Alexandra Wilkis Wilson
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alexandra Wilkis New York City |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB, MBA) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson is an American entrepreneur who co-founded the companies the Gilt Groupe, GlamSquad and Fitz.[1]
Early life
Wilkis Wilson was born in New York City.[2] She attended The Brearley School, Phillips Exeter Academy,[2] Harvard College, where she graduated magna cum laude,[3] and Harvard Business School.[4]
Career
Wilkis Wilson began her career working in investment banking at Merrill Lynch for three years,[2] before returning to Harvard to earn an MBA.[5] She then entered the Louis Vuitton management training program,[5] which included working the sales floor.[6] Subsequently, she worked for two years managing retail operations for Bulgari.[7]
Wilkis Wilson co-founded the Gilt Groupe in 2007,[8] a flashsale company that offers luxury goods for sale at significant discounts, but only for brief windows of time. In 2012, Wilkis Wilson and cofounder Alexis Maybank, a classmate from Harvard Business School, published a book on Gilt's founding, By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop.[9] At one point the company was valued at a billion dollars, making it a "unicorn" (a venture capital slang term for a startup valued at a billion dollars), but sold to Saks Fifth Avenue parent company Hudson’s Bay Company for $250 million in 2016.[10] Wilkis Wilson left the company in 2014.
In September 2014, she became co-founder and CEO of GlamSquad, a mobile styling company.[11] Clients can use an app to book hair and makeup artists for house calls--"the Uber of beauty services."[12] The company had $8 million in sales in the first year, and raised $24 million in funding, as of February 2017.[13] It operates in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC.[14]
In March 2017, Wilkis Wilson launched a startup called Fitz, a service that offers an in-person wardrobe consultation and then follow-up advice on shopping.[15]
Personal life
Wilkis Wilson is married[3] and has two children.[16]
References
- ^ Zarya, Valentina (March 30, 2017). "Gilt Groupe's Alexandra Wilkis Wilson Has a New Venture". Fortune. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ a b c "Meet Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, CEO of GlamSquad and a Woman of Influence". The New York Business Journal. January 19, 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Alexandra Wilkis, Kevin Wilson". The New York Times. 13 May 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Groth, Aimee (April 12, 2012). "Alexandra Wilkis Wilson Couldn't Have Co-Launched Gilt Groupe Without The 9,500 Contacts In Her BlackBerry". Business Insider. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ a b Cain, Molly. "Insider Secrets of Gilt Groupe's Alexandra Wilson". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
- ^ Bryant, Adam (8 October 2015). "Alexandra Wilkis Wilson on the Art of Recovering From a Wrong Note". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Oster, Erik (August 12, 2014). "Gilt Co-Founder Leaves for Startup". AdWeek. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ DeBaise, Colleen (2010-10-19). "Launching Gilt Groupe, A Fashionable Enterprise". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ Heussner, Ki Mae (April 12, 2012). "Gilt Groupe Founders Gab About the Future of Commerce". AdWeek. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
- ^ O'Connor, Clare (January 7, 2016). "Saks Parent Hudson's Bay Buys Gilt Groupe In $250 Million Cash Deal, Will Fold Into Saks Off Fifth". Forbes. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Mochizuki, Takashi (11 August 2014). "Gilt Groupe Co-Founder Takes Aim At The Beauty Business". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Entis, Laura (June 15, 2016). "Glamsquad, the 'Uber of Beauty Services,' Has a New CEO". Fortune. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Marinova, Polina (February 11, 2016). "Gilt Groupe Co-Founder Discusses HBC Saks Acquisition". Fortune. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Lieber, Chavie (31 March 2017). "Your Local Salon Can't Compete With Drybar and Glamsquad". Racked. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Young, Vicki M. (30 March 2017). "New Start-up Fitz Wants to Be in Your Closet". WWD. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ O'Connor, Clare (September 28, 2015). "Beauty, On-Demand: Meet The Women Making Millions Bringing Blowouts To Your Home". Forbes. Retrieved 31 March 2017.