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group buying

April 29: Alternative Commerce Roundtable

The April roundtable focused on Alternative Commerce- Group Buying, Daily Deals, & Flash Sales.

Undeniably powerful tools for local and online retailers, Group Buying, Daily Deals, and Flash Sales grow increasingly popular with a proven track record of driving revenue. Join the conversation and hear industry leaders speak about the benefits and pitfalls of selling within this space to companies at every level. Our discussion will encompass entry barriers and pricing models as well as customer acquisition and retention in this competitive landscape.

YipIt: Jim Moran, Co-Founder

Jim is co-founder of Yipit (http://yipit.com), which finds and recommends daily deals based on your tastes. Earlier, he worked at The Blackstone Group after graduating from Harvard College in 2005.

Twitter: @jdmoran

Totsy: Guillaume Gauthereau, Co-Founder & CEO

After an international career in the luxury goods industry which propelled him to become the youngest Chief Executive Officer of Lalique North America, Guillaume Gauthereau chose to parlay his talents towards a new purpose. As co-founder & CEO of Totsy.com, Guillaume is one of the key players of a successful team building leading private sale website on the family segment in the US.

Prior to Totsy, Guillaume founded the advisory firm G&G Advisors / Sequoia Lab. G&G Advisors / Sequoia Lab is dedicated to helping corporate and private clients implement sustainable practices and lifestyles, showing them strategies to improve business efficiency while harnessing the power and well-being inherent in greener practices.

A veteran social and green advocate, Guillaume sits on the Board of GustoOrganics, the first USDA certified 100% organic restaurant in the United States. Guillaume is also an advisory board member for the business organization of the internationally renowned artist Alicia Keys, and for BrickHouseSecurity.com a leading online retailer of personal security & safety electronics. He is also Board member of Ayoka Productions, a non-profit group that promotes international grassroots initiatives using short films. He has also been involved with the

Clinton Global Initiative for over 3 years.

Twitter: @ggauthereau

BuyWithMe: David Wolfe, COO / CPO

David Wolfe joined BuyWithMe in April 2010, after serving as Chief Product Officer and Chief Operating Officer of InteractiveOne, the digital connection for Black America and the digital division of Radio One, Inc. From 2007 to 2009, Wolfe was the Chief Technology Officer at Napster, and played a material role in its sale to Best Buy for $121 million in October, 2008.

Between 2003 and 2007, Wolfe was President, Product and Technology of MyLife.com (Reunion.com). During this time he helped drive the company from $4 million to over $50 million in revenues. Wolfe has also held senior roles at IAC (Entertainment Publications), PortBlue Corporation and The Brain Technologies.

Twitter: @dwolfe66

BuyWithMe: Chris Woodard, VP Engagement & Operations

Chris Woodard joined BuyWithMe in May 2010, after serving as Director, CRM at WeightWatchers.com where he led global email and North American direct mail acquisition efforts as well as social media, site marketing and call center marketing integration.  From 2000 to 2005, Chris worked at Barnes&Noble.com where he managed email and database marketing activities accross online, loyalty and retail channels.

From 1996 to 2000 held Account Executive and Account managment positions with leading direct marketing agencies Belardi Ostroy LLC and The Specialists where he helped drive strategy for clients including Buy.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Paul Fredrick, Saks, Hammacher Schlemmer, Hanover Direct & more.

Twitter: chris_woodard

CampusDibs / Dibsie: Garren Given, CEO

Garren Givens is the CEO of CampusDibs.com and Dibsie.com.  Launched in 2010, CampusDibs is the largest daily deal site aimed exclusively at students.  Dibsie.com (launching June) is an innovative new ‘offers’ platform that will focus on customer personalization and business self-service.  A former management consultant, Garren received both his BA and MBA from Yale University.

Twitter: @campusdibs

Thrillist: Mike Rothman, GM Rewards

Mike Rothman is the GM of Thrillist Rewards, Thrillist’s local e-commerce platform. Prior to launching Thrillist Rewards, Mike built Thrillist’s advertising sales team, from a team of one to a staff of 20 and a Fortune 500 roster of clients. In his spare time, Mike volunteers with inner-city youth mentoring programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the TEAK Fellowship. Mike holds a BA from Brown University. Mike holds a BA from Brown University.

Twitter: @rawthdog

GiltCity: Florent Peyre, VP Stratgy & Biz Dev

Florent serves as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Gilt City, the latest company created under the umbrella of Gilt Groupe, a leading e-commerce company headquartered in NY. Recent partnerships include the launch of Facebook Deals or integrations in the Huffington Post, Yahoo Local etc.

Prior to joining Gilt City, Florent was running Mobile and Emerging Platforms for Hachette Filipacchi Media, a leading magazine group, editor of ELLE, Car and Driver and other publications. There, he presided over the launch of several mobile and iPad applications, including ELLE and Car and Driver iPad app, Woman’s Day iphone app etc.).

Before that, Florent was running Business and Corporate Development for Hachette where he concluded key strategic partnerships with companies such as Microsoft and BermanBraun (launch of Glo, a new lifestyle destination for MSN),  Rue La La, Yahoo! or the acquisition and integration of Jumpstart Automotive, a leading online ad network centered on the automotive space.

Earlier in his career, Florent was a Principal at Lagardere, a leading European media company headquartered in Paris. There, Florent completed several acquisitions and worked on corporate development and restructuring.

Florent has been advising several NY-based startups for the last couple of years, mostly consumer-facing or ecommerce centered.

Twitter: @florentp

StyleTrek: Cecilia Pagkalinawan, CEO

Cecilia has a track record in launching and marketing successful e-commerce businesses. She has launched and marketed online stores for Nine West, Burberry, Frette, and La Perla. She has grown sales from 40 – 70% year over year for fashion brands.

She has experience in running and working for internet start-ups such as K2, RichFX, Abilon, and was CEO of BoutiqueY3K, an ecommerce consulting firm. After working at dot com start-ups, Cecilia joined established multi-national luxury and fashion brands in senior and executive management positions and was involved in ecommerce, merchandising, marketing and operations for Burberry, Frette, and La Perla.

Cecilia was recognized in 1999 by Silicon Alley Reporter among the ” Top 100 Internet Executives in NY.” She was named the National Association of Women Business Owner’s “New York Businesswoman of the Year” in 2000. Cecilia is among 96 executives featured in the book “Distinguished Asian- American Business People” published in 2004.

Twitter: @ceciliany

jdeal: Jodi Samuels, Co-founder

Jodi Samuels has 15 years of business management and startup experience. She has worked in the not-for-profit, finance, fashion and beauty sectors. Jodi successfully started two non-profit Jewish organizations including the Jewish International Connection NY that currently boasts 10,000 members from 40 countries. She is the co-founder of Metroimma, an online site for Jewish moms, with over 6000 active monthly members. Jodi recently sold her share in Accounting Comes Alive, a corporate training business which she founded. Prior to that Jodi ran the MyCoupons division of Direct Response Technologies and was COO of MBC Direct Media managing a staff of 30 people. After completing her MBA Jodi worked as a financial advisor at National Australia Bank. Jodi started her first business at age 14. Her expertise in strategic and relationship online marketing has given her the foundation to acquire and retain a strong membership base for her businesses. She is known as a connector and networker in the Jewish community and has an impressive Rolodex of C-level contacts in the business and non-profit sectors.

Twitter: @jodisview

ScoopSt: David Ambrose, Co-Founder

David Ambrose is a co-founder of Scoop St., a local commerce company that revolutionizes the way we shop by leveraging the power of group buying online for small businesses and consumers. Together with offering unbeatable Scoops on the best of New York City, Scoop St. creates unique discoveries called Experiences throughout the metropolitan region as well as consumer and merchant loyalty programs via the recently announced Perks initiative. Featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine, the company was named one of the “Top 11 Startups to Watch in New York” by The Next Web.

Twitter: @daveambrose

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Recap eCommerce Roundtable

August 27, 2010
Comments by Guillermo Kopp / @GuillermoKopp
Chairman, GUAU Corporation

1. Online Discounts/Coupons: Customers may not be inclined to buy, but pushing online discounts will motivate them. Coupons prompt impulse buying, but have low redemption (8-9%) and loyalty (20-40%).

 Comment: Proactive “on sale” outreach will offer targeted and more relevant discounts though massive electronic channels, thus creating genuine economic value. The end result will be increased volumes of more fruitful sales that shall benefit consumers with better goods and lower prices.

2. End-to-end Customer Experience: Consumers need to know what to expect when they show up at the shop. Online buyers of luxury goods are very likely to buy the same brand at a bricks-and-mortar shop.

Comment: We see strategic value in capitalizing on the consumer’s delight with an online “bargain”, to deliver a more fulfilling experience. Customers will appreciate detailed information and advice about the goods, and also being able to pick them up at the store in a smooth and pleasurable manner.

3. Supply Chain Competition: Brands sell “in your face.” Group buying is losing ground. Wal-Mart can buy cheaper, turn around inventory faster, and pass on better discounts to consumers.

 Comment: Prepaid discounts will tap a $2 trillion market, and must close the loop by ensuring that the goods or services are ultimately filled by the retailer or provider. Beyond the discounts, eCommerce may get the brands to pay for promotional materials the way they pay retailers for catalogues, etc.

4. Advertising: eCommerce ads are exploding. Google ads present a cost effective opportunity for small businesses ($10K to $20K per day on commissions). New and old formats (and models) are overlapping.

 Comment: We find that eCommerce will create product awareness, connect sellers with buyers readily and effectively, and drive new customer acquisition (with life-time value). Retail will find intrinsic value in showcasing products, gathering marketing data, and probing for emerging customer needs.

5. Social Web: How much of social networks and video buying is for real? Referrals to friends, and friends of friends, yield 3 to 4 times better results. College students tend to chase online deals all day long.

 Comment: We believe that new media (especially video content), and location technologies show strong potential. Small retailers will enjoy significant growth, as social and digital channels expand their reach from “around the corner” onto large virtual neighborhoods and affinity markets with global span.

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August 26: eCommerce Roundtable

Totsy: Guillaume Gauthereau, Co-Founder & CEO

After an international career in the luxury goods industry which propelled him to become the youngest Chief Executive Officer of Lalique North America, Guillaume Gauthereau chose to parlay his talents towards a new purpose. As co-founder & CEO of Totsy.com, Guillaume is one of the key players of a successful team building leading private sale website on the family segment in the US.

Prior to Totsy, Guillaume founded the advisory firm G&G Advisors / Sequoia Lab. G&G Advisors / Sequoia Lab is dedicated to helping corporate and private clients implement sustainable practices and lifestyles, showing them strategies to improve business efficiency while harnessing the power and well-being inherent in greener practices.

A veteran social and green advocate, Guillaume sits on the Board of GustoOrganics, the first USDA certified 100% organic restaurant in the United States. Guillaume is also an advisory board member for the business organization of the internationally renowned artist Alicia Keys, and for BrickHouseSecurity.com a leading online retailer of personal security & safety electronics. He is also Board member of Ayoka Productions, a non-profit group that promotes international grassroots initiatives using short films. He has also been involved with the Clinton Global Initiative for over 3 years.

CrunchBase Information on Totsy
Totsy
Information provided by CrunchBase

SeatGeek: Jack Groetzinger, Co-founder

Jack Groetzinger is co-founder of SeatGeek, a web application that accurately forecasts the price of sports and concert tickets in the secondary market. Consumers use SeatGeek to buy tickets when they are cheapest. Ticket brokers use SeatGeekPro™ – SeatGeek’s subscription service – to sell their tickets when prices are at their peak. Groetzinger leads SeatGeek’s forecasting team, which has built an algorithm that predicts prices with 80-85% accuracy. Groetzinger is an entrepreneur who has founded other start-ups, including Scribnia.com, and has acted as management consultant at Bain & Company. Groetzinger holds a B.A. in math and economics from Dartmouth College.

Twitter: @JackGretz

CrunchBase Information on Seatgeek
Seatgeek
Information provided by CrunchBase

Aprizi: Giff Constable, Co-Founder & CEO

Giff Constable is the co-founder and CEO of Aprizi, a “Pandora for shopping” focused on the long tail of e-commerce. His 16-year career spans multiple VC-backed startups, a startup he bootstrapped and sold, and even M&A/IPO advisory work in Jefferies/Broadview tech practice.

Twitter: @giffconstable

Blog: giffconstable

GroupTabs: Zane Friedman, CEO

Zane Friedman, GroupTabs’ CEO previously served as an account executive at Citysearch, the largest local search directory in the United States. Having worked closely with hundreds of bar and restaurant owners, Mr. Friedman possesses a deep understanding of the marketing challenges faced by food and beverage operators. The first priority of every restaurant or bar is to drive new customers through the doors; this spawned the idea for GroupTabs.

SundaySky: Yaniv Axen, Co-founder & CTO

Yaniv has served as the CTO of SundaySky since co-founding the company. Prior to co-founding SundaySky, Yaniv directed the team of programmers and engineers at Israeli start-up Veon. Yaniv served in an elite intelligence unit of the Israeli Defense Forces for five years and then earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science and his Master’s degree in business administration with cum laude honors from Tel Aviv University.

CrunchBase Information on Sundaysky
Sundaysky
Information provided by CrunchBase

TurnTo: George Eberstadt, CEO and Founder

George brings 19 years of experience in technology businesses to TurnTo, 13 of those in start-ups. Most recently he co-founded and built nTAG Interactive into the leading provider of “Event Data Management” systems; nTAG created the world’s first wearable computers (interactive name badges) for conferences and corporate events. Before that he headed Marketing and Product Management at Lotus spin-off Radnet, sold to Epiphany in 2001. And before that he was a manager at the Boston Consulting Group focusing on information technology and pharmaceutical businesses. George’s first job was as a technology policy analyst for a research arm of the US Congress.

Twitter: @georgeeberstadt

CrunchBase Information on Turnto Network
Turnto Network
Information provided by CrunchBase

YipIt: Jim Moran, Co-Founder

Jim founded UnHub and 140it with Vin and previously worked at The Blackstone Group.

He graduated from Harvard College in 2005 with a degree in Economics. As a senior in college, he won the 2005 Harvard Business Plan Competition.

Twitter: @jdmoran

CrunchBase Information on Yipit
Yipit
Information provided by CrunchBase

SocialAmp: Matt Sunbulli, Co-founder

Matt most recently worked as a digital product and marketing manager for MTV Networks where he strategically advised on digital initiatives for MTVN. In addition, he has collaborated with MTV’s Digital Fusion in creating integrated social media advertising campaigns on MTV digital properties. MTV Networks operates one of media’s most robust ethnography research departments dedicated to understanding and reaching teenage influencers. While at MTV, Matt’s passion was analyzing and understanding how social media and social networks could be used as a more efficient means to identify and engage these influencers to activate and amplify viral messaging.

OpenSky: Kevin Ambrosin, Co-founder

Kevin Ambrosini is the co-founder of OpenSky, a NYC based company reinventing retail. He previously was one of the first 15 employees at Gilt Groupe where he led strategic planning, capital raising and expansion into Men’s, Children, Home, Travel and International.  Prior to Gilt, Kevin served as Vice President of Marketing and Distribution at MaxPreps, the leader in hyper-local sports content and communities that was acquired by CBS in 2007.  Kevin started his career as a venture capitalist and as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, where he worked on several of the highest profile technology transactions in history, including Google’s $1.7 billion IPO.

CrunchBase Information on Opensky
Opensky
Information provided by CrunchBase

Ashford.com: Eli Katz, CEO

Eli Katz is an e-commerce pioneer who has been involved in numerous Internet ventures. He founded FragranceCounter.com (later iBeauty.com) in 1995. Eli joined HomeClick.com as CEO in 2000, and transformed it from a struggling post dot-com boom retailer to a profitable web destination. He founded The Inside Store in 2004. In 2007, Eli partnered with jewelers and watch distributors to acquire Ashford.com, an early retailer of luxury goods online.

Twitter: @eli_katz

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