sell shaving equipment and accessories for men.
Rich Antoniello
CEO & Founder of Complex
Rich Antoniello joined the company as CEO in 2003 and quickly established Complex magazine into a profitable powerhouse known for delivering a sharp editorial blend of pop culture and style trends. Recognizing that consumers were increasingly migrating online for content, Antoniello oversaw the company’s expansion onto the web with the launch of Complex.com. In 2007, Antoniello formed Complex Media, Inc., a collective of 110 sites that forms a formidable hub for one of the most hard-to-reach demographics – young males – and one primed to make purchasing decisions.
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About Complex: Complex is an online magazine that features articles about music, styles, pop culture, sports, and sneakers.
Peter Platzer
Co-founder & CEO of Spire Global
Peter Platzer is the Chief Executive Officer of Spire Global, Inc. He cofounded the company in 2012 with a vision to provide satellite-powered data from any location on earth. Platzer is now regarded as one of the pioneers in launching small form factor satellites into space. He has been widely recognized for his visionary leadership and was named a White House Champion of Change in 2013. Platzer was also named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2015 in acknowledgement that Spire’s technology is poised to have a significant impact on business and society. Prior to launching Spire, Platzer trained at CERN and the Max Planck Institute before turning to business with the Boston Consulting Group in Germany, Singapore, and Thailand. Platzer spent nearly a decade on Wall Street as a quantitative trader before leaving finance in 2011 to focus on high frequency and high accuracy data in space. He advised on space commercialization at NASA Ames’ Space Portal while completing an MSS from the International Space University. Platzer co-created and launched CareerTeams at Harvard Business School and currently serves as a Career Coach for students and alumni. Platzer received an MS in Physics from the Technical University of Vienna and an MBA from Harvard, where he was a Baker scholar.
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About Harvard Business School, NASA Ames Research Center, Spire Global, The Boston Consulting Group, The Rohatyn Group: Spire Global is a space to cloud data analytics company utilizing satellites to provide maritime, aviation, and weather tracking.
Daniel Neukomm
Chairman & CEO of La Jolla Group
Daniel Neukomm is CEO of La Jolla Group, a $500M retail manufacturer and marketer. La Jolla Group is the parent company of and/or operating partner to active lifestyle apparel brands including O’Neill, Spiritual Gangster, Hang Ten, PSD, and others. Daniel is also a co-founder of Revelstone Capital, a consumer growth equity fund. Daniel is a board director of The Parent Co, (OTC: GRAMF), the largest cannabis company in California where he was a founding investor and operating partner. Daniel has been an entrepreneur and has an MBA from International School of Management (ISM) – Paris, and an undergrad from University of Vermont. D
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About La Jolla Group, O’Neill, Revelstone Capital: La Jolla Group is the world’s premier multi-brand apparel licensing company, with a portfolio of prominent.
Tom Patterson
Founder and CEO of Tommy John
Tom Patterson is the Founder and CEO of Tommy John. As a medical device salesman confined to a suit as he traveled from meeting to meeting, he couldn’t get through the day without his undershirts, underwear and socks bunching, pinching and sagging. Instead of getting his base layers in a bunch, he made it his mission to reinvent men’s underwear. With the support of his wife, Erin, a local tailor and a small team of designers, Tom re-imagined the fit, feel and function of man’s most fundamental layers. He built and patented new features from scratch. The result? Shirts that stay tucked, socks that stay up and underwear that keeps everything in place, whichever way a man moves.
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About Tommy John: Tommy John was born from the desire to fix men’s underwear. Smart design and fabrics mean no more yam-yanking.
Alex Glasscock
Founder/CEO of The Ranch Malibu
Alex Glasscock is the founder and CEO of The Ranch Malibu.
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About The Ranch Malibu: The Ranch Malibu is dedicated to creating a safe, secure, and sacred place to allow for personal awareness and life transformation.
Leslie H. Wexner
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of L brands
Mr. Leslie H. Wexner is Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer of L Brands, Inc., (formerly known as Limited Brands, Inc), since 1963. Mr. Wexner has been Chief Executive Officer of Limited Brands since he founded the Company in 1963, and Chairman of the Board for more than forty years. After graduating from The Ohio State University (OSU) and serving in the Air National Guard, he decided to work in his parents’ business. Throughout his career, Les has been committed to making a difference in the community and is one of the industry’s most generous philanthropists. He is a generous supporter of the United Way, and was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship for his commitment to the public.
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About L brands, L brands: L Brands is an international company that sells lingerie, personal care and beauty products, apparel and accessories.
Jeff Krahel
CEO & Co-Founder of Playbook
Founder at Fitner Media.
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About Playbook: Playbook is the #1 creator economy platform for talent in the fitness & athletic industry.
Jeff Krahel
Co-Founder & CEO of Playbook
Jeff Krahel is a Co-Founder and serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Playbook.
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About Playbook: Playbook is the #1 creator economy platform for talent in the fitness & athletic industry.
Moj Mahdara
CEO & Founder of BeautyCon
Moj Mahdara, CEO of Beautycon Media, is an entrepreneur in the entertainment, digital, and emerging technology spaces with a well-honed business development, marketing acumen and sharp insight into consumer behavior. She has been at the helm of three award winning global agencies and has been instrumental in the launch of a multitude of successful consumer brands. Prior to forming the agency, Made With Elastic (MWE), and becoming the CEO of Beautycon Media, Moj served as the CEO of Exopolis, a digital interactive studio. Moj grew the company from four to 100+ employees and developed a client list that included Apple and Microsoft. Under her leadership Exopolis executed the highly acclaimed “U2 Loves Blackberry” campaign and boasted annual gross revenue of more than $30M. After selling Exopolis at peak value, Moj founded MWE, which quickly became one of Los Angeles’ most sought-after teams to execute innovative digital and consumer campaigns. MWE’s global client roster includes/included: Levi’s®, HTC (AOR), Motorola (AOR) Lacoste, BMW, and segued Moj into her current Beautycon Media venture. Beautycon Media is THE global community of content creators, celebrities, fans, and brands that come together to celebrate all things fashion, beauty, style and the passion points of the Gen Z and Millennial lifestyle. The company successfully creates meaningful connections for these communities through an innovative three-pronged business strategy: Beautycon Festivals, Beautycon Box, and a robust editorial and social content offering. The goals of Beautycon Media, under Moj’s leadership, are to: redefine beauty, provide one-of-a-kind opportunities for brands to reach consumers, spotlight the influence of GenZ and challenge the status quo; all while creating a “style” destination for all. Under Moj’s leadership the company has expanded globally, made key executive hires, raised successful Angel investment funding, brought the Beautycon Box to market and partnered with the likes of Bethany Mota, CAA, AOL (Built By Girl), L’OREAL, Hearst Media, Jay Brown, Allen DeBevoise (Third Wave Partners), and more. As an Entrepreneur who is open-minded and always staying ahead of the curve, Moj ensures that the content and experiences that Beautycon Media creates and curates resonates with all diverse communities. Moj has also invested in businesses such as, Hello Giggles, in an effort to support other female entrepreneurs. She was included in both Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire Magazine’s “Top Female” Lists for 2015 and resides in Los Angeles with her partner. You can usually find her online.
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About BeautyCon: BeautyCon Media is a community for content creators, celebrities, fans, and brands to come together for all things beauty and fashion.
Andrew Dudum
Founder and CEO of Hims & Hers
Andrew is a Founder & CEO at Hims & Hers. He is also a Cofounder and General Partner at Atomic, a venture-builder in San Francisco backed by Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen and many of the leading venture funds in the world. He is serial founder, active angel investor and advisor to over two dozen startups. Andrew graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in Management and Economics.
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About Atomic, Cherubic Ventures, Hims & Hers, LendforPeace.org, Paravision, Trumaker: Hims is a wellness brand that helps men and women get access to products for skin care, hair loss, and sexual health.
Bryan Goldberg
Founder and CEO of Bustle Digital Group
Bryan Goldberg is an entrepreneur in New York and San Francisco. He is the founder and CEO of Bustle.com. He previously founded Bleacher Report, and currently advises several startups.
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About Bustle Digital Group: Bustle Digital Group is a news, entertainment, lifestyle and fashion website that caters to women.
Mike Melby
Co-Founder and Co-CEO of FITLAB
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About ELECTRIC, FITLAB, FITLAB, FITLAB, Mayweather Boxing & Fitness, XPT: FitLab powers experiences that inspire you to move.
Thayer Sylvester
Co-Founder & CEO of Carve Designs
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About Carve Designs: A Mill Valley, Calif.-based apparel maker.
Anupam Tulsyan
Founder and CEO of Peachmode
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About Peachmode: High Quality Ethnic Wear at Affordable Price
Gaetano Crupi
Co-founder, CEO, and Board Member of Cabin
Gaetano Crupi is the Co-Founder and Board Member of Cabin Technologies.
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About Cabin, Prime Movers Lab: Cabin is the first hospitality transportation company on a mission to make the most of every waking and sleeping moment.
Greg Selkoe
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of XSET
Greg Selkoe currently works as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at XSET.
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About HuffPost, PLNDR.com, XSET: XSET is an Esports Company that organizes popular titles such as Call of Duty, Valorant, and Fortnite.
Bob Messerschmidt
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Cor
Bob’s career spans more than 25 years in the field of instrumentation for spectroscopy. Bob was awarded the Williams-Wright Award in 1996 for outstanding contributions to infrared spectroscopy. He is the author or co-author of 12 articles and book chapters and co-editor of one book on infrared microspectroscopy, he holds 42 issued and pending US patents. He has made numerous conference and seminar presentations in the United States, Europe and Japan, and organized and chaired symposia in infrared spectroscopy. His interests include biomedical applications of spectroscopy, microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and other developing techniques. He is past president of the Coblentz Society, past president of the Rio Grande section of the SAS, a past-president of the Southwestern Connecticut section of the Optical Society of America, and a member of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy.
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About Cor: Lifestyle Science™ platform
Constantin (Tino) Dietrich
CEO & Co-Founder of Ella Paradis Inc.
Constantin (Tino) Dietrich Entrepreneur, technology addict and international marketing expert Tino Dietrich has more than 22 years of experience working as an entrepreneur in international business. He has an established track record of substantially increasing efficiency and competitiveness through the internationalization of business operations. He also has a successful record of achievement in performing innovative work as well as in founding new companies and internationalizing their operations. Tino has successfully worked in various fields, industries and countries worldwide. Over the last 8 years, he firmly established himself as a leading expert in the digital media industry. He was one of the early stage investors of Avid Life Media, a social entertainment company. He joined the company’s executive team and played a critical role in its international role-out and operations from 2007 to 2011. His most recent venture is Ella Paradis Inc. Tino co-founded Ella Paradis Inc. in September 2015 and currently serves as the company’s Chairman and CEO. Ella Paradis (ellaparadis.com) is a premium lifestyle online shopping destination for sensual and sexual wellness products such as lingerie, accessories and love toys. Targeted towards modern women and couples, ellaparadis.com creates an unpralleled shopping experience by offering high quality and luxury brands and products complimented with unique, evocative content. All presented in a female-friendly, beautifully designed, taboo-free and fashionable way. Ella Paradis offers the everyday affordable luxury you deserve. Other roles include Tino’s position as Chairman of Lakefield Media Holding AG, an innovative Swiss digital media Group between March 2012 and November 2015. From mid-2013 until September 2015, Tino was Director and CEO of QUINT Media Inc., a US publicly traded digital media company based in Palm Beach, FL, USA. In early 2015, Tino became managing partner of Miami, FL, based INDUSTA LLC. The company was established as the latest part of the family owned INDUSTA group of companies. The group started its activities in Europe in 1971 and has extended its activities into various industries such as Investments, Real Estate, Shipping and Trading as well as expanded into various global markets. INDUSTA LLC. focuses on technology related projects and is partnering with companies in various verticals such as Digital Media and Entertainment, Ecommerce, Information Technology and Communications. Tino has a B.Sc. degree in Business Administration with a focus on International Marketing and Management from UC of Syracuse University, NY, USA.
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About Ella Paradis Inc., FODCO GmbH, INDUSTA LLC: Ella Paradis is an eCommerce startup company positioning itself to become the market leader in the sexual wellness market.
Fred Helou
Founder & CEO of Vagaro
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About Vagaro: Vagaro is an online platform that allows its users to find salons and spas in their local area and make appointments online.
Meaghan Rose
Founder & CEO of Rocksbox
Meaghan started Rocksbox by lending pieces from her own personal jewelry collection, and quickly saw a need amongst women to simplify the jewelry shopping process. Before Rocksbox, Meaghan was a consultant with McKinsey & Co, and Bain & Co, leading product innovation and social media strategy for some of the largest consumer and retail brands around the world. Meaghan holds a BS in Economics from George Mason, an MS in Economics from Johns Hopkins, and an MBA from the Wharton School.
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About Rocksbox: Rocksbox is a jewelry membership service transforming the way women discover and buy jewelry.
Matthew Haag
Founder & CEO of 100 Thieves
Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag is the Founder & CEO of 100 Thieves, a gaming lifestyle organization that competes in top professional esports including League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. Matt leads the company’s creative, brand, and strategic direction, while also sitting on the company’s Board of Directors. Prior to founding 100 Thieves, Matt was one of the most decorated esports athletes in video game history. Originally a Call of Duty competitor, from 2011 – 2015 Matt was captain of the OpTic Gaming team, which he led to both an X Games Gold Medal and a Call of Duty World Championship. In 2014, Matt was named Esports Athlete of the Year. After retiring from competitive play, Matt built some of the most popular gaming channels on Twitch and YouTube, and was named Forbes 30 under 30 for his success as an entrepreneur and content creator. In 2017, Matt founded 100 Thieves as a creative outlet for his passions in competitive gaming, storytelling, and streetwear. Matt grew up in Chicago, Illinois where he attended college and was working at McDonald’s before leaving both to pursue his career as a professional gamer. His biggest inspiration came from his father who taught him that nothing in life comes easy, contributing to 100 Thieves’ motto: “Take What’s Not Given.” Matt is based in Los Angeles and can be found online @Nadeshot.
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About 100 Thieves: 100 Thieves is an American e-sports, lifestyle, and apparel brand.
Eugenia Kuyda
Co-Founder & CEO of Luka (dba Replika)
Eugenia Kuyda, co-founder of the AI startup Luka, memorial bots are ‘the future.’
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About Luka (dba Replika): Luka is a software development company based in San Francisco, California
David Heath
CEO & Co-Founder of Bombas
Dave Heath is a Founder at Bombas.
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About Bombas: Bombas is a comfort-focused apparel brand with a mission to help those in need. One Purchased = One Donated.
Ben Lerer
Co-Founder and CEO of Thrillist Media Group
Ben Lerer is the co-founder & CEO of Thrillist Media Group, overseeing the growth of the company from a niche email newsletter to a disruptive media company, leading the charge in mingling content and commerce. Lerer was among Ernst & Young’s 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winners, Vanity Fair’s Next Establishments, Crain’s 40 under 40, Forbes list of Most Powerful CEOs Under 40, AdWeek’s Young Influentials, Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 5 Entrepreneurs of the Year, and Silicon Alley Insider’s 100 Coolest People in Tech for six years running. Ben is also the Managing Director of Lerer Ventures, New York’s most active early-stage technology fund. He chairs the Board of Directors for the East River Development Alliance, a New York non-profit organization, and is an Associate Member of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS). Lerer is an active mentor for NYC Venture Fellows, TechStars, and Enstitute.
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About Lerer Hippeau, Thrillist Media Group: Thrillist Media Group is obsessed with helping guys live fun lives and reaches over 9 million of them across the globe, every single day.
Evan Richardson
Founder and CEO of Form Health
Evan founded Form Health with the mission of making modern medical weight loss available for everyone. He was previously part of the founding management team at Grand Rounds, a telemedical concierge and primary care practice that helps patients get access to the highest quality, most appropriate healthcare. Prior to Grand Rounds, Evan was an early employee at Castlight Health, a pioneer in the healthcare price transparency space. Evan is a member of the board of directors at Bicycle Health, the national leader in delivering medication assisted therapy to people with opioid dependency. He received a BA with honors at Dartmouth College, and an MBA with honors from the Harvard Business School.
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About Form Health: Form Health is a telemedical weight loss company that focuses on individuals dealing with obesity.
Bianca Gates
CEO & Co-Founder of Birdies
Bianca Gates is the slipper obsessed CEO and Co-Founder of Birdies, the company that is disrupting the slipper market and creating a new category of footwear. Prior to Birdies, Bianca was a Sales Executive at Facebook/Instagram leading retail partnerships. During her time at Facebook, Bianca launched the first Lean In Circle with Sheryl Sandberg and is passionate about bringing women together to support each-others dreams. Bianca is a graduate from the University of California at Irvine and lives in San Francisco with her husband and two kids.
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About Birdies: Direct-to-consumer brand that designs stylish flats that feel like slippers thanks to their exclusive cloud-like comfort technology.
Michael Barlow
Co-Founder & CEO of Fernish
Michael L. Barlow is the Co-Founder of Fernish. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of Atom Tickets.
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About Fernish: Fernish is a furniture rental startup company that offers furniture as a subscription model to consumers living a mobile lifestyle.
Bobby Farahi
CEO & Founder of Dolls Kill
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About Dolls Kill: Dollskill is a website showcasing various fashion designs of women’s clothing.
Nils Johnson
Co-founder,CEO & Chief Merchant of Beautylish
Nils Johnson is the founder of Beautylish. Previously he was the founder of Gorilla Mobile.
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About Beautylish: Beautylish is a social commerce website for the cosmetic industry that enables users to share beauty-related content with other users.
Joseph Heller
CEO and Founder of The/Studio
Joseph Heller is the CEO and founder of The/Studio.
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About The/Studio: The/Studio is an on-demand product creation and manufacturing platform for businesses to easily bring products to market.
Jigar Shah
Founder & CEO of Miles
Jigar Shah is the Founder & CEO of Miles. Formerly he was a Senior Product Manager & Technical Leader at Cisco with P&L responsibilities over $750M.
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About Miles: Miles is a startup that offers rewards for traveling, regardless of the mode of transportation.
Isaac Scharf
Founder & CEO of Pillow Guy
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About Pillow Guy: Pillow Guy is bringing lifestyle fashion into the “Man’s Home” starting with our line of luxury bedding
Justin Mast
Founder and CEO of Bloomscape
Justin Mast is the founder and CEO of Bloomscape. Prior to joining Bloomscape,Justin spent more than three years with MACC Development as a board member.
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About Bloomscape: Bloomscape is an online plant shopping platform that offers home ready plants and tools for plant care.
Sascha Mornell
Co-Founder & CEO of GetMyBoat
Sascha Mornell is a serial entrepreneur. He is the Co-Founder of GetMyBoat, ZigAir, and Phacil. Previously, he worked for register.com, where he served as SVP of Sales & Marketing. Mr. Mornell also worked at the National Basketball Association and Dreyer’s, Japan in Tokyo. Mr. Mornell has served as an advisor/investor to several small businesses, including Osmio (acquired by Aramark), Markmonitor, AW Media and others. Mr. Mornell graduated cum laude from UC Berkeley and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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About GetMyBoat, SaraGEO, ZigAir: GetMyBoat is the marketplace for boat rentals, yacht charters, and on-the-water experiences.
Seth Richards
CEO of Implus
Seth Richards is Chief Executive Officer of Implus. Seth manages the overall operations, finance, and product development efforts of Implus. Seth was appointed to the position of CEO in February 2000. Since joining the company in 1990, Seth has gained valuable experience in product development, vendor relations, sales, customer service, shipping, manufacturing, inventory, and production management. Seth holds a B.S. degree in Operations Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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About Implus: Implus has evolved to become an innovative manufacturer of consumer goods and accessories.
Greg Davidson
CEO & Co-Founder of Lalo
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About Lalo: Lalo is a modern baby and toddler brand built for today’s families.
Felipe Diz
Co-Founder & CEO of Zee.Dog
Felipe Diz is a Co-Founder and CEO at Zee.Dog
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About Zee.Dog: Zee.Dog is a lifestyle brand connecting dogs and people by providing premium and design-oriented pet products.
Brendan Alper
Founder & CEO of Hater
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About Hater: Hater is a dating app that matches people based on the things they hate.
John Wilson
Co-Founder & CEO of Stance
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About Stance: Stance is a designer and manufacturer of socks for men, women, and kids.
Lindsey Taylor Wood
Founder, CEO & GP of The Helm
Lindsey Taylor Wood is the Founder, CEO & GP at The Helm.
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About The Helm, The Helm: The Helm is an early-stage venture firm investing in game-changing companies founded by women through our fund and investor membership.
Kenneth Lowe
President , Chief Executive Officer & Founder of Scripps Networks
Ken Lowe is Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Scripps Networks Interactive, a leading lifestyle media provider for television, the Internet and other media platforms. Previously, he was President and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company from 2000 until 2008, when Scripps Networks Interactive became a separate, publicly traded company. Prior to 2000, Lowe was Chairman and CEO of Knoxville-based Scripps Networks. He built the company into one of the nation’s fastest growing and most successful creators of unique brands for television and the Internet. He founded and launched HGTV in 1994; oversaw the acquisition and transformation of the Food Network into an American pop culture icon; presided over the launches of the DIY Network and the Cooking Channel as well as the acquisitions of the Travel Channel in 2009 and Great American Country television network in 2004. Lowe also guided the development of the company’s growing portfolio of interactive content services in the food and home lifestyle categories. Lowe joined the E.W. Scripps Company in 1980 as General Manager of the company’s radio properties. In 1988, he became Vice President of Programming, Promotion and Marketing for the company’s nine network-affiliated television stations. Lowe began his career in radio with Southern Broadcasting in 1969 and continued with various management positions in radio and television with Harte-Hanks Broadcasting in the late 1970s. Lowe serves on the Board of Directors for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, The Paley Center for Media and The Cable Center. In the past he served on the Cincinnati Business Committee and Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation.
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About Scripps Networks: Scripps Networks Interactive develops lifestyle content for TV, internet satellite radio, books, magazines, and other media platforms.
Sam Ben Avraham
Founder & CEO of Liberty Fairs
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About Liberty Fairs: Liberty Fairs, the newest brainchild of Sam Ben-Avraham ushers in a new era in fashion trade events.
Philip Krim
Co-Founder, CEO of Casper
As CEO, Philip leads Casper’s comprehensive business strategy, expansion, and vision for the future. Working with the company’s four other co-founders, Philip drives Casper’s goal of becoming the first end-to-end sleep brand. Philip and Casper’s co-founders recognized a paradox in 2014 — a generation of entrepreneurs and working professionals who were placing increasing value on their health and fitness were neglecting sleep. Casper is now reimagining the sleep industry from the ground up. A serial entrepreneur, Philip has founded and served as CEO at two previous startups, where he focused on new and evolving consumer and ecommerce trends. He launched his very first business out of his dorm room at the University of Texas, Austin. Philip’s work has been profiled in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and he has been featured on CBS This Morning, Mad Money with Jim Cramer, and Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN. He was named one of Business Insider’s Silicon Alley 100 and received a TechCrunch Crunchie award for Best in ECommerce
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About Casper: Casper is a sleep startup that launches a comfortable mattress sold directly to consumers, eliminating commission-driven inflated prices.
Travis Grillo
Co-Founder and CEO of Grillo’s Pickles
Travis Grillo is the CEO and founder of Grillo’s Pickles, an all-natural pickle company based in Cambridge, MA. He started Grillo’s in 2008 by taking the 100 year old family pickle recipe and packing jars to sell out of the trunk of his car. In just five short years, Travis has grown the business from a pickle cart in Boston Common to a fully distributed pickled food company that is stocked in over 50 whole foods stores and its own specialty retail space in Cambridge, MA.
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About Grillo’s Pickles: Grillo’s Pickles is a pickle store.
Harvey Hernandez
Co-Founder CEO of Niido
Harvey Hernandez, founder of Newgard Development Group, currently serves as the firm’s Chairman & CEO. Fueled by his innate creativity and armed with a diehard entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Hernandez first began his involvement in real estate development during the 1990’s as a hands-on investor in the rapidly expanding Miami market. Hernandez had first come to the real estate field following a successful foray as a self-made business owner who built a computer company from the ground up in the early 1990s. The company later sold for approximately $40 million, which became the initial capital that would eventually become the $260 million dollar multifamily development firm, H&H Development Company. H&H Development specialized in luxury high-rise residential condominiums. After launching in 2001, only a short two-year time period passed before H&H Development. amassed an impressive portfolio of 2.4 million square feet of active developments. The success of H&H Development Co. was a pivotal catalyst to Mr. Hernandez’s career, laying the groundwork for his future endeavors and giving him the necessary momentum to launch Newgard Development Group. Today, Mr. Hernandez lends his direct personal involvement and commitment towards leading the dynamic development firm, known for creating and marketing unique condominium and mixed use projects defined by both high quality finishes and quick turn-around times.
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About Hostiing, Newgard Development Group, Niido: Niido, in partnership with Airbnb, is creating a new category of multifamily housing for enhanced flexible living and homesharing.
Polina Veksler
Co-Founder and CEO of Universal Standard
Polina Veksler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Universal Standard, a brand she started with her business partner to help disrupt the apparel industry by taking size out of the equation and laying the groundwork for the future of fashion to include women of all sizes. Polina creates and steers the company strategy and oversees everything from operations, communicating the brand’s vision to key stakeholders, raising investment capital, and expanding the brand’s rapid growth trajectory. Polina founded the company with friend, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Alexandra Waldman. Polina’s experience encompases multiple roles as a senior executive at major financial and technology firms including Senior Strategy Manager at Microsoft, Private Equity Investment Director at an international emerging-markets investment firm, and Vice President of Investment Banking at Russia’s largest holding company.
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About Universal Standard: Universal Standard is a operator of an online platform to break the fashion stereotypes and provide women’s clothing.
Mark Faggiano
CEO of TaxJar
Building products that make life easier for small businesses.
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About Brand5, TaxJar: TaxJar is the leading technology solution for busy eCommerce sellers to manage sales tax. We’re 100% remote.
Ryan vesler
founder & CEO of Homage
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About Homage: HOMAGE turns back the clock with shout outs to eclectic moments
Shimmie Horn
Owner, President & Chief Executive Officer of Triumph Hotels
SHIMMIE HORN, President and CEO of Triumph Hospitality
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About Triumph Hotels: Triumph Hotels operates seven small luxury NYC hotels, owned by Shimmie Horn.
Erin Carpenter
Founder & CEO of Nude Barre
Erin Carpenter CEO/Founder Professional Dancer turns frustration to solution. I truly have been fortunate to pursue my passions of performance arts and entertainment. As a teenager I trained with Dance Theater of Harlem and Alvin Ailey. As a college student, I majored in Ballet and minored in Business Management at the prestigious Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. Finally as a young adult, I gained professional experience as a model, commercial actress, and Knicks City Dancer. Ten years of experience in the entertainment industry has afforded me an acute understanding of the needs and demands that performers face throughout their careers. Interestingly, one reoccurring challenge was the need for proper undergarments. Two qualities that entertainers look for when purchasing products are transparency and skin color match. Of the two, certain brands offer transparency, while color matching remains in high demand.
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About Nude Barre: Nude Barre Durable enough for active women & stylish enough for everyday fashion.
Iskra Tsenkova
Co-Founder & CEO of Angel Shave Club
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About Angel Shave Club: First Online Boutique Shave Club for Women!
Joe Cloyes
Co-Founder & CEO of Youth To The People
Founder & CEO at Youth To The People.
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About Youth To The People: Youth To The People is a provider of skincare products that helps to replenish and renew tired skin.
Jason Yim
Executive Creative Director and CEO of Trigger Global
Jason Yim is the President and Executive Creative Director of Trigger Global Inc, a digital agency with offices in Los Angeles, Shanghai, and a new satellite opening in Denmark. As the showcase developer for Qualcomm’s Vuforia, Trigger has lead the AR campaigns for: Nike, McDonalds, the Amazing Spider-man movie franchise, the Hunger Games franchise and the upcoming Star Wars movie. Yim spent the first 3 months of 2015 embedded at LEGO headquarters exploring the future of digital and physical play. Their partnership has extended over 3 years with Trigger developing prototypes and apps for various LEGO products into 2017 and beyond. Later that year, Yim returned to his childhood home to speak at TEDx Hong Kong on “Computer Vision bringing Toys to Life”. (See link below) Yim’s latest endeavour is a collaboration with Weta Workshop (Designers of Lord of the Rings and Avatar) to create a patent-pending, tabletop AR battle game.
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About Trigger Global: Trigger invents and delivers mixed reality experiences that connect people to brands, products and entertainment in meaningful ways.
Elizabeth Gazda
CEO of Embr Labs
Elizabeth has extensive experience in the commercialization of emerging technologies. She worked for Philips Electronics in Holland in the 1990s; upon returning to the USA, she held senior management positions with technology front-runners such as ATG, m-Qube (Verisign), and was a founding team member of both Ansible Mobile (IPG) and Noteflight (exit to Hal Leonard). Elizabeth is currently the CEO of Embr Labs.
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About Embr Labs: Embr Labs is a thermal wellness technology company that harnesses the body’s natural response to temperature to enhance human wellbeing.
Scott Mitchell
Chief Executive Officer of Simply Organic
Scott Mitchell has played a key leadership role in innovative technology and Internet based businesses for over a decade and now is the President and CEO of Affluence Corporation, a publicly traded international online media company focused on the Affluent and ultra luxury market segment. Prior to founding Affluence Corp., Scott Mitchell was most recently the President, CEO, and Director of Kowabunga (AMEX:KOW) an international leader in online advertising where he funded and completed more than a dozen acquisitions and integrated them into a comprehensive online advertising and marketing services company. Scott began his career as a technology consultant for Arthur Andersen, LLP where he helped guide Fortune 100 companies through the Internet and technology boom of the 1990s. Scott went on from Arthur Andersen to Tunes.com, where he launched RollingStone.com, TheSource.com, and DownBeatJazz.com developing Tunes.com to become the Internet’s leading music destination network. After Tunes.com sale in 1999 to publicly traded EMusic.com for $180 million, Scott began working with Barry Diller’s Interactive Corporation and launched HSN.com, the online presence for Home Shopping Network. In less than two years, HSN.com grew from nothing into one of Interactives fastest growing and most profitable web properties. In 2002, Scott Mitchell focused his attention on building his own online business which he merged with CGI Holding Corporation in August of 2004. From August of 2004 until May 2005 Scott helped raise $97 Million in debt and equity and closed 15 acquisitions to create what is now Think Partnership d/b/a Kowabunga!(AMEX:KOW). Scott served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Think Partnership until he resigned in May of 2008 to start Affluence Corporation where he is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer and is focused on the development and implementation of technologies and principles aimed at aggregating the largest multimedia platform networking wealthy and affluent people around the world. Scott Mitchell has a Bachelor of Science degrees in Economics and Psychology from Illinois State University in Normal, IL as well as a Master Degrees In Business Administration, Computer Science, and Management and Organizational Development from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL
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About Simply Organic: Simply Organic provides luxurious salon services through our exclusive collection of natural and organic professional salon products.
Abigail Stone
Co-Founder & CEO of Otherland
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About Otherland: Otherland is a digitally-native candle brand that transforms your home into an expressive world.
Andy Person
Co-Founder and CEO of BABOON TO THE MOON
Co-Founder and CEO
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About BABOON TO THE MOON: BABOON is a manufacturing that provides highest-grade materials for adventure essentials.
Daniel Blake Saltman
CEO of The Hunt
Dan is a serial entrepreneur and Product Manager with a focus of web applications and SaaS. Recent Techcrunch posts about Dan: * [Workface Acquires My Favorite Online Business Card Creation Service, Card.ly](http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/01/workface-cardly/) * [TinyChat Jumps To 1 Million Users, Adds Broadcast Feature And Facebook Chat](http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/20/tinychat-stats/) * [Tinychat Boasts 500 Million Minutes Of Usage And 300,000 New Users Per Month](http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/28/tinychat/) * [Tinychat Launches Twitter Chatrooms](http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/05/tinychat-launches-twitter-chatrooms/) * [Plank.ly Blends Social Q&A, Videos, And Voting](http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/14/plank-ly-blends-social-qa-videos-and-voting/) * [TinyChat Launches Grouped Version Of Chatroulette](http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/16/tinychat-launches-grouped-version-of-chatroulette/) * [TinyChat Upgrade Brings Etherpad, Whiteboard And YouTube Integrations](http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/02/05/tinychat-upgrade-brings-etherpad-whiteboard-and-youtube-integrations/) * [Congratulations Crunchies Winners!](http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/01/08/crunchies-winner/) * [Tinychat Launches Live Video Streaming Portal To Take On Ustream And Stickam](http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/16/tinychat-launches-live-video-streaming-portal-to-take-on-ustream-and-stickam/) * [Tinychat Gets A New Look, Adds Facebook Connect, Sees Early Traction](http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/16/tinychat-gets-a-new-look-adds-facebook-connect-sees-early-traction/) * [Skype Sniffing Around Web Chat Startups](http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/17/skype-sniffing-around-web-chat-startups/) * [Card.ly Lets You Create Cool Online Business Cards In A Matter Of Minutes](http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/20/cardly-lets-you-create-cool-online-business-cards-in-a-matter-of-minutes/) * [TinyPetition Aims To Become The Default Petition Engine For Twitter](http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/18/tinypetition-aims-to-become-the-default-petition-engine-for-twitter/) * [TinyChat Adds Video Conferencing](http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/27/virtual-chat-room-tinychat-adds-video-conferencing-and-screen-sharing/) * [Tinychat makes chatting a breeze](http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/02/18/tinychat-makes-creating-disposable-chat-rooms-a-breeze/) * [Tinypaste is the TinyURL of text](http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/26/tinypaste-like-tinyurlfor-text/) * [FirewallScript Provides PHP Protection](http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/24/firewallscript-provides-php-based-protection/) * [ControlC CopyPaste Service](http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/01/29/controlc-turning-cut-paste-into-a-web-service/)
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About Everyday Carry, The Hunt: The Hunt provides a community-driven shopping experience that helps consumers find and purchase items.
Matt Taylor
Co-Founder, CEO of Tracksmith
Matt Taylor is the Co-founder and CEO at Tracksmith
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About Tracksmith: Tracksmith is an American sports apparel brand that produces clothes for performance athletes.
Victor Chapela
Co-founder & CEO of Suggestic
Victor Chapela has over 25 years of IT experience and entrepreneurship. During this time, he has founded and led 6 technology companies in the United States and Mexico. As the founder and CEO of these companies he has mainly been involved in the design and development of software products and specialized services for the financial industry and large corporations. His latest companies: Sm4rt Security Services and Sm4rt Predictive Systems were both acquired in 2014. Mr. Chapela is an active angel investor and mentor in the Silicon Valley area. His main expertise lies within the area of information security, risk modeling, predictive analytics and machine learning. He is co-author and contributor of courseware, study material and papers for SANS, OWASP, ISACA, Springer and several other organizations and media companies. He is a frequent speaker at international events and is frequently featured in business and trade magazines, television and radio.
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About Suggestic: Suggestic operates as a personalized nutrition platform that utilizes AI to deliver food recommendations.
Robin Moraetes
CEO of DreamDry
Robin Moraetes spent 17 years at Creative Artists Agency as a senior executive growing global brands through innovative marketing initiatives. She has consulted for some of the world’s most prestigious companies, including Moët & Chandon, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Coca-Cola, Bliss Spa, Dell, Chipotle and Abercrombie & Fitch. Her business development experience, entrepreneurial spirit, passion for fashion, and love of a great blowout led her to co-found DreamDry with leading stylist Rachel Zoe. As CEO of DreamDry, Robin oversees all elements of the salon experience ranging from the branding, design and technology to the unrivaled personalized customer experience.
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About DreamDry: At DreamDry, we believe that every day should be glamorous. And it all starts with your hair.
Beatrice Fischel-Bock
CEO & Co-founder of Hutch Interiors
Beatrice Fischel-Bock is the CEO and Co-Founder of Hutch, the home decor tool that mixes 3D technology with online shopping to let you virtually decorate your space. Beatrice launched Hutch (formerly known as ZOOM Interiors and Homee) in 2012 during her final year at George Washington University after coming to the realization that interior design was an untapped resource in the technology sector. She soon began virtually designing her friend’s apartments – earning $1 million in revenue, while still in school. Shortly following graduation, she appeared on Shark Tank to pitch the concept and piqued the interest of Tinder Founder Sean Rad, who helped raise $2.2 million in pre-seed funding. Immediately following that round, she raised an additional $5 million in funding in a seed round led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Her 2016 TEDx talk focused on how to fail fast, fix fast and learn fast, a mantra that has carried her through the trenches of the startup world. In July of 2017, she closed a Series A funding round for $10 million from real estate platform Zillow. Beatrice was named 2018’s Forbes 30 Under 30 for Retail & E-Commerce.
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About Hutch Interiors: Hutch Interiors is a mobile app that transforms spaces from before to after, faster than ever.
Robert Nathanson
Chief Executive Officer of Palmia
Robert Nathanson is a visionary and marketing guru while having a track record in long term market strategies and building high-performance executive teams. Robert has lead sophisticated platforms with product and service organizations with large market penetrations. From being a Doctor to an Entrepreneur, Robert focuses on operational excellence while planning and delivering growth strategies designed to improve market share. He earned a dual Bachelors of Science in Business Administration at the University of San Francisco and a Doctorate in Chiropractic. Robert is a strategic visionary while his grocery and restaurant/bar relationships are the forefront of his present business relationships.
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About OpenTreatment, Palmia: Palmia is made with the highest quality ingredients and delivers the taste of summer.
Jen Rubio
Co-Founder and CEO of Away
Jen Rubio is the Co-Founder and CEO at Away.
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About Away: Away is a modern travel and lifestyle brand designed with thoughtful features that solve real travel problems
Julie Wainwright
Founder & CEO of The RealReal
Julie Wainwright is transforming the luxury resale marketplace and buying habits of luxury shoppers through The RealReal, the premier online luxury consignment site. Julie was an e-commerce pioneer as CEO of Reel.com in 1997 and Pets.com in 1999. In 2014 she was named one of Tech Crunches “40 Over 40” Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and was recognized by The San Francisco Business Times as one of the most admired CEOs of the year. In 2013 she was recognized as a top female entrepreneur by the San Francisco Business Times and received the FashInvest Innovation Award.
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About The RealReal: The RealReal is an online marketplace for authenticated and consigned luxury goods.
Gideon Yu
CEO & Co-Founder of EVA Automation
Gideon is currently a General Partner at [Khosla Ventures](/financial-organization/khosla-ventures). Previously, Gideon was the Chief Financial Officer of [Facebook](/organization/facebook), where he led the $375 million investment round from [Microsoft](/organization/microsoft) and Hong-Kong billionaire [Li Ka Shing](/person/li-ka-shing) at a record $15 billion valuation. Before that, Gideon was a Partner at [Sequoia Capital](/financial-organization/sequoia-capital), and was also the Chief Financial Officer at [YouTube](/organization/youtube) where he negotiated its $1.65 billion sale to [Google](/organization/google) amidst a highly competitive auction for the company. Prior to YouTube, Gideon was the Treasurer and Senior Vice President of Finance for [Yahoo](/organization/yahoo), executing over 30 acquisitions / investments, including Shimon, Alibaba / Taobao, Overture, Haber, Inktomi, [Flickr](/organization/flickr), and del.icio.us and over $5 billion of capital markets transactions, including $750 million in zero coupon / zero yield convertible notes – Yahoo’s first financing since its IPO. Prior to Yahoo, Gideon was the Chief Financial Officer of Haber Software (acquired by NeuStar, NYSE: NSR) and held positions at Disney, Shimon, Hilton, and DLJ / CSFB. Gideon graduated from Stanford University majoring in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. Gideon is also very active philanthropically, likes art, movies, fast cars. Currently serves on the Board of Directors of the UCSF Medical Foundation.
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About Cloudera, EVA Automation, San Francisco 49ers: EVA Automation is a Silicon Valley-based startup that reimages audio and video experiences.
Kosta N. Kartsotis
CEO of Fossil
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About Fossil: Fossil is an American watch and lifestyle company that is creatively rooted in authentic vintage and classic design.
Jed Kleckner
CEO of delivery.com
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About delivery.com: delivery.com offers an online platform that enables its users to connect and buy from restaurants, groceries, liquor stores, and more.
