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 Founder operating in the Lifestyle space. If you think a Founder 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.
Brian Sugar
Founder of POPSUGAR
Brian Sugar is the President at Group Nine Media.
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About Group Nine Media, POPSUGAR, Sugar Capital: PopSugar is an online network of websites that offers updates, trends, and tips in entertainment, fashion, parenting, fitness, and shopping.
Scott Galloway
Founder & Chairman of L2
Scott Galloway founded L2 after developing an algorithm to assess the digital competence of brands. Scott is a Clinical Professor at the NYU Stern School of Business where he teaches brand strategy and digital marketing. In 2012, Professor Galloway was named “One of the World’s 50 Best Business School Professors” by Poets & Quants. He is also the founder of Red Envelope and Prophet Brand Strategy. Scott was elected to the World Economic Forum’s Global Leaders of Tomorrow and has served on the boards of directors of Eddie Bauer (Nasdaq: EBHI), The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), Gateway Computer, and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He received a B.A. from UCLA and an M.B.A. from UC Berkeley.
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About L2: L2 is a digital innovation company providing research, curated events and targeted consulting engagements for brands.
John Legend
Co-Founder of Bungalow Clothing
John Legend is a nine-time Grammy Award winning recording artist, critically-acclaimed concert performer, philanthropist/social activist, and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. Legend’s debut album, Get Lifted (2004) sold more than three million copies worldwide and earned an astounding eight Grammy nominations with three wins for Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B album. Legend’s follow-up album, Once Again (2006) earned RIAA platinum certification and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. High off the success of his third consecutive Top 10 album, Evolver (2008), Legend embarked on an extensive world tour with an 11 piece band – his largest traveling show to date. Inspired by the monumental 2008 Presidential election, Legend teamed up with The Roots to release the socially conscious album, Wake Up! (2010.) The album was nominated for five Grammy Awards and won Best R&B Album, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B song (for “Shine”- an original composition also featured in Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim’s documentary film Waiting for Superman) along with two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Album and Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration. In 2007, Legend launched the Show Me Campaign, a nonprofit organization fighting poverty around the world. John also sits on the Boards of The Education Equality Project, Teach for America, and the Harlem Village Academies. Legend has been honored several times for his activism, including the 2010 BET Humanitarian of the Year award, the 2009 CARE Humanitarian Award for Global Change, and the 2009 Africare’s Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award. In early 2012, Legend released one of the hottest songs of his career, the RIAA gold-certified hit “Tonight (Best You’ve Ever Had),” which sat atop the Urban AC radio chart for six consecutive weeks. Legend recently released his fifth studio album Love in the Future, with executive producers Kanye West and Dave Tozer, and will embark on a North American tour this autumn.
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About Bungalow Clothing: Bungalow Clothing is an online retailer that offers a range of clothing items to its clients.
Tory Burch
Founder, Designer & Executive Chairman, Tory Burch of Tory Burch
Tory Burch is CEO and designer of Tory Burch, an American lifestyle brand. The collection, known for color, print and eclectic details, includes ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, accessories and beauty. Raised in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Tory graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in art history, then moved to New York to pursue a career in the fashion industry. She worked in public relations and marketing for some of the most influential American designers, including Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang and Narciso Rodriguez at Loewe. She launched Tory Burch in 2004 with a small boutique on Elizabeth Street in Manhattan, and since then the brand has grown into a global business with more than 120 freestanding stores, toryburch.com and a presence in more than 3,000 department and specialty stores. Tory Burch has been recognized with numerous awards, including the CFDA for Accessory Designer of the Year, Glamour’s Women of the Year, Forbes’s Most Powerful Women in the World and Vanity Fair’s International Best-Dressed List. A dedicated philanthropist, Tory launched the Tory Burch Foundation in 2009 to support the economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs and their families in the U.S. Through loans, mentorship and entrepreneurial education, the foundation invests in the success and sustainability of women-owned small businesses. In addition, Tory serves on the boards of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Startup America Partnership and the Barnes Foundation. She is also an inaugural member of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship. Tory lives in New York City with her three sons.
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About Tory Burch, Tory Burch Foundation: Tory Burch is an American lifestyle brand that embodies the personal style and sensibility of its CEO and designer, Tory Burch.
Lennie Sliwinski
Co-Founder of Trusted Health
Lennie Sliwinski is the co-founder and CEO of Trusted Health. Prior to co-founding Trusted Health, Lennie served as the director of marketing at Hired, Inc.
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About Trusted Health: Trusted Health is a labor marketplace for healthcare professionals.
Matt Pierce
Co-Founder of Trusted Health
Matt is a future of work thought leader who is passionate about the impact flexible workforce solutions can bring to the healthcare industry. As the President of Trusted Health, he is responsible for defining the vision and go-to-market strategy for the company. Prior to joining Trusted, Matt was a General Manager at tech talent marketplace Hired, where he oversaw product and go-to-market strategy for the company’s contingent worker division. Prior to that, he started his career at TEKsystems, the world’s largest provider of IT staffing. While there, Matt progressed from a technical recruiter to the company’s executive leadership program. In 2018, Matt was named one of Staffing Industry Analyst’s 40 Under 40. He is CCWP certified, served as a Board Member for the Risk Management Association, and advises organizations in the future of work category.
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About Trusted Health: Trusted Health is a labor marketplace for healthcare professionals.
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.
Ami James
Co-Founder of Tattoodo
Founder of tattoodo.
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About Tattoodo: Tattoodo is a content provider focused on the tattoo culture and lifestyle.
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.
Jonathan Loiacono
Co-Founder of Relevnt, Inc.
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About : 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
Robert C. Walker
Founder, Investor, and Board Member of LARQ
Robert C. Walker has 20 years experience in the LED and compound semiconductor world, particularly in Asia, and 6 years of venture capital experience. He was formerly a Partner at Sierra Ventures and CEO of BridgeLux. He has a Ph.D. in Physics from Caltech.
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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.
Jesse Venticinque
Co-Founder, Product Head 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.
John Reed
Co-Founder and Chairman of Arhaus
John Reed co-founded Arhaus, LLC and served as its Chief Executive Officer. He also serves as Chairman of Arhaus, LLC.
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About Arhaus: Arhaus is a premiere retail chain that designs, manufactures, and sells home furnishings both at retail locations and online.
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.
Tal Pink
Founder of Looksy
Tal Pink is an established entrepreneur with over 10 years experience in the internet and startups. One of the early employees of Israeli company ICQ (acquired by AOL), Tal went on to launch Tar Networks (a startup incubator), as well as [Fonogenic](http://www.fonogenic.com) (DRM free music store for independent artists). His latest project, [Dopetracks.com](http://www.dopetracks.com), brings his love of musical collaboration to the web in a fresh new way by connecting producers and emcees in an interactive environment. Tal is an accomplished musician and a world-traveler who has lived in Israel, London, and California.
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About Adly, Dopetracks, Looksy, Sparitual: Fashion and Beauty Social Media
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.
Joni Evans
Co-Founder of PureWow
Joni Evans is the Co-Founder at PureWow.
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About 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
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.
Tyler Bleszinski
Founder of Vox Media
Tyler is the founder of SB Nation which laid the groundwork for the creation of Vox Media. He served as the CEO of SB Nation for the first four years of its existence. The disruption of traditional sports media started with Bleszinski’s coverage approach and led to massive growth immediately. The young company’s rapid success attracted the attention of investors and future CEO Jim Bankoff. Tyler now functions as SB Nation’s vice president of talent, serving as a mentor, advocate and teacher for the team blogs in the network. He manages the team blog leadership and leads the recruiting, credentialing and editorial planning for our team blogs. He has a keen eye for talent, with many of the current full time sports employees starting as bloggers early on in SB Nation’s history. Tyler started the network when he launched his Oakland Athletics site Athletics Nation in November 2003. The site became the model for how to approach coverage in the new media landscape with an open and distinct bias. He set out with the purpose of raising the level of discourse that existed at the time and empowering fans to embrace their own community on the Web. His approach became the blueprint for the company’s success as he developed a close relationship with A’s general manager Billy Beane as well as owner Lewis Wolff. He remains a driving force behind the team blogs today.
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About SBNation, The Verge, Vox Media: Vox Media is an operator of an online media publishing agency created to influence editorial properties and premium advertising.
Jerome Armstrong
Co-Founder, Advisor, former Board Executive of Vox Media
Jerome Armstrong is a co-Founder, advisor, and a former board executive of [Vox Media](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/vox-media). He is also the owner of [Webstrong](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/webstrong), a provider of web applications for businesses. Armstrong obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science degree and a Master of Science degree from Portland State University.
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About 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!
Susan Feldman
Founder of In The Groove
Susan Feldman is the founder of In The Groove(www.getinthegroove.com), a new life-style destination for age-defying women. In The Groove is a community that celebrates and engages these women as the evolving and relevant women they are. Founded with a sense of humor, community, and self-awareness, In The Groove is on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations. Prior to In The Groove, Susan was the co-founder and visionary behind One Kings Lane, the go-to destination for home decor. One Kings Lane launched in March 2009 and an industry was disrupted. Today One Kings Lane is a daily source of shopping and design inspiration for millions of people both online and offline One Kings Lane was sold to Bed, Bath & Beyond (Nasdaq: BBBY) in June 2016. Susan remains a strategic advisor to the company. Susan has been featured in national publications including Elle Décor, House Beautiful, INStyle, New York Magazine, BusinessWeek, and The New York Times. She has appeared on Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators and NBC’s The Today Show. Susan was named to Vanity Fair’s “New Establishment” list twice in the past six years. Prior to co-founding One Kings Lane, Susan held executive positions in the apparel industry—at Ralph Lauren Swimwear, Polo Jeans, Warnaco/Authentic Fitness Corp., and Liz Claiborne. Susan has an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and a BA from Stanford University. Since 2013 Susan has served on the Parson Board of Govenors.
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About Authentic Fitness Corp., In The Groove, Liz Claiborne, One Kings Lane, Ralph Lauren Corporation: content/ commerce
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.
Jason Bravman
Co-Founder of Billie
Jason Bravman is the Co-Founder of Billie.
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About Billie: Billie is a wellness company that offers shaving supplies and body products.
Georgina Gooley
Co-Founder of Billie
Georgina Gooley is the Co-Founder at Billie.
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About Billie: Billie is a wellness company that offers shaving supplies and body products.
Toni Cruthirds
Chief of Staff to Co-Founders of Billie
Toni Cruthirds works as VP and Chief of Staff to Co-Founders at Billie.
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About Billie: Billie is a wellness company that offers shaving supplies and body products.
Amanda Micallef
Co-Founder & COO of Arsenic
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About Arsenic: Arsenic Magazine is a by-the-people, for-the-people, online lifestyle and culture magazine based in the Arts District.
Seph Skerritt
Founder of Proper Cloth
Founder of Proper Cloth.
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About Proper Cloth: A direct-to-consumer menswear brand and ecommerce company specializing in men’s custom dress shirts.
Rebecca Minkoff
Co-Founder, Designer & Owner of Rebecca Minkoff
An industry leader in accessible luxury handbags, accessories, footwear and apparel, Rebecca Minkoff’s playful and subtly edgy designs can be spotted around the world on young women and celebrities alike. After developing an affinity for design while in the costume department in high school, Rebecca Minkoff moved to New York City at only 18 years old to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer. In 2001, Rebecca designed a version of the “I Love New York” t-shirt as part of a five-piece capsule collection, which appeared on The Tonight Show and became an overnight sensation. In 2005, Rebecca designed her first handbag, which she soon dubbed the “Morning After Bag,” a.k.a. the “M.A.B.” This iconic bag ignited Rebecca’s career as a handbag designer and inspired her “downtown romantic”-themed designs in the years to come. Rebecca’s success was further enhanced by the support of her brother and the company’s CEO and co-founder, Uri Minkoff, who helped usher in and pioneer the company’s industry-leading social media efforts. After four years of designing statement-making handbags and accessories with her trademark leathers, studs and edgy hardware, Rebecca returned to her roots of apparel design and introduced her first ready-to-wear collection in 2009. Today, Rebecca Minkoff has developed into a global lifestyle brand with a wide range of accessories, footwear, apparel, handbags and jewelry as well as men’s leather goods under the label Ben Minkoff. The brand is distributed in over 900 stores worldwide, and on March 1, 2012, Rebecca opened her first free-standing boutique in Tokyo. In 2011, she won industry recognition when she was awarded the Breakthrough Designer Award from the Accessories Council. Rebecca is an active member of the CFDA and supports multiple philanthropies including Jessica Seinfeld’s non-profit, Baby Buggy. Rebecca is married to actor and director Gavin Bellour and they reside in New York City with their son, Luca, and daughter, Bowie.
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About Female Founder Collective, Rebecca Minkoff, Rebecca Minkoff: Rebecca Minkoff is an online store that offers luxury handbags, accessories, footwear, and apparel.
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.
Maria Miller
COO and Co-Founder of Spot Insurance
Maria Goy is Co-founder and COO of Life by Spot, a company dedicated to redefining life insurance by building a consumer-centric experience and bringing customers a product that suits their means and lifestyle. Prior to founding Spot, Maria served as Vice President, Technology Strategic Partnerships at New York Life, driving sourcing and relationship strategy for one of the largest life insurance companies in the US. Having started her career at Anderson Consulting (Accenture) and living across Europe, Asia and the US Maria comes with a wealth and breadth of industry and global market experience.
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About Spot Insurance: Injury insurance designed to protect against unexpected medical expenses
Matt Randall
Co-Founder & CEO of Spot Insurance
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About Spot Insurance: Injury insurance designed to protect against unexpected medical expenses
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
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.
Jeroen Cappaert
CTO & Co-Founder of Spire Global
Mechanical/Electrical/Aerospace engineer, passionate about space and astronautics. Currently Lead satellite payload and avionics engineer and co-founder at Spire Global Inc. in San Francisco. Previous work and research includes high-enthalpy flow simulation, computational mechanics and fluid dynamics, spacecraft avionics and payload design, geo-engineering, and low-thrust astrodynamics at institutions such as NASA Ames, Von Karman Institute, International Space University.
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About NASA Ames Research Center, Spire Global: Spire Global is a space to cloud data analytics company utilizing satellites to provide maritime, aviation, and weather tracking.
Erin Fujimoto
Co-Founder of Tommy John
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Erin Fujimoto studied finance at Arizona State University before beginning her career as a financial adviser at JP Morgan. After listening to her husband’s relentless frustrations with ill-fitting undershirts, Fujimoto and Tom Patterson founded Tommy John in 2008 with the goal of bringing more comfortable and innovative solutions to market. Together they’ve spent the last 10 years reimagining the fabric, fit, and function of men’s underwear and apparel before successfully introducing their debut women’s collection in 2018.
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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.
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.
Joshua Sakhai
Co-Founder of Ephemeral Tattoos
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About Ephemeral Tattoos: Ephemeral Tattoos is a made-to-fade tattoo creating a world of limitless self-expression, where everybody is a canvas.
Brennal Pierre
Co-Founder and CTO of Ephemeral Tattoos
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About Ephemeral Tattoos: Ephemeral Tattoos is a made-to-fade tattoo creating a world of limitless self-expression, where everybody is a canvas.
Vandan Shah
Co-Founder of Ephemeral Tattoos
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About Ephemeral Tattoos: Ephemeral Tattoos is a made-to-fade tattoo creating a world of limitless self-expression, where everybody is a canvas.
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.
Michael Wojcieszek
Co-Founder & CTO of Playbook
Michael Wojcieszek is a Co-Founder and serves as the Chief Technology Officer at Playbook.
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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.
Hilary Coles
Co-Founder and VP Product of Hims & Hers
Hilary Coles is the co-founder and VP of product at Hims & Hers, men’s and women’s wellness brands that provide access to medical-grade products and preventative solutions via telemedicine.
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About Hims & Hers: Hims is a wellness brand that helps men and women get access to products for skin care, hair loss, and sexual health.
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.
Tyra Banks
Founder of TZONE
Tyra Banks is an actress, author, television personality, supermodel, and founder of TZONE. In the fashion industry, Banks is known for her extensive list of “firsts.” Over the course of her distinguished modeling career, successfully transitioning from high-fashion to commercial, she became the first African-American woman to grace the covers of GQ and the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. At the height of her success with global supermodel status, Banks made the decision to leave the modeling world and pursue ventures in media and entertainment. In 2003, Banks established Bankable, the parent company to the Digital, Studios, and Books divisions, creating a multi-faceted company where beauty meets entertainment. She became a pioneer in reality TV as the creator, executive producer, and host of America’s Next Top Model which is viewed in over 170 markets, with 20 international editions. In 2005, Banks became the first woman seen simultaneously on primetime and daytime with the launch of her own talk show, as host and executive producer of the Emmy-winning, “The Tyra Show.” Banks is also the co-executive producer of ABC’s primetime reality series “True Beauty.” In 2011, Banks announced an exclusive partnership with Demand Media to launch a highly-interactive, beauty-and fashion-focused online platform. She also released her first fiction novel in 2011 titled ModelLand, a fantasy trilogy published by Delacorte Press of Random House, which hit the New York Times bestseller list. Through all her endeavors, Banks remains committed to her personal mission to empower women and expand the definition of beauty.
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About Fierce Capital, Tyra Beauty, TZONE: TZONE is a foundation that works towards developing teen girls’ self-esteem and independence.
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.
Jennifer Hinton
Co-Founder & Creative Director of Carve Designs
Jennifer B. Hinton is Co-Founder of Carve Designs, Inc. Ms. Hinton studied at University of Colorado Boulder.
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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
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.
Marco Mereu
COO and Co-Founder of XSET
Senior Executive experience in esports, SaaS marketplaces, user acquisition, game monetization, analytics, retention, social Influencer and brand marketing
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About XSET: XSET is an Esports Company that organizes popular titles such as Call of Duty, Valorant, and Fortnite.
Wil Eddins
Co-Founder and Chief of Merchandising and Licensing of XSET
Wil Eddins currently works as Co-Founder and Chief of Merchandising and Licensing at XSET.
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About 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.
Andreas Bergmann
COO and Co-Founder of Ella Paradis Inc.
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About Ella Paradis Inc.: 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.
Peter Clay
Co Founder of Force of Nature Clean
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About Force of Nature Clean, LaunchPad Venture Group: Force of Nature is a new to the world product and brand committed to helping keep families well with products
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
Karina Sulzer
Founder of Skin Gym
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About SKIN CAMP, Skin Gym, YOUTH HAUS: Skin Gym is a natural beauty tool brand featuring crystal facial massage rollers in addition to crystal healing products.
Randy Goldberg
Co-Founder of Bombas
Bombas is a sock company that uses advanced technology and style to deliver wonderful socks to customers while also donating a pair to a homeless person for every one sold .The idea of the company was first hatched in 2010 after the founders, Randy Goldberg and David Heath, heard the statistic that socks are the most requested item in homeless shelters. After a few years of R&D research, coordinating product production, and raising 140,000 on Indiegogo, the company launched its first line in 2013.The founders appeared in the television show Shark Tank and secured an investment Daymond John.
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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.
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.
Adam Rich
Co-Founder of Thrillist Media Group
Adam Rich is the Founder of Thrillist Media Group.
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About 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.
Suze Dowling
Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer of Pattern
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About Pattern: Pattern is a family of brands that inspire to learn, explore, and lay the foundation for a more present life.
Ray Zemon
Owner & Co-Founder of Shopbop
Zemon is an Owner of BOP, LLC (Also called as Shopbop.com). Zemon was the founder of Bop, LLC, an online clothing retailer. He served as Chief Fixed Income Investment Officer and Managing Director of Lincoln Capital Management (now Lehman Brothers Asset Management). He served as Vice President of the First National Bank of Chicago, as well as a fixed income portfolio manager at Harris Trust and Savings Bank. He served as a Director of FinAnalytica Inc. He served as a Director of Nemean Networks, LLC. Zemon has an ABD in Finance, Investments and Banking from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, as well as an MBA from the University of Wisconsin and a B.S in Management from Rensselaer.
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About Shopbop: Shopbop is an online boutique for clothing, footwear, bags and accessories.
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.
Lucas Dickey
Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of Fernish
Lucas Dickey is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Fernish, a Board Observer at Fractal, and an Angel Investor of Lucas Dickey. He is also an Advisory Board Member at Trellis Research and an Advisor at Chatlingual. Prior to that, he was the Advisory Board Member of Mapfit, the Principal Product Manager at Rival and Atom Tickets, and VP of Product at Thinknear. Earlier in his career, he was also the Head of Product at doubleTwist. Prior to joining doubleTwist, he was product manager for Amazon Cloud Player, Amazon Cloud Drive, Amazon MP3 Uploader, and Amazon MP3. He’s also an active angel investor.
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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.
Tracy Dubb
Partner, Co-Founder of M3 Ventures
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About M3 Ventures: M3 Ventures is a strategic investment partner to visionary founders in the fashion, lifestyle and wellness spaces.
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.
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.
Jared Berry
Founder of Carlsbad Naturals
As a pioneer in the CBD industry in the United States, Jared Berry has forged trails in multiple territories, establishing businesses and technologies that have set standards in the cannabis marketplace. He singlehandedly identified CBD as a viable ingredient for multiple supplements and delivery systems and as an international commodity. As such, his early efforts laid the groundwork for entities like Medical Marijuana, Inc. (Hemp Meds), Cannavest (now CV Sciences), and other CBD companies. His innovative vision set the industry in motion and continues to move it forward as the multi-billion dollar movement into which it has evolved. He founded BPSG/BioSynthesis Pharma Group and went on to found Isodiol, the industry’s most innovative hemp cannabinoid product developer and manufacturer.
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About Carlsbad Naturals: Carlsbad Naturals brings cutting edge science to deliver nutrients and hydration in an effective way
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.
Raf Collado
Co-Founder of GetMyBoat
Rafael Collado is a serial entrepreneur. He is the Co-Founder of GetMyBoat, ZigAir, and Phacil. Mr. Collado has founded, built, managed and sold three companies, including: Inabox, a web-based software company dedicated to web site creation tools acquired by register.com in 2000, BERN Associates, Inc., a company that provided Internet consulting, network services and content development tools to telephone companies that was acquired by Prime Cellular in 1996, and Sigma Research, a software company acquired by FastComm Communications in 1993. Mr. Collado also founded and was CEO of Protocom Devices, which he took public in 1985.Mr. Collado was an Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department of The Cooper Union Institute in New York, and he attended the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn where he majored in Electrical Engineering.
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About GetMyBoat, Protocom Aviation, SaraGEO, ZigAir: GetMyBoat is the marketplace for boat rentals, yacht charters, and on-the-water experiences.
Adam Messner
Co-Founder of Yardzen
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About Yardzen: Where beautiful, functional outdoor spaces start online.
Geoff Schneider
Founder & Managing Partner of Cava Capital
Geoff Schneider is the Founder and Managing Partner, Cava Capital, Co-Founder and CEO of GoSaga,Inc..
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About Cava Capital, GoSaga, LYMBR, Stretch Out Studios: Organic Development Stage (Cava Studio) through Early Growth.
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.
Marc Lickfett
Founder, Managing Director and a non-executive director of King & McGaw.
Marc Lickfett is Founder, Managing Director and a non-executive director at King & McGaw & Knife Aid.
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About King & McGaw., Knife Aid: King & McGaw sells art prints and framed art items online.
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.
Tameika Reed
Founder of Women In Linux
Tameika Reed founded Women In Linux out of frustration that there were no other women or women of color represented at the workplace or tech events. Tameika is a self-taught Linux administrator who has spent countless hours helping others get started in Linux. In conjunction with NAACP, she provides families with basic computer training and life skills. Tameika is also a consultant to the Education Foundation on how to introduce Linux and other tech careers to Florida students.
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About Women In Linux: Women In Linux is a dynamic group who celebrate Linux centric women in technology, exposing women.
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.
