Jennifer Fleiss

Last updated
Jennifer Fleiss
Born
Education Yale University (BA), Harvard University (MBA)
Occupation(s)Co-Founder/Head of Business Development, Rent the Runway

Jennifer Fleiss is an American businessperson and co-founder of Rent the Runway, a company focused on the renting of high-end clothing and accessories. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Fleiss grew up in New York City. She graduated cum laude from Yale University with a BA in Political Science in 2005. [2] She later attended Harvard Business School, where she met the future co-founder of Rent the Runway, Jennifer Hyman, and graduated with an MBA in 2009. [3]

Career

Fleiss co-founded Rent the Runway with Jennifer Hyman in 2008. She served as head of business development and as a member of the firm's Board of Directors. She assisted with company-wide infrastructure, project planning, and logistical decisions. [4]

Fleiss started her career crafting long-term company strategy in the Strategic Planning Group at Morgan Stanley. [5] She then moved on to Lehman Brothers’ Asset Management Group, where she was responsible for analyzing business growth opportunities through acquisitions, international expansion, and new product strategies.

In 2017, Fleiss left Rent the Runway to co-founded Jetblack, a text-based concierge shopping service, with Mark Lore, also the co-founder of Jet.com. [6]

In 2021, Fleiss joined Volition Capital. [7]

Awards and honors

Fleiss has received various honors and recognitions, including Fortune’s “40 Under 40” [8] and “Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs”; [9] Forbes’s “Disruptors 2013”; [10] Inc.’s “30 Under 30”; Fast Company’s “Most Influential Women in Technology”; [11] Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” New York Area Regional finalist; [12] and Fashionista.com's “Most Influential People in New York Fashion.” [13]

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References

  1. Moore, Booth, "Rent the Runway heads to Vegas' Cosmopolitan in time for New Year's", "Los Angeles Times", December 17, 2013
  2. "Jennifer Fleiss". INVESTORS - Lanvin Group. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  3. "Rent the Runway Sets Up Shop at Neiman Marcus - Alumni - Harvard Business School". www.alumni.hbs.edu. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
  4. "Jennifer Hyman is part of the BoF 500". The Business of Fashion. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  5. Openshaw, Jennifer. "Rent the Runway's Jennifer Fleiss: From finance to fashion". Marketwatch. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  6. www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2019/10/jennifer-fleiss-is-out-as-ceo-of-walmarts-jetblack.html?page=all . Retrieved 2023-08-21.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. Szkutak, Rebecca. "Rent The Runway Cofounder Jenny Fleiss Joins Volition Capital As Its First Female Partner". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  8. Keating, Caitlin, "40 Under 40", "Fortune", October 17, 2012
  9. Sellers, Patricia, "Fortune's most promising women entrepreneurs" Archived 2014-04-19 at the Wayback Machine , "Fortune", September 13, 2011
  10. Carlyle, Erin, "Disruptors", "Forbes"
  11. Evans, Suzy "The Most Influential Women in Technology 2011 - Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss", "Fast Company", January 10, 2011
  12. "2013 finalists announced", "Ernst and Young"
  13. Sherman, Lauren, "Fashionista 50: The Most Influential People in New York Fashion", "Fashionista", February 8, 2011