Conference Brochure

Table of Contents
Agenda
…………………………………………………………………………………… 1-2
Presenting Company Order
…………………………………………………………… 3
Award Winners
Julie Wainwright, CEO and Founder, TheRealReal
……………..………….…. 4
Nick Woodhouse, President and CMO, Authentic Brands Group …………………… 5
Expert Panelists
Panel - “FashInvest Alums Who Have Raised Capital”
Benita Singh, CEO, Source4Style – 2010 Alum
Nicole Gardner, COO, Dormify – 2012 Alum
Sari Azout, CEO, Bib & Tuck – 2012 Alum
…………………………… 6
…………………………… 7
…………………………… 7
Panel - “What You Need To Know To Grab PE and Venture Dollars”
Elsa Berry, Managing Director, Vendome Global Partners ................................ 8
David Yarnell, General Ptr., BEV Capital,
Operating Ptr, Falconhead Capital …………………………………………… 9
Lawrence Lenihan, Managing Director, First Mark Capital
…………… 9
Panel - “How Leading Technologies Are Changing The Way Consumers Shop”
Scott Anderson, Co-founder, Iterate Studio ……………………………………
Caroline Covington, Director of E-Commerce Operations,
C. Wonder
……………………………………………………………………
Andre Golsorkhi, CEO, Sidecar
……………………………………………
Sam Sohaili, Creative Director, DMA United
……………………………
Company Coach
Steve Bowman, President, BizClarity
10
10
10
11
…………………………………………… 12
Profile Company Speakers: Innovators Who Are Setting The Standard
Heather Marie, CEO and Founder, 72Lux ……………………………………
Susan Aplin, CEO and Founder, Bambeco ……………………………………
Tanya Shaw, CEO and Founder, Meality ……………………………………
Veronica Sonsev, CEO and Founder, InSparq
…………………………....
Celebrity Pitch Moderator
Daymond John, Co-star ABC hit show Shark Tank
13
13-14
14-15
15
…………………………… 16
FashInvest, Ltd. & Early Stage East, Inc., its directors, staff and volunteers take no responsibility for the accuracy of the statements, written summaries, or
presentations of the presenting and exhibiting companies. All such statements and presentations are the whole responsibility of the presenting and
exhibiting companies. ESE & FashInvest is not acting as a broker or dealer of dealer of securities and is not a licensed entity under the various federal and
state security laws. Before investing in any entity, one should see the advice of their legal and financial counsel.
Table of Contents (Cont’d)
Hosts and Moderators
George Nemphos, Managing Partner, Duane Morris
…………………………….
Keli Whitlock , Partner, Duane Morris LLP
…………………………………….
Nanette C. Heide, Partner, Duane Morris LLP
…………………………………….
Glen Podhorzer, Partner, WeiserMazars …………………………………………….
Jonathan Rothman, Partner, Deloitte
…………………………………………….
Joseph P. Welter, Partner, Deloitte
…………………………………………….
Linsey Bozzelli, Partner, Blank Rome
…………………………………………….
Robert Fesnak, Managing Partner, Fesnak and Associates …………………………….
Robin Lewis, CEO & Editor, Robin Report, Inc. …………………….………………
Stephen Wyss , CPA, Partner, CohnReznick
………………………………….…
Stuart A. Nussbaum, CPA Partner, WeiserMazars …………………………………….
Ted Rosen, Partner-Venture Practice, Fox Rothschild
………………………….…
Veronika Sonsev, CEO & Founder, inSparq
…………………………….
Aslaug Magnusdottir, Former CEO & Co-Founder, Moda Operandi
…………….
17
17
18
18
18-19
19
19
20
21
21
22
22
23
23
Advisory Board
George Nemphos, Secretary of Advisory Board
…………………………………….
Robin Lewis, Chairman of Advisory Board
…………………………………….
Denise Segal, Vice Chairman of Advisory Board ……………………………….……
Don Franceschini, Founding Chairman of Advisory Board …………………………….
Yolanda M. Wardowski, Managing Director, Avalon Group, Ltd. …………………….
24
24-25
25
26
26
Presenting Company Summaries
Basico ……………………………………………………………………………….........
Brayola
…………………………………………………………………………….
Ethica ………………………………………………………………………………….…
Fashion Advance
………………………………………………………………….…
Fashionism …………………………………………………………………………….
Flat Out of Heels
…………………………………………………………………….
LiveLux.com ………………………………………………………………………….…
LoveThatFit ………………………………………………………………………….…
27
27
28
28
29
29
30
30
Madison Plus Select ………………………………………………………………….…
Now in Store …………………………………………………………………………….
NUMARI
…………………………………………………………………………….
Oree …………………………………………………………………………………….
Pinks and Greens
…………………………………………………………………….
Rafael Cennamo
…………………………………………………………………….
Styleocrat
…………………………………………………………………………….
TheRunthrough
…………………………………………………………………….
United by Blue
…………………………………………………………………….
31
31
32
32
33
33
34
34
35
FashInvest, Ltd. & Early Stage East, Inc., its directors, staff and volunteers take no responsibility for the accuracy of the statements, written summaries, or
presentations of the presenting and exhibiting companies. All such statements and presentations are the whole responsibility of the presenting and
exhibiting companies. ESE & FashInvest is not acting as a broker or dealer of dealer of securities and is not a licensed entity under the various federal and
state security laws. Before investing in any entity, one should see the advice of their legal and financial counsel.
Agenda
CONFERENCE - December 11, 2013
11:30am – 6:00pm
Fashion Institute of Technology
Katie Murphy Amphitheater
7th Ave. at 27th Street
New York, NY
11:30am
Registration, Networking and Grab N’ Go Lunch
Join us to start the Conference-See some old friends/make some new!
Sponsored by Weiser Mazars
Welcoming Remarks Stuart Nussbaum, Partner, Weiser Mazars
12:30pm
Welcome and Opening Remarks
David Freschman, CEO and Founder, FashInvest
Robin Lewis– Chairman, FashInvest
Nanette Heide, Partner, Duane Morris – Founding Sponsor of FashInvest
12:50pm
Introduction of Air France
Official Airline of FashInvest
1:00pm
Fashpreneur™ Award Presentation –
A Fireside Chat with Our Honored Recipient
Recipient: Julie Wainwright, CEO and Founder, The Real Real
Award Introduced by Aslaug Magnusdottir, Former CEO Moda Operandi,
2012 Fashpreneur Award Winner
Award presented and fireside chat hosted by Joseph Welter, Partner, Deloitte
Sponsored by Deloitte
1:30pm
FashInvest Alumni Panel:
A Chat with FashInvest Alums Who Have Raised Capital!
Panelist: Benita Singh, CEO, Source4Style – 2010 Alum
Panelist: Nicole Gardner, COO, Dormify – 2012 Alum
Panelist: Sari Azout, CEO, Bib & Tuck – 2012 Alum
Moderator: Stephen Wyss, Partner, CohnReznick
Sponsored by CohnReznick
2:00pm
Quick Pitches of Promising Companies – A Must See!
Master of Ceremonies: Daymond John, The Shark, Co-Star of ABC’s Shark Tank
Segment and Moderator introduced by Peter Wakiyama, Partner, Pepper Hamilton
First Group of Companies Presenting their Fast Growth Opportunities:
Styleocrat
Live Lux
Pinks & Greens
Flat Out of Heels
Love That Fit
Numari
Oree
Madison Plus Select
Ethica
Sponsored by Pepper Hamilton
2:55
Introduction of Xetum
Official Timepiece of FashInvest
1
Agenda
3:00pm
Investor Panel:
What You Need to Know to Grab Venture and PE Dollars!
Panelist: Elsa Berry, Managing Director, Vendome Global Partners
Panelist: David Yarnell, General Ptr., BEV Capital, Operating Ptr, Falconhead Capital
Panelist: Lawrence Lenihan, Managing Director, First Mark Capital
Moderator: Ted Rosen, Partner, Fox Rothschild
Sponsored by Fox Rothschild, LLP
3:45pm
Quick Pitches of Promising Companies – A Must See!
Master of Ceremonies: Daymond John, The Shark, Co-Star of ABC’s Shark Tank
Segment and Moderator introduced by Keli Whitlock, Partner, Duane Morris
Second Group of Companies Presenting their Fast Growth Opportunities:
Rafael Cennamo
United by Blue
Basico
FashionAdvance
Fashionism
Brayola
TheRunThrough
NowInStore
Sponsored by Duane Morris
4:30pm
Brand Innovation Panel: How Leading Technologies are Changing the Way Consumers Shop!
Panelist: Scott Anderson, Co-founder, Iterate Studio
Panelist: Caroline Covington, Director of E-Commerce Operations, C. Wonder
Panelist: Andre Golsorkhi, CEO, Sidecar
Panelist: Sam Sohaili, Creative Director, DMA United
Moderated by Veronica Sonsev, InSparq
Sponsored by: Insparq
5:00pm
FashInvest Profile Companies: Innovators That Are Setting the Industry Standard!
Innovation Profiles from Fast Growth Companies and their CEOs
72Lux – Heather Marie, CEO and Founder
Bambeco – Susan Aplin, CEO and Founder
Insparq – Veronica Sonsev, CEO and Founder
Meality – Tanya Shaw, CEO and Founder
Introductions by: Robert Fesnak, CEO, Fesnak & Associates
Sponsored by: Fesnak & Associates
5:30pm
Introduction of Chief Trunk
Official Journey Accessory Brand of FashInvest
5:35pm
Brand Innovator of the Year Award – A Fireside Chat with Our Honored Recipient
Recipient: Nick Woodhouse, President and CMO, Authentic Brands Group
Award Introduced by Air France
Award presented and fireside chat hosted by Linsey Bozzelli, Partner, Blank Rome, LLP
Sponsored by: Blank Rome and Air France
6:30pm
Holiday Networking Closing Reception:
Helen Mills Center
137 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001
Sponsored by LIM College and Air France
2
Presenting Company Presentation Order
Group 1
Styleocrat
Live Lux
Pinks & Greens
Flat Out of Heels
Love That Fit
Numari
Oree
Madison Plus Select
Ethica
Group 2
Rafael Cennamo
United by Blue
Basico
FashionAdvance
Fashionism
Brayola
TheRunThrough
NowInStore
FashInvest, Ltd. & Early Stage East, Inc., its directors, staff and volunteers take no responsibility for
the accuracy of the statements, written summaries, or presentations of the presenting and exhibiting
companies. All such statements and presentations are the whole responsibility of the presenting and
exhibiting companies. ESE & FashInvest is not acting as a broker or dealer of dealer of securities and
is not a licensed entity under the various federal and state security laws. Before investing in any entity,
one should see the advice of their legal and financial counsel.
3
Award Winners
2013 Capital Conference Fashinvest
Fashpreneur™ Award
The FashInvest Fashpreneur™ Award is presented to an entrepreneur in the fashion, branded
goods, apparel and fashion technology business sectors who exemplify the passion towards
seeing early stage entrepreneurial opportunities succeed and flourish. This individual is one who
has clearly impacted the early stage and fast growth entrepreneurial communities through their
innovation and vision by establishing and leading their companies to win in today’s competitive
environment. The recipient of this Award is one who strives to create a better environment for all
so that entrepreneurs achieve their dreams and attain success.
Julie Wainwright, Founder & CEO of The RealReal
Julie Wainwright is a past alumni from the 2011 FashInvest Capital Conference.
Her company, the RealReal has recently raised $14 Million in a series B round led
by InterWest Partners. The company has grown revenue tenfold in the last year by
offering a superior experience for both customers and consignors. With over
750,000 members, The RealReal receives over 1.5 million visits per month.
The RealReal is the leading full service online luxury resale marketplace. Only
The RealReal offers customers access to authenticated designer fashion and fine
art in curated sales. Our designer brands include such leading names as Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton,
Gucci and Prada, all at up to 90% off original retail. Our fine art offerings include paintings, drawings,
prints, photographs and sculpture from the Modern, Post-War and Contemporary eras. The RealReal
takes possession of all items prior to sale in order for its merchandising and curatorial teams,
authentication specialists and skilled gemologists to evaluate each item. Consignors in major U.S. cities
can schedule a free White Glove pick-up; elsewhere, consignors can use the company’s online direct
service. Consignors make up to 70% of the selling price.
Julie has a career in technology and brand management that spans over 25 years. A CEO for over 10
years, she helped pioneer e-commerce as the CEO of Reel.com in 1997 and Pets.com in 1999. She has
been recognized as one of the top female entrepreneurs by The San Francisco Business Times. She is also
a frequent speaker and has spoken at many prestigious events and universities including Harvard
University, Purdue University and CES. She graduated from Purdue University Cum Laude with a
Bachelor of Science in General Management with a minor in Art. She is a former board member of Baker
and Taylor, Wizards of the Coast, The San Francisco Art Institute, Magic Theatre and Headlands Center
for the Arts. Raised by artists, she developed an early love of fashion and design. She loves clothing with
clean lines and she is passionate about high, high heels. Lanvin, Balenciaga, Chloe and Louboutin are
some of her favorite designers.
4
Award Winners
2013 Capital Conference Innovator Award
The FashInvest Brand Innovator Award is presented to an organization and individual who demonstrate
the unique ability of driving brands to their ultimate potential. Brands are unique in that they touch upon
the inspirational, emotional, and economic drivers of the consumers and go beyond their core designs
culminating in a successful enterprise. The individual who drives such a business is one who brings an
entrepreneurial passion and visionary perspective to the creation of the enterprise which ultimately results
in business recognition, awareness and financial success to themselves, their investors, their colleagues
and their business. This individual strives to also employ these strategies in their personal goals and
achievements, as well.
Nick Woodhouse, President & Chief Marketing Officer of Authentic Brands Group
Nick Woodhouse is the President and Chief Marketing Officer of
Authentic Brands Group, overseeing the company’s global sales,
marketing and digital media strategies, as well as ABG’s strategic
planning and execution that will deliver both short and long-term
company goals and objectives. With over 27 years of experience in
the retail industry, from Buyer to Vice President, Nick Woodhouse
experienced firsthand the challenges and rewards of growing a
Canadian sporting goods retail icon – Forzani Group Ltd, from $55
million to $1.7 billion in annual sales. Nick created and drove the
“360 degrees of success” model, which reinforces retail fundamentals
and demands all aspects of project management and execution to
work cohesively in order to succeed. Nick currently sits on the
advisory board of LIM College in Manhattan – devoted exclusively to the business of fashion.
5
Expert Panelist
FashInvest Alums Who Have Raised Capital
Benita Singh, CEO, Source4Style – 2010 Alum
Inspired by her travels across three continents to source materials and products
for leading fashion and accessories brands, Benita Singh launched
Source4Style to create the first online global textiles marketplace. Within two
years, Source4Style has achieved an international presence – connecting
buyers and sellers every day in over 76 countries. “Throughout my sourcing
trips, I discovered amazing suppliers that I wasn’t seeing at the trade shows –
from ikat silks in Uzbekistan to exquisite alpaca wool in Peru,” says Benita.
“These suppliers were ready to reach a global market, and the market was ready for them. That’s where
Source4Style comes in.”
Benita has received a number of accolades for her work and is asked to speak frequently on the topics of
global sourcing and women’s entrepreneurship. She was named among the world’s “Best Emerging
Social Entrepreneurs” by Echoing Green, one of Newsweek’s “15 People Who Make America Great,”
and most recently by the Cartier Women’s Initiative as their North American Laureate. In 2013, she has
spoken at The Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in Deauville, France; the MAGIC trade fair
in Las Vegas; and the Princeton University Art Museum as a keynote lecturer. Benita also speaks
regularly at design schools including Parsons & Academy of Art University.
Benita graduated with distinction from Yale University with degrees in Comparative Literature and
International Studies. She speaks Spanish, French and Hindi and lives in Manhattan.
Company Profile
Source4Style is the first B2B marketplace for the global fashion textiles industry. The platform connects
leading mills from over 36 countries directly to a network of qualified buyers in over 76 countries.
Source4Style’s growing materials marketplace features a proprietary search, sample and source software
solution. Buyers can streamline their search through a powerful filter, order swatches from the company’s
US warehouse and submit digital purchase orders to suppliers around the world directly through the
platform.
“We are bringing together the sourcing power of an Alibaba with the curation of a 1st Dibs,” says
company CEO Benita Singh. “Our market includes the leading mills beyond China who are largely
offline and limited to the traditional sales channels of trade shows and agents.”
Source4Style is venture and angel-backed start-up with a growing team of technologists and global
sourcing specialists.
6
Expert Panelist
Nicole Gardner, COO, Dormify – 2012 Alum
Nicole Gardner is the Chief Operating Officer of Dormify, a college lifestyle
brand that is transforming the way that college students decorate their dorm
rooms. Involved from the start, Nicole led the initial brand development, later
driving the business strategy and e-commerce launches. She recently helped
lead the company through its second round of seed financing, and is working
on making Dormify known across college campuses everywhere.
Before returning to the world of college, Nicole worked in client service and brand strategy at HZDG, an
integrated creative agency based in Washington, DC. There, she led the accounts for a portfolio of real
estate clients, non-profit and consumer brands, driving all aspects of branding and digital marketing
strategy.
Nicole is a Maryland native and an honors graduate of American University with a B.S. in Business
Administration.
Company Profile
Dormify is a college lifestyle brand and social commerce company dedicated to bringing style to the
college space. We break the rules of traditional dorm décor by creating and curating products specifically
designed for the fashion-minded college student, empowering them to make their rooms as original as
they are. Through our discovery-based merchandising tools, personalized customer service, and our peerdriven content, there’s endless ways to find ideas to transform your space.
Sari Azout, CEO, Bib & Tuck – 2012 Alum
A graduate of Brown University, Sari Azout worked as an Investment Banker in
the Consumer/Retail Division of Lehman Brothers and as a bond trader at
Barclays Capital before deciding to start Bib + Tuck, a curated community of
shoppable personal closets. Within a year of launch, Bib + Tuck was named one
of the 50 companies transforming retail by Business Insider and was most
recently named Best of the Web in InStyle’s November issue. Additionally, Sari
Azout was one of the founders and sits on the advisory committee of the Capital
Good Fund, the largest student run philanthropic Microfinance fund in the country. Finally, Sari is a yogi,
a world traveler, and an avid tennis player.
Company Profile
Bib + Tuck is a members-only online marketplace for women to exchange clothing. Bib + Tuck caters to
creative and stylish women who need an alternative to buying new. The website offers a simple process to
sell items which involves uploading a stylized picture, pricing, and then shipping it off to the buyer. In
return, members receive online currency called “bucks” which they can then use to purchase items
themselves. Although Bib + Tuck is not the first site to recognize the need for women to both give and
receive fashion pieces, it’s the first to emphasize social transparency, moneyless transactions, and
attractive visuals. The site is currently invitation-only.
7
Expert Panelist
What You Need to Know to Grab PE and Venture Dollars
Elsa Berry, Managing Director, Vendome Global Partners
Ms. Berry is a Managing Director and Founder of Vendôme Global Partners
LLC, a strategic financial advisory services firm focused on the Luxury, Beauty
and Premium Branded Consumer industries on a global basis.
Before founding Vendôme, Ms. Berry served as the Head of Global Luxury
M&A in the Consumer, Food & Retail Group at Houlihan Lokey. Previously,
she was the Head of Corporate Finance North America at BNP Paribas for 20
years and was the Founder & Managing Director of Vendôme & Company, a cross-border Mergers &
Acquisitions boutique which she sold to BNP (1983-1989). Ms. Berry has over 30 years of cross-border
Mergers & Acquisitions experience, and has originated and executed domestic and cross-border buyside
and sellside M&A transactions with a focus on Consumer Products, Luxury, Food & Beverage and the
Media sector. Currently, she serves as the President of the Board of the French-American Chamber of
Commerce New York and National and is a foreign trade advisor to the French government (Conseiller
du Commerce Exterieur).
Ms. Berry has provided Mergers & Acquisitions services to a variety of corporations including: Alticor,
BIC, Coty, Estée Lauder, JAKKS Pacific, Kering (formerly PPR), Kraft, Labelux, Lactalis, L’Oréal,
Mattel, Natura, Newell Rubbermaid, Nu Skin Enterprises, Redcats, Royal Canin (Mars Group), 3 Suisses,
VF Corporation and Vivendi, among others.
Ms. Berry is a founding member and President of the HEC (Hautes Etudes Commerciales) Business
School Alumni Group in the New York tri-state area, as well as a board member of the Friends of HEC,
Inc., which is responsible for the school’s U.S. capital campaign. In 2008, Ms. Berry received from HEC
Paris the Woman-of-the-Year Achievement Award, Prix Trajectoire au Féminin, as well as the French
Government’s highest level of distinguished recognition, that of Knight in the Order of the Legion of
Honor, which President Nicolas Sarkozy personally presented.
An American citizen born in New York, Ms. Berry was raised in France, where she lived for 15 years.
She received an M.B.A. from Hautes Etudes Commerciales (Paris) and Licence ès Economie (Bachelor of
Science equivalent) from Paris X (Nanterre). Ms. Berry is registered with FINRA as a General Securities
Principal (Series 7, 24 and 63) and a Limited Representative – Investment Banking (Series 79).
8
Expert Panelist
David Yarnell, General Ptr., BEV Capital & Operating Ptr., Falconhead
Capital
David Yarnell has been a private equity investor in the consumer sector for 20
years. He is currently a General Partner at BEV Capital and an Operating
Partner at Falconhead Capital as well as looking for investments in the
consumer sector for several other large and small private equity funds and
family offices. He has served on boards of both public and private companies
such as Alloy (media), Best Friends Petcare (kennels), Buca di Beppo
(restaurants), D’elias (apparel), Escort Radar (electronics), LoveSac (home furnishings), Travel Holdings
(business services) and others. In addition to his investing activities, David is also an operator. Most
recently, he served as CEO of Mom365, the nations’ largest in-hospital newborn photography company
that also markets to moms both online and offline. David was also President of MEXX USA (apparel)
and in operating roles at Macy’s and General Mills. Furthermore, he was a consultant at McKinsey for 7
years in their Retail and Consumer Practice group.
David has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from Tufts University.
Lawrence Lenihan, Managing Director, First Mark Capital
Lawrence Lenihan is a Founder and Managing Director of FirstMark Capital
and focuses on seed and early stage investments companies that provide
technology-based solutions retail and fashion and other industries. Prior to
founding FirstMark Capital, Lawrence was the Senior Managing Director and
Founder of Pequot Ventures, the predecessor to FirstMark, founded in 1996.
He started his career at IBM in the IBM sales organization selling to the retail
industry and later founding a business within IBM providing interactive
kiosks for retailers. His retail investments include AHAlife, Send-the-Trend,
Crouch & Fitzgerald, LollyWollyDoodle, Chop’t and Mendocino Farms. FirstMark’s retail investments
also include Shopify, Lot 18 and Stubhub. He is the co-founder of Norisol Ferrari, a brand seeking to
redefine ultra-luxury women’s fashion.
Lawrence is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and NYU’s Stern School of business and teaches a popular
course called “Ready, FIRE! Aim” that has already spawned several student-founded companies. He is
also an advisor to the student-run Tech@NYU initiative. He is an active participant in the NYC
entrepreneurial community, serving on the NYC Economic Development Corporation’s Fashion 2020
Advisory board and as a Chairman of the NYC Ventures Fellows Program. On a national basis, Lawrence
serves as judge for Ernst & Young’s National Entrepreneur of the Year Award where he chaired the
venture capital award. He sits on the board of Venture For America, an organization that seeks to bring
entrepreneurship to inner city areas. Lawrence was named to the Silicon Alley Insider 2010 100 List and
is an active speaker at conferences in the industry.
Lawrence holds a BSEE from Duke University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the
University of Pennsylvania.
9
Expert Panelist
How Leading Technologies Are Changing The Way Consumers Shop
Scott Anderson, Co-Founder, Iterate Studio
Scott is a co-founder of Iterate Studio and heads its innovation
experimentation labs. Prior to Iterate he ran the web P&L for The Vitamin
Shoppe, a 600-store specialty retailer (NYSE: VSI). He has a long history as a
growth agent, skilled in squeezing higher-than-expected revenue and
shareholder value from available resources. He was twice recognized with
Effie Awards by the American Marketing Association for breakthrough
domestic and global business results for Crayola and IBM. An avid student of
human nature, he has found that the most important skill a marketer can have
is empathy.
Caroline Covington, Director of E-Commerce Operations, C.Wonder
Caroline Covington was hired by Burch Creative Capital to manage ecommerce implementations and operations for C. Wonder and Monika Chiang
sites. Prior to joining BCC, Caroline managed digital marketing and operations
for the kate spade and JACK SPADE websites. Through creative cross-channel
marketing initiatives and an innovative approach to the online sample sale
model, Caroline and her team doubled thekatespade.com and jackspade.com
business year over year in 2011. Caroline was also instrumental in transitioning
the katespade.com and jackspade.com businesses onto the Demandware platform. Caroline is a graduate
of Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard College. Caroline resides in New York.
Andre Golsorkhi, CEO, Sidecar
Andre Golsorkhi is the CEO and Founder of Sidecar, an automated online
marketing technology for e-commerce companies. Founded in 2010, Sidecar
automates the fundamental aspects of marketing for online retailers through
data driven, algorithmic processes. What took teams of people, an extensive
amount of analysis, multi-vendor relationships, and 100’s of thousands of
dollars in technology tools to accomplish – can now be achieved through
Sidecar with higher efficiency, lower cost, greater results, and no human
resources. Today, Sidecar powers online marketing for retailers across nearly all verticals, and for Top
100 retailers in the U.S.
Prior to Sidecar, Andre was the CEO and Founder of Snipi, Inc. a patented system for consumers to save
their shopping interests while browsing anywhere online. Snipi was featured on the front page of the Wall
Street Journal and established partnerships with the world’s leading retail and entertainment brands. In
2010, Snipi’s technical assets were transformed into the retailer solutions platform, Sidecar.
Prior to Snipi, Golsorkhi was the president, CEO and founder of Omeda Design + Technology, which
offered design and web application services. From its origins in 2003, Omeda’s client roster grew to
include Fortune 500 and similarly substantial entities such as IMAX Corporation, the Borgata Hotel and
Casino, Parx Casino, Boyds Philadelphia, and other private and public organizations.
10
Expert Panelist
Sam Sohaili, Creative Director, DMA United
Sam Sohaili began his career as a magazine art director in New York and
Milan. He launched creative agency ink+co in 1994 in NY’s meat packing
district. Early clients included L’Oréal, Giorgio Armani, Neiman Marcus, HBO
and the CFDA. By the late 90′s the agency had grown into a full service
branding and advertising agency and moved into it’s present offices in Soho..
The agency expanded in 2001 with partner Marc Beckman to launch DMA,
Representation and Business Development services for fashion lifestyle brands
and personalities, as a means of extending marketing’s reach. Both divisions of
the agency merged in 2012 under DMA United. Today the agency is the unique
union of both Advertising and Representation; Sam focuses on all
communication and creative duties. Clients include the the New York City
Ballet, Lalique, Playboy, MoMA, Mercedes-Benz, CFDA, Sony, Allergan, Numero magazine (Sam is the
International Design Director), Andre Leon Talley, and Russell Westbrook.
11
Presenting Company Coach
Steve Bowman, Founder & President of BizClarity
Steve Bowman, “The Pitch Doctor” and President of BizClarity, is an
expert in financial and technical presentations, particularly in helping
entrepreneurial companies prepare pitches for venture funding. He is a
business writer and has written and published two books.
Unlike most presentation coaches, Steve works with the content of the
presentation, not just the delivery. He helps clients find and focus the
essence of their business –the core story—and then shape a persuasive pitch
for venture investment.
Steve holds a degree from Harvard College, and has forty years experience in business, including the
syndication and marketing of real estate investments, teaching, and consulting. He has written and
delivered many corporate workshops and training programs, taught business communication at The
Wharton School and over the last twelve years has contributed his coaching and consulting to all the
major venture fairs in the Mid-Atlantic region.
www.BizClarity.com
12
Profile Company Speakers
Heather Marie, Founder & CEO, 72Lux
Heather Marie is the founder and CEO of 72Lux, Inc., a software technology
company enabling a shoppable layer across digital content and a cloud-based
platform enabling mass product distribution for merchants and brands to tens of
millions of consumers.
Prior to founding 72Lux, Heather was on the founding team at Affinity Labs, a
digital media company that became the largest collection of online professional
communities. While at Affinity Labs she played a critical role in their sales efforts and led the company
display advertising and lead generation sales and business development from the ground up to profitability. In
January 2008, Affinity Labs was acquired by Monster Worldwide (NYSE: MWW). While assisting with the
Affinity Labs and Monster.com post-acquisition integration, Heather expanded her role within Monster first to
lead ad sales for Affinity Labs and FastWeb and then to run national lead generation sales strategy for all five
U.S. divisions of Monster Worldwide.
Heather has also spent over six years working in retail for women’s
clothing retailers such as Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL), Express (Limited Inc.) (NYSE: LTD), and Abercrombie
& Fitch.
She launched her first “venture” at age eleven, an arbitrage business on eBay. She received her undergraduate
degree in Business Administration from a combination of the University of San Francisco and the London
School of Economics.
She previously served as a Board Member for the San Francisco Opera BRAVO! board
as the Social Media and Communications chair.
Heather has spoken at several conferences including Fashinvest Capital Conference, Social Edge Summit and
Decoded Fashion.
Company Profile
72Lux is a software as a service company with patent-pending technology that enables digital publishers to sell
the products they feature in their editorial. With 72Lux’s Shoppable platform, the process of incorporating a
turnkey e-commerce experience is easy and inexpensive, leading to quick profitability from a new revenue
stream.
Susan Aplin, Co-Founder, Bambeco
Susan Aplin is co-founder and CEO of bambeco. Bambeco is Aplin’s brain child
and is the culmination of a successful career at premium retail brands, combined
with her lifelong love for the outdoors, passion for the planet and for making the
world better for all who inhabit it.
Aplin’s career spans 20 years and has included some of the best known and
respected premium retail brands in the industry. Her experience encompasses key
executive roles at Williams Sonoma, Inc., The Gap, The Sports Authority, and
Staples. Affirming her vision and leadership, bambeco was named to Internet Retailer’s HOT 100 in 2009.
While at Williams-Sonoma, she was able to combine her love for home décor and design into her role; she was
responsible for providing leadership for the company’s $1B direct-to-consumer division for all brands
responsible for the company’s future growth. Charged with redefining and reshaping the DTC division, Aplin
played a key role in driving innovation and sales throughout the various lines of business for each of the
company’s brands, Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PB Teen,
and west elm.
13
Profile Company Speakers
In 2002, during a business flight with Williams-Sonoma Founder Chuck Williams, Aplin and Williams
discussed his professional and personal journey to create Williams-Sonoma. During that flight Williams shared
the challenges, ah-ha moments and the high points. He told her, “If you love what you do, the world will fall in
love with you.” After the three hour conversation, Aplin knew one day that she would combine her
professional and personal passions to start a retail brand.
Aplin is no stranger to the start-up and early stage brand arena. She has held senior executive positions at two
ventures that merged successfully into larger brands.
In 2012, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley recognized Aplin and bambeco in his State of the State for her
great work in Maryland. Also in 2012, Smart CEO named Aplin to the list of top CEO’s and recognized her for
her success, leadership and philanthropy. bambeco’s early success in the marketplace is no surprise to the
industry with Aplin at the helm. Aplin plans to change the planet one room at a time.
Company Profile
Bambeco is the home furnishings and décor company where the eco-conscious consumer intersects with home
décor and lifestyle needs. Imagine a home where your values live throughout, where you don’t have to
sacrifice style or quality to live sustainably. At Bambeco, that dream becomes a reality. Bambeco is the leader
in stylish, sustainable furnishings and home décor. All of our products are sustainable; made from recycled,
reclaimed, repurposed, renewable, organic, or natural materials. Every product is a step toward our goal,
changing the world, one room at a time. Launched on Earth Day 2009, bambeco celebrates bamboo, the
planet’s most renewable and versatile resource, and ecology, the essential relationship we have with the
environment. Bambeco is based in Baltimore, MD and backed by New Atlantic Ventures, Maryland Venture
Fund, and a group of environmentally conscious angel investors, including Team in Training founder, Bruce
Cleland. For more, or to shop, go to Bambeco.com
Tanya Shaw, Founder and President, Unique Solutions Design Ltd.
As founder and President of Unique Solutions Design Ltd., Tanya Shaw has spent her
career providing strategic solutions to many aspects of “individuality” and “fit”. Her
technically savvy nature, tenacity and sharp business acumen have resulted in the
development of numerous products and applications that provide both resolutions and
revolutions, related to shopping, body measurement and body data. Through her
leadership, passion and vision, Unique has garnered international attention having
been featured prominently in publications such as the New York Times and People
Magazine and on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN’s Anderson
Cooper 360, The Gail King Show and numerous other television shows, print and
online publications.
Tanya is considered an inspiring and leading technology entrepreneur having won numerous awards
throughout her career including:
• Junior Chamber International Outstanding Young Canadian of the Year Award
• CATA Alliance Sarah Kirke Award – Top Canadian Woman in Hi-Tech
• Top 40 Under 40 Award
• Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Atlantic/Emerging Category
Tanya has served as an active Director on several Boards throughout the years and is currently on the Board of
the Diocesan Franciscan Society as well as the Faculty of Management Advisory Board at Dalhousie
University.
14
Profile Company Speakers
Tanya attended Dalhousie University’s internationally recognized Costume Studies Design Program,
graduating in 1991. She also attended Saint Mary’s University, studying Commerce. Tanya is honored to be a
member of the 2010 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.
Company Profile
Unique Solutions Design Ltd. has been developing innovative fit solutions and technologies since 1994.
The company’s patented body scan system “Me-Ality” (Measured Reality), uses Unique Solutions’ patented
millimeter wave technology and proprietary software to collect more than 200,000 points of reference on the
human body (fully clothed) in just 10 seconds. The result is the world’s largest database of accurate body
measurements that reflect the true size and shape of today’s consumer. The benefits of Unique Solutions can
be applied to numerous industries, including apparel and health & wellness.
With a Me-Ality user base of over one million shoppers, Unique Solutions has Me-Ality Size-Matching
stations in selected Bloomingdale’s locations throughout the United States. Me-Ality’s free shopping service
provides consumers a revolutionary new way to find their best fitting clothing both in-store and online from a
database of over 150+ fashion labels.
After a successful 2012-13 national mall campaign, Unique Solutions is scheduled to launch its’ “Find Your
Fit by Me-Ality” online service in 2014. Utilizing proprietary algorithms and collected body data, the new
service provides a scanner-free fit solution for online shoppers.
For more information about Unique Solutions Design Ltd. and Me-Ality, please visit Me-Ality.com.
Veronika Sonsev, CEO and Founder, inSparq
Veronika Sonsev is the CEO and Founder of inSparq, a company that provides
social merchandising technology to retailers and brands. Her innate knowledge
of retail and social media has driven inSparq to become the social
merchandising leader. Previously, she was an executive at AOL and Jumptap,
where she designed and launched new products, developed foundational
strategic partners for product launches and expanded into international markets.
She is also a cofounder of WIM Accelerator and Women in Wireless. Veronika
earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Economics from
American University. She was recently honored by Fast Company as one of 60 members to The League of
Extraordinary Women. She was named one of the Mobile Women to Watch 2012 by Mobile Marketer and one
of the Top 50 Women to Watch in Tech by Femmeonomics.
Company Profile
inSparq helps retailers accelerate sales with big data. inSparq’s first application is the Social Merchandiser,
which translates social and website activity into real-time trending product recommendations. Innovative
retailers like C. Wonder and Lolly Wolly Doodle are seeing conversion rate increases of 200%+. You can
see it live on Lolly Wolly Doodle. Founders Veronika Sonsev and Richie Hecker are veteran entrepreneurs and
industry influencers. You can also read more about inSparq on TechCrunch and Stores Magazine.
15
Celebrity Moderator
Daymond John, CEO of FUBU
Star of ABC hit show Shark Tank
Changing fashion and the face of American business with
FUBU was only the beginning. What started initially with
unbridled perseverance and a dream of catering to a market
otherwise ignored, quickly transformed into a $350 million
dollar per year business venture, global brand and enterprise.
Daymond John’s creative vision help revolutionize the
sportswear industry in the 90s. As founder, president and chief
executive officer or FUBU – “For Us, By Us” – Daymond
created distinctive and fashionable sportswear and a host of
other related gear. FUBU’s phenomenal success made mainstream apparel companies realize the
potential for fashionable sportswear that appeals not just too trendsetting urban youth but to
mainstream teens as well. The “Godfather of Urban Fashion,” Daymond is also an author and is
one of the most sought after branding experts and motivational speakers in the country.
In 2009, Daymond became co-star on ABC’s hit series Shark Tank, where aspiring
entrepreneurs present their companies to a panel of successful business icons to raise capital.
Daymond invested in several of the companies on the show and has emerged as a spokesman for
active angel investing.
With his deep insight and knowledge carried with unmatched charisma, Daymond is a choice
expert on CNBC’s Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and MSNBC’s Your Business. His TV credits
include appearances on CNBC, CNN, CNNfn, BET News, ABC’s The View, CBS and PBS. He
has also been featured in many publications such as Black Enterprise Magazine, King and Hip
Hop Weekly along with business website Forbes.com. Daymond has a weekly mobile blog
entitled “Display of Power: Point of the Week” for UrbanWorld Wireless.
In 2007, Daymond released his first book, Display of Power, the story of how he built FUBU
into a global fashion power. In 2010, his second book, The Brand Within, examines the loyaltybased relationships that brands and celebrities seek to establish with their customers and fans.
Some of his prestigious awards include: Brand Week Marketer of the Year (1999), Advertising
Age Marketing 1000 Award presented to Daymond for outstanding ad campaign (1999),
NAACP Entrepreneurs of the Year award (1999), Crain’s Business of Forty Under Forty Award
presented to Daymond (2002) and Ernst & Young New York New York Entrepreneur of the
Year award (2003).
16
Hosts and Moderators
George Nemphos, Managing Partner, Duane Morris
George J. Nemphos is the chair of Duane Morris’ Corporate Practice Group and
the managing partner of the firm’s Baltimore office. He is also a member of the
firm’s national governing Partners Board. Mr. Nemphos practices in the areas of
corporate and securities law. He has extensive experience in representing both
private and public companies, venture capitalists, angel investors and private
equity funds. He frequently represents clients in mergers and acquisitions
transactions as well as securities law, compliance and general corporate matters.
Mr. Nemphos’ clients have included emerging businesses, high-tech and telecommunications companies,
private equity and venture capital funds, manufacturing companies, and companies in the capital markets,
life sciences and homeland security industries.
In 2001, Mr. Nemphos was named one of the “40 Under 40″ business leaders in Baltimore by the
Baltimore Business Journal. Mr. Nemphos is a graduate of the 2006 GBC Leadership program, a program
that hand-picks Baltimore area leaders from business, nonprofits and the government to become
strategists for the future of the region. In addition, in September 2008, Institutional Investor named Mr.
Nemphos as one of “10 Rising Stars of Private Equity and M&A Law.” He is also listed in the 2009
edition of Maryland Super Lawyers.
Prior to joining Duane Morris, Mr. Nemphos led a team of lawyers representing a private equity fund in
its acquisition of Captain D’s Restaurant chain; Active Day, Inc.’s acquisition of the Almost Family adult
daycare division; TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.’s acquisition of Xypoint Corporation; and a
multitude of venture capital and private equity deals.
Admitted to practice in Maryland, Mr. Nemphos is a 1994 magna cum laude graduate of the University of
Baltimore School of Law, where he was a member of the Heuisler Honor Society and a member of the
Tax Moot Court team. Mr. Nemphos also holds an LL.M. in Taxation from the Georgetown University
Law Center and is a graduate of Boston University.
Keli Whitlock , Partner, Duane Morris LLP
Keli Whitlock represents clients in connection with corporate and securities
transactions, focusing on venture capital, public and private securities
offerings, mergers and acquisitions and the representation of emerging growth
and middle market companies.
Ms. Whitlock represents a number of leading venture capital firms and angel
investors.
In 2005, Ms. Whitlock was named one of the "40 Under 40" outstanding business leaders in Baltimore by
the Baltimore Business Journal.
Ms. Whitlock is a 1997 graduate, with honors, of the University Of Maryland School Of Law, where she
was elected to the Order of the Coif, and a graduate, with honors, of Goucher College.
17
Hosts and Moderators
Nanette C. Heide, Partner, Duane Morris LLP
Nanette C. Heide practices corporate law in the area of transactions and
general corporate counseling. Ms. Heide represents private equity and venture
capital investors, multinational and domestic corporations (public and private),
in a wide spectrum of corporate finance transactions, including private equity
and venture capital investments, institutional private placements, cross-border
transactions, debt and equity structuring transactions, mergers and
acquisitions, reverse mergers, joint ventures and strategic alliances. She also
has experience in fund formation of both private equity and hedge funds.
Ms. Heide serves as outside counsel for many mid-sized companies on issues of corporate governance,
securities law compliance, general commercial transactions and disclosure issues. Her clients span a wide
variety of industries, from pharmaceutical and medical technology to communications, media and
Internet-based businesses and companies in the retail and consumer products industries, including fashion
and apparel.
Ms. Heide previously served as general counsel and chief financial officer of two technology companies.
She is a 1990 graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law, where she was editor in chief of
Washington and Lee Law News, and is a graduate of West Virginia University.
Glen Podhorzer, Partner, WeiserMazars
Glen specializes in providing accounting, auditing and management advisory
services to clients in a diverse range of industries. He also has extensive
experience working with troubled companies in various industries in
analyzing operations and developing and implementing strategic plans to help
in the restructuring and turnaround of companies. He has worked on numerous
forensic and litigation support engagements for attorneys and insurance
companies and has acted as an expert witness at arbitration. He has also
worked on several fraud and criminal tax matters, assisting attorneys for
various defendants in a forensic and strategic capacity, resulting in favorable outcomes for the defendants.
Glen received his BS in Accounting from Brooklyn College. He is currently affiliated with the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Glen has made presentations to numerous banks and lending institutions about “Business Turnaround &
Restructuring.” He also runs a seminar called the Best Practices in the Footwear Industry for the Fashion
Footwear Association of New York (FANY). He was published in Apparelmag.com for “Strategies For
Survival” in January 2009 and he was also published in the article “Employee Fraud in Today’s
Economic Climate” for the White Collar Crime Fighter newsletter in May 2008.
Jonathan Rothman, Partner, Deloitte
Jonathan is an Audit Partner based in New York, NY with over twenty years
of experience serving the retail and consumer business industries. He also
serves as the National Professional Practice Director for Learning and
Development in the Retail sector. Jonathan is a Tri-State Consumer Business
Industry Leader and a National Retail Core Industry Team. As the lead
partner for his clients, Jonathan delivers service by using his technical
18
Hosts and Moderators
knowledge and business acumen. Jonathan works with management to assist them with solutions to
complex issues.
Joseph P. Welter, Partner, Deloitte
Joe Welter is a Senior Partner in the Retail and Consumer Products Industry
Practice which provide multi-functional services to Retailers, Wholesalers,
Consumer Product Goods and Service companies. Previously, Joe was the
Partner In Charge of the New Jersey audit function of Deloitte & Touche LLP,
which encompassed more than 270 professionals serving numerous industries
and is among Deloitte & Touche’s 10 largest audit practices.
Joe has over thirty-six years of experience in public accounting, including 24 as a partner. He has served a
wide variety of public and private companies, including multinational corporations engaged in consumer
business, professional services, and pharmaceuticals; significant experience in mergers and acquisitions,
joint ventures, and alliances.
He has served as the Lead Client Service Partner and Advisory Partner overseeing attest and non-attest
services. Joe also served as the Lead Partner for the worldwide audit of a private professional services
firm with revenues in excess of $21.0 billion and operations in more than 140 countries.
Joe received his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Montclair University, is active in the
community including serving as a board member and Treasurer for the Metro New Jersey Chapter of the
National MS Society.
Linsey Bozzelli, Partner, Blank Rome
Linsey Bozzelli concentrates her practice in the area of business and corporate
law, including: mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, private equity and
venture capital funding transactions, general corporate, partnership, and
limited liability company transactions and counseling, joint ventures and
strategic alliances, financing transactions, business formation and planning
contract drafting and negotiations, securities matters (including public and
private equity and debt offerings) and counseling and formation of nonprofit
organizations.
Ms. Bozzelli serves as Chair of the Firm’s Philadelphia Attorney Recruiting Committee and as a member
of the Firm’s Diversity Committee.
Since joining the Firm, Ms. Bozzelli has been actively involved in many of the Firm’s pro bono
initiatives, including representing several nonprofit organizations, as well as various clients in connection
with their petitions for asylum and citizenship in the United States. Outside of her work at the Firm, Ms.
Bozzelli is actively involved in community and volunteer initiatives with her alma mater, the Temple
University Beasley School of Law, and the Philadelphia neighborhood where she lives with her family. In
2012, Ms. Bozzelli was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.
19
Hosts and Moderators
Robert Fesnak, Managing Partner, Fesnak and Associates
Robert Fesnak is the managing partner of Fesnak and Associates, LLP. Bob
has developed an extensive background in audit, accounting, tax, valuation
and financial consulting for many public and middle market companies. He
has over 30 years of experience with concentrations in the manufacturing,
technology, life science, service, real estate, wholesale, health care, private
equity and leasing industries. His experience has included assisting clients in
the registration of various debt and equity securities with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC), including various SEC filings.
Bob has presented seminars on mergers and acquisitions, business valuations, accounting and related
fields for national accounting firms, universities, the PICPA, various trade and professional organizations,
and has served as an instructor at a major financial institution. Bob has been quoted in the Business Week
SmallBiz publication and has authored an article for the “Capital Growth Interactive’s Venture Guide”
on valuing technology companies. Bob authored a chapter on valuing life science companies in the book
“How To Start And Grow A Life Sciences Company”. Bob has also appeared on “Money Matters,” a
financial-oriented cable program, discussing various financial planning strategies and “Venture Talk,” a
radio program. He has been quoted in various publications including Business Week SmallBiz.
Bob has extensive experience providing accounting, consulting and valuation services to public and
closely-held companies. He has assisted companies with capital and operational budgets, cash flow
forecasts, evaluations of cost accounting methods and business valuations. Bob has experience with the
Principals of Lean Manufacturing. In addition, Bob has provided merger and acquisition services to both
acquiring and target companies.
Bob received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and his Master of Business Administration
from Temple University, both with honors. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Public
Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Bob is a Certified Valuation
Analyst and a member of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts. Bob is also a member
of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants and is a former member of the Board of Directors
for the Institute of Management Accountants (Philadelphia Chapter). Bob is a member of American
College of Forensic Examiners and has received the designation “Fellow, American Board of Forensic
Accounting”. Bob is a former adjunct professor in the Executive MBA Program at the University of
Sciences in Philadelphia (USP). Bob is a member of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania
Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) – Greater Philadelphia Chapter.
Bob is a former member of the investment committee for the Penn SE Mezzanine Fund, L.P., which
provided mezzanine financing to middle market companies. He is on the Board of Directors and
Chairman of the Audit Committee for a hedge fund. Bob is also on the Board of Directors and Chairman
of the Audit Committee for Eagle National Bank. He is a member of the Ethics Committee for Olympus
America, Inc.
20
Hosts and Moderators
Robin Lewis, CEO & Editor, Robin Report, Inc.
Robin Lewis is the founder and CEO of The Robin Report. He is an author,
speaker, and consultant for the retail and consumer products industries.
Previously, he was Vice President at Goldman Sachs, where he developed and
launched a global retail consulting practice. Prior to Goldman Sachs, as Vice
President and Executive Editor of Women's Wear Daily, he expanded its
mission and strategically positioned the company as a business information
provider, expanding the franchise into conferences, (WWD CEO Summits),
trade shows, and syndicated and proprietary reports and research.
He is frequently requested by C-level management for advice, consultation and strategic presentations:
among them are Kohl’s, Bloomingdale’s, JC Penney, Macy’s, Liz Claiborne, VF Corp., Charming
Shoppes, Estee Lauder, Ralph Lauren, and Sara Lee, as well as financial firms such as Bear Stearns, The
Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs and others.
He is the co-author of The New Rules of Retail, published by Palgrave- McMillan, and is often quoted in
various trade and consumer publications such as Women’s Wear Daily, Time Magazine, Chicago Sun
Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Brand Week, and Advertising Age, as well as on CNBC,
ABC and Fox News.
Earlier in his career he held executive positions in strategic planning, business development, and brand
and marketing management at DuPont, VF Corporation and Grey Advertising.
He served on the Board of Directors for the Fashion Group International, and on the Advisory Board of
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and has served on the Board of Governors for the Fashion Institute of
Technology and Parson’s School of Design. His also an adjunct Professor for FIT’s Global Fashion
Management Program
He holds a BS degree in business administration from Northwestern University with a special field of
study in journalism from their Medill School.
Stephen Wyss , CPA, Partner, CohnReznick
Stephen M. Wyss, CPA, is a partner at CohnReznick and leads the Retail and
Consumer Products Industry Practice in the New York office. He has more
than 15 years of accounting experience working with companies of all sizes,
from start-ups to international Fortune 500 companies.
Stephen provides audit and accounting services to clients in a variety of
industries including retail and consumer products, apparel and fashion, media
and entertainment, manufacturing, and life sciences. He has specific expertise
in merger and acquisition transactions, public and private debt and equity offerings, and auditing internal
controls over financial reporting.
Prior to joining CohnReznick, Stephen was a partner and the leader of the New York Retail and
Consumer Products Group at a large national accounting firm.
21
Hosts and Moderators
Stuart A. Nussbaum, CPA Partner, WeiserMazars
Stuart, as the Consumer Products Group Leader, has more than 20 years of
experience providing accounting, auditing, tax and consulting services to
business enterprises. He regularly consults with clients with regard to issues
such as budgeting and forecasting, operations assessment, internal controls,
benchmarking, and product and customer profitability. In addition, Stuart has
performed numerous royalty and contract compliance examinations and
consulting with regard to licensing arrangements, and preservation of brand
image and brand integrity.
Stuart received his BS in Accounting from the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University. Stuart
is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a Charter member of the
Apparel and Textile Accountants and Consultants (ATAC) Network and a Board Member of the On Our
Way Learning Center and Mesivta Ateres Yaakov.
Ted Rosen, Partner-Venture Practice, Fox Rothschild
Ted, who serves as Administrative Partner for the firm’s New York
Corporate Practice and Chair of the New York Metropolitan Corporate
Securities Practice, has more than 25 years of experience in corporate
law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and
securities law. He counsels large established and emerging growth
companies in mergers, management buyouts, recapitalizations, roll-ups
and growth strategies, as well as in matters related to structuring,
organization, financing, employment and compensation. He advises clients on the development,
protection, licensing and distribution of their products, technologies and services.
Ted’s experience also extends to securities law and includes representation of:
•
•
•
•
Public companies in SEC reporting and compliance matters, including periodic and
current reporting requirements, Section 16 matters, proxy statement disclosure
requirements and annual meeting matters;
Private and public companies in registered and unregistered equity and debt financing
transactions, including initial public offerings, registered follow-on and secondary
offerings, venture financings, PIPEs and Rule 144A offerings;
Public and private targets and acquirers in mergers and acquisitions, including publicpublic, public-private and private-private mergers, stock sales and asset sales; and
Public companies in corporate governance and related matters, including initial and
continued listing matters.
Ted counsels emerging growth companies seeking venture capital—from seed capital to laterstage financings. Drawing on his contacts and relationships in the angel financing, venture
capital, private equity, hedge fund and banking communities, he helps get his clients the
introductions and referrals they need to raise capital. He helps build superior companies that
maximize returns for the entrepreneur, investors and key contributors.
22
Hosts and Moderators
Veronika Sonsev, CEO & Founder, inSparq
Veronika Sonsev is the CEO and Founder of inSparq, a company that
provides social merchandising technology to retailers and brands. Her innate
knowledge of retail and social media has driven inSparq to become the social
merchandising leader. Previously, she was an executive at AOL and Jumptap,
where she designed and launched new products, developed foundational
strategic partners for product launches and expanded into international
markets. She is also a cofounder of WIM Accelerator and Women in Wireless.
Veronika earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania and a BA in Economics from American University. She was recently honored by Fast
Company as one of 60 members to The League of Extraordinary Women. She was named one of the
Mobile Women to Watch 2012 by Mobile Marketer and one of the Top 50 Women to Watch in Tech by
Femmeonomics.
inSparq helps retailers accelerate sales with big data. inSparq’s first application is the Social
Merchandiser, which translates social and website activity into real-time trending product
recommendations. Innovative retailers like C. Wonder and Lolly Wolly Doodle are seeing conversion rate
increases of 200%+. You can see it live on Lolly Wolly Doodle. Founders Veronika Sonsev and Richie
Hecker are veteran entrepreneurs and industry influencers. You can also read more about inSparq
on TechCrunch and Stores Magazine.
Aslaug Magnusdottir, Former CEO & Co-Founder, Moda Operandi
Áslaug Magnúsdottír, Icelandic business woman and entrepreneur, is the
Co-Founder and former chief executive officer of Moda Operandi and a CoFounder of TSM Capital. Dubbed one of the “100 Most Creative People in
Business” by Fast Company, and among the “Next Establishment” by
Vanity Fair, she has lived and worked in the worlds of finance and fashion
throughout the US, Europe and the Middle East, and is known as a
visionary leader in the fashion industry worldwide. A Fulbright Scholar,
she became the first Icelandic women to earn an MBA from Harvard
Business School, and holds an LL.M from Duke University School of Law and a Candidate of Law
degree from the University of Iceland. She was nominated by the Minister of Education, Science and
Culture as the Chairwoman of the National Ballet Company of Iceland.
23
FashInvest Advisory Board
George Nemphos, Secretary of Advisory Board
George J. Nemphos is the chair of Duane Morris’ Corporate Practice Group and
the managing partner of the firm’s Baltimore office. He is also a member of the
firm’s national governing Partners Board. Mr. Nemphos practices in the areas of
corporate and securities law. He has extensive experience in representing both
private and public companies, venture capitalists, angel investors and private
equity funds. He frequently represents clients in mergers and acquisitions
transactions as well as securities law, compliance and general corporate matters.
Mr. Nemphos’ clients have included emerging businesses, high-tech and telecommunications companies,
private equity and venture capital funds, manufacturing companies, and companies in the capital markets,
life sciences and homeland security industries.
In 2001, Mr. Nemphos was named one of the “40 Under 40″ business leaders in Baltimore by the
Baltimore Business Journal. Mr. Nemphos is a graduate of the 2006 GBC Leadership program, a program
that hand-picks Baltimore area leaders from business, nonprofits and the government to become
strategists for the future of the region. In addition, in September 2008, Institutional Investor named Mr.
Nemphos as one of “10 Rising Stars of Private Equity and M&A Law.” He is also listed in the 2009
edition of Maryland Super Lawyers.
Prior to joining Duane Morris, Mr. Nemphos led a team of lawyers representing a private equity fund in
its acquisition of Captain D’s Restaurant chain; Active Day, Inc.’s acquisition of the Almost Family adult
daycare division; TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.’s acquisition of Xypoint Corporation; and a
multitude of venture capital and private equity deals.
Admitted to practice in Maryland, Mr. Nemphos is a 1994 magna cum laude graduate of the University of
Baltimore School of Law, where he was a member of the Heuisler Honor Society and a member of the
Tax Moot Court team. Mr. Nemphos also holds an LL.M. in Taxation from the Georgetown University
Law Center and is a graduate of Boston University.
Robin Lewis, Chairman of Advisory Board
Robin Lewis is the founder and CEO of The Robin Report. He is an author,
speaker, and consultant for the retail and consumer products industries.
Previously, he was Vice President at Goldman Sachs, where he developed and
launched a global retail consulting practice. Prior to Goldman Sachs, as Vice
President and Executive Editor of Women's Wear Daily, he expanded its
mission and strategically positioned the company as a business information
provider, expanding the franchise into conferences, (WWD CEO Summits),
trade shows, and syndicated and proprietary reports and research.
He is frequently requested by C-level management for advice, consultation and strategic presentations:
among them are Kohl’s, Bloomingdale’s, JC Penney, Macy’s, Liz Claiborne, VF Corp., Charming
Shoppes, Estee Lauder, Ralph Lauren, and Sara Lee, as well as financial firms such as Bear Stearns, The
Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs and others.
He is the co-author of The New Rules of Retail, published by Palgrave- McMillan, and is often quoted in
various trade and consumer publications such as Women’s Wear Daily, Time Magazine, Chicago Sun
24
FashInvest Advisory Board
Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Brand Week, and Advertising Age, as well as on
CNBC, ABC and Fox News.
Earlier in his career he held executive positions in strategic planning, business development, and brand
and marketing management at DuPont, VF Corporation and Grey Advertising.
He served on the Board of Directors for the Fashion Group International, and on the Advisory Board of
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and has served on the Board of Governors for the Fashion Institute of
Technology and Parson’s School of Design. His also an adjunct Professor for FIT’s Global Fashion
Management Program
He holds a BS degree in business administration from Northwestern University with a special field of
study in journalism from their Medill School.
Denise Seegal, Vice Chairman of Advisory Board
Denise Seegal is a strategic global leader and CEO with proven
success in brand building and management across multiple channels
of distribution in the fashion industry for over 30 years. Her expertise
in product development, merchandising, and consumer focused
marketing, and talent development has positively impacted the
growth of apparel, accessory, and designer lifestyle companies
including Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne, and
Nautica. She is currently consulting for Financo and several private
equity groups. Ms. Seegal is also serving on the boards of Parsons
The New School, LIM College, The Fashion Group International,
The Head of the Charles, The EWIF Advisory board at FIT, and is an
active member of The New York Women’s Forum.
In her last role as President of VF Corporation – Sportswear Coalition, she revitalized the iconic Nautica
brand and drove the growth strategy by elevating the brand, product, marketing, licensing, and geographic
expansion. Formerly Ms. Seegal was CEO of Sweetface Fashion, where she leveraged the JLO celebrity
brand for Jennifer Lopez by expanding into ten licensed product categories including fragrances with
Coty. As President of Liz Claiborne Inc., Ms. Seegal drove the transformation of the core Liz Claiborne
brand across all consumer touch points and led the development of a multi- branded, multi-channel
diversified portfolio strategy which including acquisitions of Sigrid Olsen, Lucky Brand Jeans, Laundry,
and Monet as well as the startups of DKNY Jeans, Active, and Juniors, Kenneth Cole New York and
Reaction, Crazy Horse for JC Penney, and Nikki Taylor for Target.
Ms. Seegal also was the founding President of DKNY and launched 6 divisions in 6 years, collaborating
with Donna Karan on the lifestyle brand vision. Prior to this she was Executive Vice President of Ralph
Lauren Womenswear. Ms. Seegal began her career at Bloomingdales and was fortunate to have Marvin
Traub as her mentor.
25
FashInvest Advisory Board
Don Franceschini, Founding Chairman of Advisory Board
Donald J. Franceschini retired as Vice Chairman and a Director of the Sara Lee Corporation (NYSE:SLE). He
had global responsibility as CEO for the $7.5 billion Personal Products line of businesses, which included such
brands as Hanes, Champion, Coach, Bali, Leggs, Dim, Wonderbra, Filodoro, and a number of international
brands marketed in 26 countries. Additionally, he oversaw the corporation’s legal and human resources
functions.
Prior to joining Sara Lee in 1991, he was one of three partners who acquired Playtex in the $1.25 billion
leveraged buyout and subsequently served as President of Playtex Apparel. Sara Lee acquired Playtex Apparel
in 1991. Mr. Franceschini rose through the executive ranks and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of
Sara Lee Personal Products, and later that year he was elected Executive Vice President and a member of the
board of directors. During his period as CEO from 1994-1998, Sara Lee Personal Product sales increased by
$1 billion, operating profits increased by $200 million and ROI improved by 30%.
Mr. Franceschini is an active member in the entrepreneurial community and is an investor in and has served on
the Board of Directors of numerous emerging companies throughout the world. He is also an investor in
Innovation Ventures and ARC Angel Fund in NYC and served Chairman of the Delaware Innovation Fund.
An active member of his community, Mr. Franceschini has served as a member of the Chicago Council on
Foreign Relations, the Board of Trustees of Rush Presbyterian – St. Luke’s Medical Center and the Board of
Trustees of Christiana Care Hospital System. He was also on the Board of Visitors of Wake Forest University,
and served as Past President of the Delaware American Institute of Industrial Engineers.
He has a long list of speaking engagements to national groups on a variety of topics around branding,
management, leadership and innovation. Mr. Franceschini earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial
Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Temple University in
Philadelphia.
Yolanda M. Wardowski, Managing Director, Avalon Group, Ltd.
Yolanda has 15+ years experience executing Mergers and Acquisitions and advising on various corporate
finance and strategic advisory issues for clients and companies in the Consumer Products & Retail sectors.
This includes completing corporate divestitures, private and public company sales, raising private equity
capital, acquisitions and general advisory mandates providing companies, family businesses, CEOs and
entrepreneurs with advice on various strategic issues.
Prior to joining Avalon Group, Ltd. in 2007, Yolanda was a Vice President in J.P. Morgan's M&A/Corporate
Finance group focusing exclusively on the Consumer Products and Retail sectors, and served as an advisor to
J.P. Morgan's corporate office M&A group. Yolanda has also held senior positions at Ernst & Young Capital
Advisors and 94th Street Capital
Yolanda is on the Advisory Board of Directors for the Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT) Graduate Global
Fashion Management School. She is also a Business Advisor to CFDA {Fashion Incubator}, FashInvest, Astia,
The Tory Burch Foundation, Springboard Enterprises and Fashion Fellows. She is a frequent speaker, panelist
and guest lecturer at various consumer and retail industry events. She serves as a Director in Plum Perfect (a
consumer technology company) and Frontier Innovations Foundation. Yolanda holds an Honors B.A. degree in
Finance/Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
26
Presenting Companies
Basico
Rua Augusta 1977 conj 31,
Cerqueira Cesar
Sao Paulo, 0 01413-000, Brazil
E: [email protected]
W: www.basico.com
P: +5511981338235
Management
Alexandre Veiga, CEO/founder
Dedé Bevilaqua, Head of Product
Design
Tiago Motta
Industry
Branded Goods
Funding to Date
$500,000-$1M
Basico
Basico.com is the leading online-only basic apparel brand serving an
underserved Brazilian market. Brazil’s first online-only premium basic
apparel brand, Basico sells quality male and female apparel, ranging from
t-shirts, polos, tank-tops, leggings and other basics sourced globally. The
site offers high quality at fair prices and is continuously expanding the
product line based on the best materials and processes available. Basico’s
team believes living basic is a state of mind and has developed a new
brand with a fun, product and function-centric approach to engaging its
customers.
Produced mainly in Peru the products Basico.com offers are manufactured
in the same factories used by big name brands such as Abercrombie and
Fitch, Polo Ralph Lauren and Lacoste, which guarantees that quality will
be offered to its customers. Basico has in its favor the local connections
and manufacturing know-how necessary to make a business work in its
native land of Brazil.
Investors
Founders
Brayola
231 west 25th street, Apt. J6
NYC, NY 10001
P: (718)-688-9931
E: [email protected]
W: www.braoyola.com
Management
Orit Hashay, CEO/founder
Industry
Commerce Technologies
Funding to Date
$1-$25,000
Investors
Private Equity
Brayola
Brayola is reinventing the way women shop for items that are difficult to
buy-like bras and swimsuits, which have to fit them perfectly. Brayola
gives women highly customized and personalized recommendations
based on their own history, wisdom of the crowd and the site’s
algorithms. Relying on technology and not essentially being a bra brand,
allows Brayola to become a trusted source. All new and old brands can
be included in the site’s marketplace, which makes Brayola a unique
player in the market. Since the site’s launch, Brayola’s team has crowdsourced the largest bra database in the world. Gaining over 400,000
happy members, of which over 65 percent return, and active with a high
conversion rate to buy, Brayola is poised to become a leading site in the
bra and swimsuit markets.
Leveraging big data and crowd sourcing in order to achieve the perfect fit
and courting Brayola’s strong community of women who have no time to
shop, Brayola offers its shoppers deals on the best bras and swimsuits on
the web, while rewarding its most loyal shoppers with points.
27
Presenting Companies
Ethica
Ethica
4615 Center Blvd., #204
Long Island City, NY 11109
P: (786)-216-4782
E:
[email protected]
W: www.shopethica.com
Management
Carolina Cantor, Co-Founder
and Editorial Director
Melissa Cantor, Co-Founder
and Fashion Director
Rod Ruiz, Creative Director
Industry
Fashion
Funding to Date
$75,000
Ethica is an e-tailer where consumers can shop a high-style selection of
ethical and sustainable labels. Consumers are increasingly aware of
issues like carcinogens in clothing and the environmental impact of the
fashion industry- the world’s biggest polluter after oil and sweatshop
labor conditions, which claimed more than 1,000 lives in a single, highly
publicized fire this year. They want healthier, environmentally friendly
and ethically made fashion. Movements such as Made in the U.S.A. and
Made in Europe are also taking hold. Founded by a trio with backgrounds
in fashion, editorial and luxury marketing, SHOPETHICA.COM is a first-tomarket site that makes ethical fashion appealing and accessible with a
roster of leading brands and integrated, shoppable editorial content.
With a target market of women who are environmentally and socially
conscious consumers, Ethica is unique in offering integrated, “shoppable”
content with an exclusive focus on womenswear. The site’s execution, a
product the Ethica team’s combined experience is the site’s top
advantage.
Investors
Family & Friends
Fashion Advance
244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200
New York, NY 10001
P: (646)-588-0135
E:
[email protected]
m
W: www.fashionadvance.com
Management
Arthur Mandel, Co-founder
Corey Stanford, Co-Founder
Kerry Bannigan, Co-Founder
Industry
Fashion
Funding to Date
$100,000
Investors
Blazetrak & Founders
Fashion Advance
Fashion Advance is an online platform that provides direct access to
fashion industry experts. Breaking into the fashion industry is a
cumbersome and expensive process thatrequires a lot of time, energy
and sheer luck. The goal of Fashion Advance is to alleviate this process
by connecting those who aspire to be in the fashion industry directly
with accomplished fashion industry professionals through the use of
technology. Imagine an up-and-coming fashion designer from Australia
connecting directly with an established designer in New York to seek
advice and guidance or an aspiring model from Greenville, SC
connecting directly with a top modeling agency in Paris to submit
photos and be considered for a modeling contract- all from the comfort
of their home.
All of these connections will take place virtually through Fashion
Advance’s platform, allowing individuals to submit material-photos,
videos, and documents- directly to the experts to be evaluated for a
fee or free. The experts will have the ability to review these
submissions and respond to individuals directly.
28
Presenting Companies
Fashionism
Fashionism
2527 33rd St, Suite 1F
Astoria, NY 11102
P: (917-)407-8599
E: [email protected]
W: www.fashionism.com
Management
Amit Khera, Founder/CEO
Industry
Fashion Tech
Funding to Date
$130,000
Investors
Dixon Chen
Flat Out of Heels
1521 Alton Road, #592
Miami Beach, FL 33139
P: (786)-853-6981
E: [email protected]
W: www.flatoutofheels.com
Management
Dawn Dickson, Founder & CEO
Brandan Craft, Brand Director
Industry
Fashion Tech
Funding to Date
$230,000
Investors
Founders, Family & Friends
Fashionism.com is a state-of-the-art online shopping service portal that
enables members to earn cash rewards on purchases made at a
selected list of affluent lifestyle and branded fashion apparel online
stores. Enrolling as a member of Fashionism is free of charge. As a
facilitator for members to shop their favorite online stores or discover
new brands, Fashionism provides the timely, customized and relevant
cash reward programs through emails, mobile devices and social media
platforms. Fashionism’s unique artificial intelligence system is capable of
learning customer preferences and minimizing unnecessary spam to its
members.
Members of Fashionism are not required to provide credit card
information and all customers’ personal information will not be sold or
rented to any third party under any conditions. Serving as the affiliate to
these online stores, Fashionism receives a fee for referrals. For
shoppers, earning back a portion of their purchases as cash back is
straightforward. Members of Fashionism shop these sites, and
Fashionism is paid a commission. Fashionism then splits a portion of
that commission with its member.
Flat Out of Heels
Flat Out of Heels is the creator of the “Flat Out”™ rollable flat and the
“Flat Out”™ shoe vending machine. The rollable flats can be discretely
carried for emergencies or worn all stay for stylish, durable comfort.
Placed in venues like airports, nightclubs, malls and hotels where many
women are wearing heels, the vending machines make it convenient to
get emergency shoes when needed. Step out of the high heels, slip into a
pair of “Flat Outs”™ and go.
Flat Out of Heels are currently sold online, in 13 boutiques nationwide and
carried in vending machines at the Atlanta airport and three nightclubs in
Miami. Since May 2012, close to 14,000 pairs of Flat Out of Heels have
been sold. Flat Out of Heels has a competitive advantage with the hard
durable soles, the machine washable fabric and the proprietary
distribution. Flat Out of Heels is unique because the Flat Out of Heels
vending machines accept credit cards and provide women with aching feet
and beyond, durable red bottoms that distinguish our shoe from all
competitors.
29
Presenting Companies
LiveLux.com
LiveLux.com
250 Greenwich ST, #46
New York, NY 10007
P: (646)-801-0401
E: [email protected]
W: www.LiveLux.com
Management
Tamir Oren, CEO
Debbie Kiederer, CSO
Jonas Aaberg, VP R&D
Industry
Commerce Technologies
Funding to Date
$200,000
Investors
Founders, Family & Friends
Closing the gap between e-commerce and the in-store shopping
experience, LiveLux provides high-end retailers the tools to develop and
enhance client relationships, deliver real-time service for clients anywhere
they are, while increasing brand sales and integrity. LiveLux is a SaaS
solution delivered as a mobile app, used by sales associates to conduct
remote sale sessions. For years, luxury brands have been looking for ways
to deliver an exceptional shopping experience directly to their valued
customers – wherever they may be. The gap between the superior instore customer experience and the e-commerce experience has continued
to grow as luxury shoppers change their purchasing behaviors and ways of
communicating.
LiveLux.com uses brand assets and state of the art technology, customers
enjoy a one-one-one relationship with sales associates who converse with
their clients in real time and create personalized collections based on each
client’s desires and dreams. With LiveLux, luxury retailers can extend their
sales and marketing outreach to service clients wherever they are,
building deeper, customer-centric relationships that bring the high-end
shopping experience to their clients at home, at work, or on the go.
LoveThatFit
Darden iLab UVA, 100 Darden
Blvd
Charlottesville, VA 22902
P: (646)-737-2704
E: [email protected]
W: beta.lovethatfit.com
Management
Gina Mancuso, Founder
James Walker, CTO
Julianne Applegate, Fit Expert
Industry
Fashion Tech
Funding to Date
$400,000
Investors
Convenient Capital, Angel
Investors, Founders, Family &
Friends
LoveThatFit
LoveThatFit is a virtual 'Fitting' technology that enables shoppers to see
the actual fit, look and size of clothing all from uploading a full body photo
with no extra equipment needed. The site’s technology integrates with
leading retailers and supports all online and in-store shopping, and in
addition is social and works on any smartphone, tablet or computer.
Shoppers can try on 20 times the amount of clothing in the same time and
see their exact size, saving time and money. Retailers licensing
LoveThatFit’s 'Fit' technology will benefit from decreased returns,
improved inventory control and increased customer loyalty, while
accumulating valuable data including fashion preferences and shopping
behaviors.
LoveThatFit differs from the competition because the site brings together
the visual experience and fit for both in-store and online shopping. LTF
selects a shopper’s size and is smart- the more one shops, the more the
site is able to understand what the shopper needs. LoveThatFit’s
proprietary system combines specifications unique to each garment with
fit match points unique to each customer, while recognizing style and fit
preferences to assure the ideal fit for every customer every time.
30
Presenting Companies
Madison Plus Select
33 Nassau Ave, 2nd Floor, Unit
80
Brooklyn, NY 1122
P: (617)-529-0601
E: [email protected]
W:
www.madisonplusselect.com
Management
David Wechsler, CEO
Aimee Cheshire, President and
Founder
Industry
Fashion
Funding to Date
$950,000
Madison Plus Select
Madison Plus Select is a leading online retailer of plus size fashion. The
company is already recognized as a prominent voice of the plus size
fashion community, launching off the success of the company's pioneering
blog, MadisonPlus.com, which achieved a run rate of nearly 1 million
readers by the end of 2012. Even though over 60 percent of America
woman are plus size, the market has been neglected. Designers and
manufacturers see the opportunities, but the channel is still scared about
the "stigma" associated with the plus size customer.
Madison Plus Select is at the forefront of bucking this trend. As both a
content destination as well as an online retailer, the site provides
consumers options for the pent-up demand for plus size fashion. The
company prides itself on its category specific e-commerce by providing
highly curated products from global manufacturers. Madison Plus Select’s
longevity in the market, along with an established customer base that
trusts the work of the site, gives an unmatched level of genuineness. The
company’s management team’s unique combination of market as well as
startup and tech expertise gives it an edge over the competition.
Investors
Angel Investors, Founders,
Family & Friends
Now in Store
Now in Store
4887 Saint-Urbain
Montreal, QC H2T2W1, Canada
P: (514)-583-5660
E:
[email protected]
W: www.nowinstore.com
Management
Charles Brun, CEO
Kwaku Zigah, CTO
Adrien Niblock, CPO
Industry
Fashion Tech
Funding to Date
$50,000
Investors
Real Ventures
Now In Store is a sales tool for designers and creators. With its solution,
designers can import their products from their existing e-commerce
platforms in order to create beautiful catalogs of their products. These
catalogs can be fully customized for retail clients and sent either as a PDF,
a printed catalog or a digital catalog. The site currently has 4,000
designers using the Now In Store sales tool at a rate of 1,300 additional
designers per month and 7 percent of those designers become monthly
paying customers.
The Now In Store platform was built in a very flexible way to rapidly
integrate with any e-commerce platform in a matter of hours. The site is
integrated with Etsy, Shopify and Storenvy and will be adding DaWanda
next. This allows Now in Store to scale easily and acquire users very
quickly. Now In Store’s engineers have also built a back-end engine which
analyzes the data pulled from all the designers that sign in with their
existing solutions. Doing this gives Now in Store access to valuable data
such as past sales and stock levels, which allows the team at Now In Store
to determine which designers are “hot” and “trending”.
31
Presenting Companies
NUMARI
NUMARI
2100 M St NW, Suite 170-200
Washington, DC 20037
P: (240)-753-3671
E: [email protected]
W: www.numari.com
Management
Komal Kushal Raj, Co-Founder
Arti Anand, Co-Founder
Industry
Fashion Tech
Funding to Date
$50,000
One of the largest problems plaguing the women’s apparel market today is
fit and NUMARI is solving that universal problem. A majority of women are
no longer proportional to standard sizes and have trouble finding clothes
that fit and flatter. Alteration appeals to fewer women, as limited
attributes of a garment can be altered. NUMARI is replacing current
standard sizing, which fails to accommodate women of all body types, with
a custom fit solution. A vertically integrated business, NUMARI executes
this solution at a mass scale by compressing the supply chain and
leveraging technology. The team at NUMARI collaborates with existing
designers for product design and outsources manufacturing.
Along with the site’s “En Route,” editorial content, access to reliable, high
quality and cost-effective overseas manufacturing and unique positioning,
allows NUMARI to leverage the brand value of existing designers, low
fixed costs and influential early customers.
Investors
Founders
Orée
Orée
287 avenue Jean Fourastie
Castelnaudary, 0 11400, France
P: +33682801232
E: [email protected]
W: www.oreedesign.com
Management
Julien Salanave, Co-founder
and CEO
Franck , Co-founder and Chief
Design Officer
Industry
Branded Goods
Funding to Date
Undisclosed
Investors
Founders
Orée is the first inspirational brand in consumer technology. Orée was
born from an observation that modern technology products look very
much alike, are highly impersonal, made from cheap eco-unfriendly
materials and are designed for rapid obsolescence. The team at Orée set
out to do something different- create elegant, durable and personal high
performance technology objects primarily crafted from the finest natural
materials. The Orée team designs, crafts and sells a line of distinctive,
personal and lasting tech objects made from the finest natural materialswood, leather and marble. Orée offers customers a radical alternative to
the impersonal and disposable tech products made from cheap materials.
Orée’s competitive advantage lies in its focus not just on product design
but also unique craftsmanship on fine natural materials and in its ability to
customize the products to offer a unique, personal experience. Reconciling
tradition and novelty to create exceptional products through an exclusive
combination of timeless craftsmanship techniques and cutting-edge
technologies is the goal of Orée. All objects offered by Orée are made to
order- they are eco-designed, crafted and hand-finished in France.
32
Presenting Companies
Pinks and Greens
248 Columbia Turnpike,
Building 3, Suite 304
Florham Park, NJ 0793
P: (973)-261-1020
E:
[email protected]
W: www.pinksandgreens.com
Management
Allison Dorst, Founder and
CEO
Nicola Wodlinger, VP
Marketing
Don Jones, Head of Retail
Strategy
Pinks and Greens
Pinks and Greens is an online retailer of stylish sports and activewear
apparel for women. Pinks and Greens was started in late 2009, when
founder Alison Dorst’s own golf apparel shopping frustrations led her to
identify a massive gap in the market. Now 4 years later, with 60 plus
brands and nearly $2.5M of sales, the site has added additional verticals
covering Tennis and Fitness.
The mission of Pinks and Greens is to curate a collection of the most
fashionable women’s apparel for all things active- golf, tennis, yoga,
pilates, running, biking, hiking, leisure, fitness and Zumba regardless of a
woman’s size or shape. Customers have commented on Pinks and Green’s
outstanding customer service, recommended it to their friends and other
groups of women, and lauded the site for providing timely shipping and
quality activewear.
Industry
Fashion
Funding to Date
Undisclosed
Investors
Founders
Rafael Cennamo
141 West 36thth, #22N
New York, NY 10018
P: (917) 353-3486
E: [email protected]
W: rafaelcennamo.com
Management
Rafael Cennamo, Designer,
Owner
Amir Baradaran, CEO, Owner
Robert Taylor, Director of
Sales and Marketing
Rafael Cennamo
Rafael Cennamo is a young and increasingly popular luxury designer brand
with high-end womenswear and bridal apparel. The brand has captured
the attention of many celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Katy Perry,
Kerry Washington, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Beyonce and Carrie Underwood
and has garnered the respect of fashion magazines including Vogue, Elle,
Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Marie Claire and WWD. This year, Rafael
Cennamo has achieved a seven-fold increase in annual sales, an
exponential growth in visibility and distribution channels that has taken
the brand all around the world. Just in the last six months, the brand has
opened over 40 new doors including the finest international and domestic
stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Kleinfeld,
Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
Industry
Fashion
Funding to Date
Undisclosed
Investors
Founders
33
Presenting Companies
Styleocrat
Styleocrat
New Jersey
P (609)-234-2416
E: [email protected]
W: www.styleocr.at
Management
Quentin Robinson, CEO
Wilking Dorrelean, CFO
Industry
Mobile Tech and Apps for the
Fashion Industry
Funding to Date
Undisclosed
Investors
Founders
TheRunthrough
175 Varick Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10014
P: (646)-593-0211
E:
[email protected]
m
W: www.therunthrough.com
Management
Meggan Crum, CEO and CoFounder
Mandy Tang, COO an CoFounder
Herby Raynaud, CTO
Industry
Fashion Tech
Funding to Date
$1.2 M
Styleocrat is a contextually aware mobile shopping platform that merges
product catalogs from multiple retailers together. The team at Styleocrat
works directly with the retailer to get their latest products, prices,
inventory listings and supplemental information into a beautiful, easy to
use app that customers love. Styleocrats (the sites users) use the app to
follow their favorite retailer, save products they love, get alerted when
products they saved are on sale, and follow other Styleocrats who have
similar tastes. Since Styleocrat works directly with retailers it will always
have the latest product links and prices -areas where Pinterest and Svpply
fall short- this merged with a beautifully simplistic interface is a winning
formula for customers looking to make a purchase.
To gain an advantage over the competition, products on Styleocrat come
directly from the retailer allowing the team at Styleocrat to have more
control over the products, prices and links than any other platform.
Styleocrat relies on its users to supply the correct information and correct
product links. Styleocrat has the flexibility to extend into the brick and
mortar space with ease due to our existing deals with retailers.
TheRunthrough
TheRunthrough is a global, digital showroom where 100 plus emerging
and established brands like Gucci, Michael Kors, De Beers, Van Cleef &
Arpels, Donna Karan and Pamela Love promote their products to the most
influential media in the world. TheRunthrough's users include top-tier
editors, stylists and digital tastemakers from VOGUE, Elle, InStyle and
WhoWhatWear and a network that has an aggregated reach of over 350
million consumers spanning the US, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin
America.
Developed by industry experts with deep knowledge and strong
relationships in fashion and technology and partnered, TheRunthrough
provides its users with a highly intuitive, beautiful interface and commands
lengthy site visits - the average media user spends 14 minutes on the site.
With its curated content, TheRunthrough has earned trust from designer
clients and a partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of
America, because the product is built and marketed by former editors who
know exactly what fashion industry insiders need.
Investors
New York Angels, Paul Sethi, Joe
Ferrara, Elsa Berry, Taylor
Tomasi Hill, Karen Harvey
34
Presenting Companies
United By Blue
nd
144 N. 2 St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
P: (508)-292-9427
United By Blue
E: [email protected]
W: www.unitedbyblue.com
United By Blue is an outdoor lifestyle brand of apparel and accessories
focused on ocean and waterway conservation. UBB has direct to consumer
distribution through unitedbyblue.com and a flagship store in Philadelphia.
UBB also has distribution through 300 wholesale accounts, and has
partnerships with brands such as Subaru, Levis, Sperry Top-Sider, Horny
Toad, and LL Bean. UBB sells a line of organic cotton and wool apparel, as
well as a line of waxed canvas bags. Core to UBB's marketing efforts are
the environmental events tied to the brand. For every product sold, UBB
removes 1 pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company
organized cleanups. To date, UBB has hosted 100 cleanups across 22 US
states. Company revenues are over $1m for 2013.
Management
Brian Linton, President
Mike Cangi, VP/Marketing
Joanna Tai, Logistics Manager
Industry
Retail/Fashion
Funding to Date
$630,000
Investors
Angel Group Investors Circle
35