The Safari

The Private Equity Podcast with Alex Rawlings

Morty Singer joins Alex Rawlings on The Private Equity Podcast to discuss the importance of culture in private equity, investing in the consumer industry, and more.

Alex Rawlings is the Founder & Managing partner of Raw Selection, an executive search firm that specializes in working with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies across Europe and North America. On his podcast, Alex interviews the leading experts in the Private Equity industry to unlock their secrets of success.

Bringing Art, Love and Joy into the Home: Sara Story Design

Since founding her eponymous design firm, Sara Story has forged a reputation for imparting to all of her projects an ineffable style she can truly call her own. Drawing inspiration from extensive travels, an active interest in contemporary art and fashion, and a rigorous lifestyle, Sara wields a keen eye to exact her aesthetic vision. The firm continues to work on residential and commercial projects worldwide and maintains several successful product collaborations, including wallpaper and hardware. Sara earned a B.F.A. from the University of San Diego and holds a degree in Interior Architecture from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She is also an active member of the Artemis Council of the New Museum, America's Society, and the Design Leadership Network. This fall, Story released her debut monograph with Rizzoli, "The Art of Home."

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Magic of Fruit-Powered Skincare: Glow Recipe’s Sarah Lee and Christine Chang

Sarah Lee and Christine Chang are the dynamic entrepreneurial pair who founded the groundbreaking skincare brand Glow Recipe.

A seasoned expert on the global beauty consumer, Sarah Lee boasts a deep and unique cross-functional resume that spans product development, business strategy, and global marketing. Sarah began her career at L’Oréal, leading product development and retail partnerships with a global lens. Sarah blends her deep understanding of product formulation science with years of successfully bringing brands to market to drive strategy and execution of Glow Recipe’s vision. Sarah resides in Miami with her husband.

Combining her passion for skincare with an extensive background in marketing, brand & business development, sales and product development, Christine Chang maintains a wealth of knowledge when it comes to international beauty. Christine’s foray into beauty started at L’Oreal where she spearheaded global business development, retail, marketing and digital strategy. Christine's expertise in skincare formulations paired with her strategic experience in launching and growing brands is invaluable to Glow Recipe's mission. Christine resides in New York City with her husband and daughter.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

Fostering Fashion’s Future Talent: Executive Director of the Fashion Scholarship Fund, Peter Arnold

Peter Arnold is the Executive Director of the Fashion Scholarship Fund, the foremost fashion-oriented education and workforce development nonprofit in the U.S. Together with Virgil Abloh, Peter established the Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund (which is administered by the Fashion Scholarship Fund). Peter Arnold is an accomplished fashion industry veteran with leadership experience as the Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the CEO for notable fashion designers Cushnie et Ochs and Cynthia Rowley, and the President of John Varvatos Enterprises. Leveraging his passion for the world of fashion, business acumen and creative sensibility, he has successfully partnered with and advised boards of directors to provide the strategic vision, leadership and guidance to take their organizations to the next level. Peter is a National Advisory Board Member of the St. Louis Fashion Fund, and a Board Advisor at Roller Rabbit, New York.

 

Peter is an Adjunct Professor, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham University School of Law. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Wesleyan University.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Branding Expert: Personal & Consumer Brand Strategist, Aliza Licht

ALIZA LICHT is an award-winning marketer, bestselling author, podcaster, personal branding expert, and the founder of LEAVE YOUR MARK, a multimedia brand and consultancy. She advises businesses and mentors individuals on brand building and career development. Licht leverages over two decades of expertise in marketing, communications, and digital strategy in the fashion industry. She was named one of "America's Next Top Mentors" by The New York Times and Business Insider's "Top 20 Most Innovative Career Coaches."

 

As a social media pioneer and one of the first fashion influencers, Licht created and was the voice of the anonymous social media phenomenon DKNY PR GIRL. Licht is a sought-after keynote speaker and sits on several industry boards. Her first book, Leave Your Mark, was published in 2015. Her new book, On Brand: Shape Your Narrative. Share Your Vision. Shift Their Perception is a comprehensive roadmap to building your personal brand. She lives in New York City with her husband, two children, and two dogs. Find her online at alizalicht.com and @alizalichtxo.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge. 

The Man Behind Marketplaces: Co-Founder and co-CEO of Mirakl, Adrien Nussenbaum

Adrien Nussenbaum is co-founder and co-CEO at Mirakl and author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Online Marketplace Advantage. An entrepreneur in all things technology and digital transformation, Adrien began his career during the height of the dot com boom, with successful stints as a company founder and an advisor to retailers in the throes of company turnarounds and transformations. He has remained involved in this transformation mission to this day.

 

In 2005, Adrien joined forces with Philippe Corrot to launch SplitGames, a videogame trading platform, on the idea that marketplaces were the winning business model for eCommerce.  In 2008, Fnac Group purchased SplitGames and launched the Fnac.com Marketplace based on Spligames’ technology and marketplace expertise. 

 

Four years later, after achieving 100% annual growth, both Adrien and Philippe left FNAC to found Mirakl. Since then, Mirakl has become one of most dynamic players in eCommerce globally, with a suite of solutions in marketplace, dropship, supplier sourcing ecosystem, supplier catalog management and pay-out, personalization, and retail media. More than 400 of the world’s most trusted brands across retail and B2B industries choose Mirakl’s award-winning technology to accelerate profitable, sustainable eCommerce growth in over 40 countries around the world.

 

Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

The Retail Tech Guru: Founder and CEO of Coresight Research, Deborah Weinswig

Deborah Weinswig is the founder and CEO of Coresight Research. Between 2014 to early 2018, Deborah served as Managing Director of Fung Global Retail and Technology (FGRT), the think tank of Fung Group. Previously, she was Managing Director and Head of the Global Staples & Consumer Discretionary team at Citi Research.

 

Deborah was ranked the #1 analyst by Institutional Investor for 10 years in a row. She was named one of the Top 50 Retail Influencers by Vend in both 2016 and 2017, and received the Asia Retail Congress’s Retail Leadership Award in 2016. She was also recognized by LinkedIn as a top Voice in Retail in 2017 and 2018.

 

She serves on the board of directors for Goodwill Industries New York/New Jersey, GUESS?, Inc., Kiabi, Street Soccer USA and Xcel Brands, Inc. Deborah is on the advisory board of the World Retail Congress as well as several accelerators. Deborah is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.

 

Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

The Events Aficionado: Peter Englehart, CEO of HITS Horse Shows

Peter Englehart is a proven builder and leader of successful sports media, enthusiast events and entertainment businesses. His entrepreneurial, managerial and strategic visions have placed him at the forefront of some of America’s most distinguished consumer brands, sporting organizations and television networks.

 

From his first professional role as a publicist for the Professional Bowlers Association to his most recent positions as Chairman of the Board of TEN: The Enthusiast Network and Executive Producer/Board Member of VStar Entertainment, he has had first-hand experience in managing teams and building world-class properties. 

 

Before his last two positions, he had a long and rewarding career with three of sports television’s dominant players – ABC Sports, ESPN and the NBC Sports Channel. He joined Traub Capital Partners in March of 2022 and he has actively been involved in further building HITS Horse Shows as the country’s largest owner/operator of equestrian events. He lives on a ranch outside of Austin, Texas with his wife and two sons.   

 

Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

The Truffle Maestro: CEO of Sabatino Truffles, Federico Balestra

Federico Balestra is the CEO of Sabatino Truffles, a leading global Truffle company based in Connecticut and Umbria, Italy. With over 20 years of experience in the truffle industry, Federico has been instrumental in driving the company's growth and success. He joined Sabatino in 1996 as the Sales Manager and was appointed CEO in 2005.

 

Under Federico's leadership, Sabatino has expanded its product portfolio to include a wide range of new products like Truffle Salt, Truffle Zest, Truffle crisps, just to name few, catering to the growing demand for truffle globally. His passion for promoting Truffles has driven Sabatino to become a world leader in the space.

 

Federico holds a degree in Business Administration from a great school in Rome, Italy and actively participates in industry conferences and events. He is committed to making a positive impact on the food industry by providing nutritious and environmentally friendly food choices to consumers.

 

Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

The Advocate of Failure: Dr. Samuel West, Founder of the Museum of Failure

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 affluence. During a mid-career break from consulting, he spent 5 years at Lund University, doing research and teaching positive psychology, creativity, organizational science, and various clinical courses. His PhD in organizational psychology focused on how workplace playfulness boosts innovation. He is American-Icelandic, and after many years in Sweden, is now based in Spain.

 

Since founding the Museum of Failure, Samuel has become the leading expert on helping teams and organizations understand the role of failure for innovation and progress, improve the acceptance of failure, and appreciate the benefits of psychological safety. He educates and inspires with the fascinating stories of the artifacts at the Museum of Failure.

 

Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.