Jennifer Fleiss

Jennifer Fleiss is the Co-Founder and Head of Business Development at Rent the Runway. As of March 2014, Fleiss and co-founder Jennifer Hyman have raised approximately $116 million in venture capital funding for Rent the Runway. The company has over 4 million members and over 375 employees.

Early life and education

Fleiss grew up in New York City. She graduated cum laude from Yale University with a BA in 2005 and later attended Harvard Business School, where she met future co-founder of Rent the Runway Jennifer Hyman, and graduated with an MBA in 2009.

Career

Fleiss is Rent the Runway's head of business development. Fleiss manages business growth and long-term strategy planning, including key partnerships and sponsorship sales. She also assists with company-wide infrastructure, project planning, and key logistics decisions.

Fleiss is credited with vertically integrating the Rent the Runway operation in the company’s 40,000 square foot distribution center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Fleiss presents on topics such as the sharing economy, female leadership, entrepreneurship, and industry trends in retail, social media, and marketing.

Fleiss started her career crafting long-term company strategy in the Strategic Planning Group at Morgan Stanley. She then moved on to Lehman Brothers’ Asset Management Group where she was responsible for analyzing business growth opportunities through acquisitions, international expansion and new product strategies. A natural entrepreneur, Jenny founded an essay-editing and coaching service for college applicants, and built the company into an online tutoring service.

Awards and honors

Jenny has received various honors and recognitions including Fortune’s “40 Under 40” and “Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs”; Forbes’s “Disruptors 2013”; Inc.’s “30 Under 30”; Fast Company’s “Most Influential Women in Technology”; Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” New York Area Regional finalist; and Fashionista.com’s “Most Influential People in New York Fashion.”