As of 2025, Amoruso is the founder and managing partner of Trust Fund, a venture capital firm that invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups. [14]
eBay store
At age 22, while working as a security guard at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, [15] Amoruso started an eBay store called Nasty Gal Vintage. The name was inspired by a 1975 album by funk singer Betty Davis. [11] [16] The store sold vintage clothing and other secondhand items. The first item she sold was a book she had taken as a teenager. [12] Amoruso handled all aspects of the business herself, including styling, photography, writing product descriptions, and shipping orders, using skills learned in a photography class. [16]
She began the business from her bedroom, [17] and by 2006, Nasty Gal Vintage had grown significantly. After six years, it generated about $1 million in annual revenue. [18] In 2008, Amoruso was banned from eBay for including hyperlinks in customer feedback. She later launched Nasty Gal as a standalone online retail website. [19] Amoruso has said she chose to leave eBay due to policies that prevented sellers from leaving negative feedback for buyers. [20] She was also accused of artificially increasing bids, a claim she has denied. [21]
Nasty Gal
Nasty Gal developed an online following of young women on social media. It quickly grew with revenues increasing from $223,000 in 2008 to almost $23 million in 2011. [2] At the peak of Nasty Gal, it was pulling in 100 million in annual sales, with over 200 employees. [22] The New York Times has called her "a Cinderella of tech". [16] In 2013, Inc. Magazine named her to its 30 under 30 list. [23] Also, in 2013, Business Insider named Sophia Amoruso one of the sexiest CEOs alive. [24]
In 2014, Amoruso's autobiography #GIRLBOSS was published by Portfolio, a Penguin imprint that specializes in books about business. [25] [26] In 2016, it was announced that Netflix would be adapting her autobiography into a television series called Girlboss . [27] Amoruso confirms most of the show was accurate to her life. It was cancelled after one season, as it got a sour response from viewers, saying it was a call to millennial narcissists. [28] [29]
In an interview with Dan Schawbel of Forbes, Amoruso admitted that she was unprepared for the demands of being a CEO, having had no previous leadership experience, and advised that people seeking to launch a business first gain managerial experience at established companies. [30]
On January 12, 2015, Amoruso announced she was stepping down as CEO of Nasty Gal, knowing the company could not continue under the current leadership. [31] In November 2016, the company was reported to be filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with Amoruso resigning as executive chairwoman. [32] The reason for this bankruptcy can be pointed to leadership changes, a "toxic work culture", and poor communication, among other faults. [33] In February 2017, the Boohoo Group purchased Nasty Gal for $20 million, with Nasty Gal remaining in Los Angeles and continuing to produce apparel, shoes, and accessories under its own brand. [34]
In December 2017, Amoruso founded Girlboss Media(#girlboss), a company that creates editorial content, videos, and podcasts aimed at a female audience. [35] Since 2017, Amoruso has held Girlboss Rallies, which are weekend-long instructional events for young entrepreneurs for around $500-$1400. [36]
