The Safari

Dr. Samuel West’s work and research is driven by curiosity and a playful experimental approach. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Samuel specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy and treated depression, anxieties, relationship problems, etc. He later became obsessed with the psychology of happiness, in particular happiness related to work and the complex relationship between happiness and aff...

In 1996, Neely Woodson Powell met a cobbler who made fashionable yet comfortable shoes in the small Mexican village of San Miguel de Allende. Impressed with the style and versatility, Neely started selling the hand-sewn shoes alongside her mother’s furniture markets and met her first of many loyal customers. After enrolling in a design program at SCAD and with the production support of the foundin...

As EY Global Retail Leader, Thomas Harms is responsible for defining and implementing the EY strategy for the retail industry. He helps ensure that EY retail clients are well served across geographies, leading over 20,000 EY professionals worldwide.  After more than 20 years advising national and international companies, Thomas is just as curious about new developments as he was at the beginning o...

As CEO of OUAI, the Los Angeles based hair care and lifestyle brand, Colin Walsh has demonstrated his inspiring leadership qualities and dedication to the growing beauty industry over the past 16 years. His mission to remain curious about life and continue to work and play every day with people who inspire him to be his best, has given him an unparalleled perspective across Sales, Marketing, Produ...

Lyndon Cormack along with his brother Jamie founded Herschel Supply in 2009 after identifying a gap in the market for stylish, functional and design-driven bags. Lyndon’s commitment to consistency and unwavering ability to establish long-term brand direction has led to Herschel Supply’s international success and recognition as a leader in the global accessories market.   His love for design spills...

Rachel is the founder of Gladiator Lacrosse, a high-quality sports training equipment line with an affordable price point. Since its inception, the company has maintained profitability without ever compromising the brand’s fundamental intent or consumer promise. Rachel has been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fortune, Forbes, Inc., and...

Lori Coulter is the Co-Founder and CEO of Summersalt, a generation-defining lifestyle brand known for its data-backed fit and designer quality products without the designer price tag. Lori and her Co-founder, Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin, launched Summersalt to change the conversation around swimwear and address a true market gap by creating designer swimwear without the designer price tag. Summers...

Kara Goldin is the Founder of Hint, Inc., best known for its award-winning Hint® water, the leading unsweetened flavored water. She has received numerous accolades, including being named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Northern California, one of InStyle’s 2019 Badass 50, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, WWD Beauty Inc.’s Feel Good Force and Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepren...

Nicole Eckels began her career as a makeup artist and eventually moved into corporate sales. After a stint in San Francisco, Eckels decided she needed a more challenging outlet. In 2006, she flew to Australia where she found her “true calling.” Shopping for bath and body products in a Sydney department store, Eckels was frustrated that she couldn’t find what she was looking for and quickly realize...

Romain Gaillard was raised in Paris, France by parents who were early adopters of the green living movement. After embarking on a career in tech, a friend’s health battle opened his eyes to the need in the beauty industry for healthier self-care and wellness options. Romain took the leap of faith to switch career paths and pioneer the green beauty movement. Thus the Detox Market was born. The Deto...

Catherine Bond Muir may not seem the obvious candidate to have founded the world’s first all-female single-seater motor racing championship. A former intellectual property solicitor, in 2000 she moved into corporate finance and spent more than a decade working on sports and gaming deals. W Series, born at Catherine’s dining table, is a free-to-enter championship that provides equal opportunities f...

In this week’s Safari episode, we feature Eliza Blank, Founder of The Sill, a direct-to-consumer brand that delivers perfectly potted plants to your door and empowers new “plant parents” by blending commerce, content and community. Eliza is an entrepreneur and business owner who has made it her mission to enrich life through connection and community, and believes in the power of plants to bring th...

Kyle is the founder and CEO of Win Brands Group, an omnichannel retail platform that buys and builds category-defining brands. Win’s stable of brands includes Homesick (scented candles and home fragrance), QALO (silicone wedding rings and accessories), Gravity (the original weighted blanket), and Love Your Melon (mission-driven outerwear). Kyle has spent over a decade honing the art of consumer-fo...

Thomas G. Struzzieri is the President and Chief Executive Officer of HITS, LLC, the largest hunter/jumper horse show production company in the United States. Based in the Village of Saugerties, New York, HITS is a national company producing horse shows in Ocala, Florida; Culpeper, Virginia; Wayne, Illinois; East Dorset, Vermont, and Saugerties, New York. Struzzieri is recognized as a skillful hors...

In this episode, we profile Nicolas Bargi, Founder and CEO of Save the Duck, a brand whose mission is to create product that respects animals, the environment and people. An industry favorite, the Italian outerwear company has been at the forefront of sustainable and vegan fashion and is continuing to advocate sustainable and animal-free ethics with its collections and campaigns. Save the Duck was...

In this episode we speak with Justin Abrams, CEO and Co-Founder of Flagship, a retail service platform that helps brands scale their physical retail presence on flexible terms. We explore how technology meets retail, how one can completely supercharge brands and add huge top spin to retail environments “in real life (IRL)."   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer. 

For the second time we are talking about the power of loyalty in navigating today’s consumer and retail landscape. Gavin Dein is the Founder and CEO of Reward, a global SaaS customer engagement platform for the world’s largest banks and retailers.   Interviewed by Mortimer Singer

In this episode we profile two companies on either side of the Atlantic that are on top of their games in interior design. The first is Elizabeth Pyne Singer, designer at McMillen, Inc., the oldest interior design firm in the United States as well as Max Konig, Managing Director at Nina Campbell. We talk about the role of designers in the consumer landscape today, the return of bespoke and artisan...

Davis is the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a humanitarian mission, recently backed by Bain Capital Double Impact. He is a member of the United Nations Foundation's Global Leadership Council and a Presidential Leadership Scholar. Davis previously started Brazil’s "Startup of the Year,” was Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s “CEO of the Year," and is an EY Entrepreneur o...

Frédéric Malle founded Editions de Parfums in 2000, the only perfume brand in the industry to uphold the skill of its perfumers, and the quality of the raw materials they use, as their primary concern and source of pride. The confluence of these two factors produces an extraordinary result: a brand of uncompromised quality and unbiased creativity. Under Frédéric’s guidance as a perfume publisher,...

Kate Klemmer Terry is the Chief Revenue Officer of Quiet Logistics, a logistics company specializing in providing a revolutionary approach to delivering exceptional brand experiences and winning over discerning customers. Kate has over 30 years of experience in the fashion industry working in merchandising, marketing and E-commerce for brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, Kate Spade,...

Mike Ribero has over 35 years of experience in general management, strategy, marketing and business development, having worked as a CEO, COO and CMO across a broad spectrum of consumer and enterprise-based businesses. Mike has unique expertise and experience in several key areas that include the customer relationship, persuasion and engagement, travel, technology, and media and entertainment, and...

Erwan Rambourg has been a top-ranked analyst covering the luxury and sporting goods sectors for fifteen years. After eight years as a Marketing Manager in the luxury industry, notably for LVMH and Richemont, he is now a Managing Director and Global Head of Consumer & Retail equity research. He regularly contributes to the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, CNBC, and Bloomberg, and has guest...

Neil Gill is CEO and President of Dogtopia Enterprises, the dog daycare company providing the utmost in quality care through its focus on socialization, exercise, and education. Neil has spent more than 35 years in franchising with international brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Brinker International and more than 11 years at Gloria Jean’s Coffees International as CEO, opening more than 1,000 stores...

Adam Ross is the CEO and Founder of Heyday, a brand on a mission to cut through the noise in the skincare industry and educate clients on their unique skin, so they can put their best face forward. From 2006 to 2010 Adam was a founding member and senior Principal at Centerview Partners, a privately held advisory and private equity firm based in New York. Prior to this Adam worked in the investment...