Jennifer Hyman
Jennifer Hyman | |
|---|---|
| Born | New Rochelle, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, business executive |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Rent the Runway |
Jennifer Hyman is a prominent American entrepreneur and the co-founder as well as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Rent the Runway, a business focused on providing rental services for luxury apparel and accessories.
Early life and education
Raised in New Rochelle, New York, Hyman completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences in 2002. She later obtained her MBA from Harvard Business School in 2009, where she connected with Jennifer Fleiss, who would become her partner in founding Rent the Runway.
Career
The inspiration for Rent the Runway came to Hyman in 2008 after noticing her sister’s significant expenditure on a single-use dress. Subsequently, she launched the company with Fleiss in 2009. A key achievement in her professional journey includes taking Rent the Runway public, marking her as the 30th woman to lead a company through an initial public offering and spearheading the first publicly traded firm with women occupying the CEO, COO, and CFO roles simultaneously.
Prior to establishing Rent the Runway, Hyman held leadership roles such as managing online advertising sales at weddingchannel.com, initiating Starwood Hotels’ inaugural wedding business as an internal entrepreneur, and acting as director of business development for IMG’s fashion division.
Hyman is a sought-after speaker at various conferences where she discusses subjects like economic trends, female leadership, and organizational culture. Her notable appearances include events such as the NRF Foundation’s "Retail’s Big Show," WWD’s Digital Forum, and the 99U Conference.
She has openly discussed her experiences with sexual harassment within the technology sector, notably sharing insights on CNBC’s Squawk Alley in 2017.
In addition to her executive duties, Hyman contributes as a member of the Board of Directors for Estée Lauder Companies and serves on the advisory board for Women.nyc.
Personal life
Hyman met her spouse, Benjamin Stauffer—who works as a television and film editor—through the dating app Hinge. The couple married in January 2018.
Awards and recognition
- Included in Fortune magazine’s 40 Under 40 list in 2012
- Named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2019
- Featured among People Magazine’s 2020 Women Changing the World
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Businesspeople from New York City
- American businesspeople in fashion
- American women chief executives
- American technology chief executives
- Businesspeople from New Rochelle, New York
- Harvard Business School alumni
- People from Greenwich Village
- American women company founders
- American company founders
- Living people
- 21st-century American women
- 1980 births
- New Rochelle High School alumni
- Harvard College alumni