Posts tagged: Podcast

Sarah LaFleur was working in private equity when she came to a realization that’ll ring familiar to most professional women. “I had a really hard time shopping for work...I’d spend stressing out about what to wear in the morning,” she admitted. But that dilemma sparked inspiration: Sarah had witnessed companies like Bonobos, Warby Parker and Cuyana successfully launch direct-to-consumer concepts, and she decided to create something similar geared towards working women — and that’s how her company, MM LaFleur, got off the ground.Success didn’t come right away. In fact, about...

Our guest today has had such an interesting path, even before she became a venture capitalist with startup clients like Dollar Shave Club, Bonobos, and Planet Metromile in her portfolio. Renata Quintini was born and raised in Brazil and began her professional career there as an attorney representing future capital clients who were backing Brazilian startups. Today, Renata is a partner of Lux Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm focused on deep tech investing. The firm invests in ambitious startups that aim to help us not only live longer,...

Like many of us, Rachel Drori was trying to fit healthy, nutritious meals into her busy life...but was frustrated by the lack of options. In 2015, Rachel decided to take matters into her own hands: She founded Daily Harvest, a direct-to-consumer brand blending health and innovation to send delicious superfoods straight to your freezer so you can prepare and enjoy them at your convenience.The business is one of the fastest growing nutritional food brands in the U.S. With more than 100,000 subscribers, Daily Harvest delivers breakfast bowls, ice cream sundaes,...

In 2012, Denise Lee was training for her first marathon and went out in search of activewear. She wanted to find modern and sleek styles that were similar to the contemporary designers she wore in her everyday wardrobe — but she quickly realized what she wanted wasn't available.Noticing this void in the marketplace led her to create her own brand, Alala, inspired by the Greek goddess of the same name. Alala is a luxury workout brand that is now carried in over 100 major retailers including Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and...

Brad Kopitz knows the power of a photo album. As the CEO of Artifact Uprising, a digitally native company that provides printed photo goods, he understands the value of high quality, good design, and thoughtfully sourced materials. And, it has paid off. When the company launched in 2012 more than 7,000 people visited their site in the first day. Within the first 18 months, Artifact Uprising was a multi-million dollar company.Brad first joined the brand as an early investor, but shortly after he became chief revenue office, followed by chief...

Today's guest is Katya Libin, one of the powerhouse women behind Heymama, a membership only network to support modern working and entrepreneurial mothers. The group boasts more than 700 CEOs, founders, creatives, and leaders in countless industries. After spending years in sales in the tech industry, Katya wanted to find a better way to support women and help moms connect - that's how Heymama was born.What exactly is Heymama? It's an amazing source of community inspiration, and career intel and support for mamas, with a combination of daily inspirational editorial...

Early in her career, Sonia Nagar founded a mobile shopping app called Pickie. After much success, the app was acquired by Retail Me Not, where she became the vice president of product and head of mobile apps for the coupon shopping site — and earned a Webby Award for Best Shopping App!Upon relocating to Chicago with her husband, Sonia was preemptively meeting with VCs about future potential investments when one thing led to another and she was offered a position that was too good to refuse. Today, Sonia is the...

Azeeza Khan left her corporate job for the chance to pursue her dream of launching a women's wear brand, which she did with just a $3,000 budget. Since launching, her store has been listed by Forbes as a top shopping destination in Chicago and Azeeza herself was named by Women’s Wear Daily as the city’s “it designer”.Azeeza's brand is a perfect combination of accessibility and luxury, so it's no surprise that it’s a favorite among celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker, stylists, and fashion-forward women. The line is now carried exclusively...

In 2015, Jen Rubio was traveling back from a trip to Switzerland when her luggage broke in the middle of a crowded airport, sending her clothes and belongings everywhere. As she looked for a replacement she couldn't find the kind of iconic, high-quality, affordable luggage she was looking for.Jen called up her friend Steph Korey - the two met in 2011 at Warby Parker back when they had only twenty employees - and they got to work. Just a few years later, they launched their direct-to-consumer luggage company, Away, in...

Today's episode might just make you want to go home and do laundry.After graduating from Cornell University’s Fiber Science and Apparel Design Program, Lindsey Boyd and Co-founder Gwen Whiting found themselves in New York City, working at some of the largest fashion houses in the world (hello, Chanel and Ralph Lauren!) where an unspoken dress code led them to build their wardrobes with “investment” pieces with “dry clean only” tags. Tired of the pricey bills and damaged, chemical-ridden clothing from the dry cleaners, the duo set out to revolutionize the...