Rachel Thaw
Business Generalist in New York City, She/her
About
Having been both a Founder/CEO as well as the lowest rung on the employment ladder, I've developed a diverse skillset, including both "hard" and "soft" skills. For the past 8 years, I've focused primarily on start-ups and consumer-facing brands, but my early years in the F&B and hospitality industries oriented my career through a customer-focused lens. Though I've been a CEO, I much prefer being the 'right hand' to someone with a strong vision, clear expectations, and inspiring passion in our shared work/success.
I pride myself on being accountable to my team, easy to trust and rely on, and a fast and curious learner. In a world where there's always someone with even more innovative ideas, a niche skill, or an impressive resume, I strive to further enrich my team with my skills and expertise as well as my energy, kindness, and (when appropriate) a bit of humor. I'm at my best when I feel like I'm bringing value to a team or individuals I respect.
Personally, I'm a lifelong athlete (bicycling, playing tennis, and an international Ultimate Frisbee player). Though I have BAs in Music and Theology as well as a litter of minors in subjects spanning Philosophy, Fine Arts, Finance, English, and History. I love podcasts and novels, particularly historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi. On a typical free weekend day, you'll find me scouting Housing Works or DIYing for our NYC apartment and house in Newport, RI.
Work Experience
● Partnered with numerous pre-launch founders as a trusted advisor on operations, strategy, and marketing
● Developed particular expertise in project management, RACI matrix communication, research, and overseeing cross-functional teams (developers, agents, staff, etc.)
Representative client work:
○ Sopexa USA (Senior Media Strategist)
■ Led proposal and planning process for large market (7- and 8-figure marketing budgets) media clients; executed omnichannel media strategy
■ Evaluated performance, prepared/presented post-campaign analysis, interfaced directly with clients and vendors
■ Managed vendor contact lists and communications for lead generation and proposals
○ Unified Unlimited (E-commerce Brand Launch Partner)
■ Worked closely with the founder to launch a luxury denim concept brand, focused on growth marketing plans,
distribution/inventory management, and website design and development
■ Managed pre-launch and launch PNL, calculated runway developed growth and fundraising plan
■ Developed pitch deck and fundraising strategy, researched potential investor and strategic partners
○ Moon Pod (E-commerce Operations Consultant)
■ In collaboration with the COO, established relationships with third-party retail partners to diversify revenue channels. Also managed third-party developers and product data to ensure compliance and efficiency
■ Sourced and coordinated product and supply replenishment, evaluated operations based on unit economics
■ Performed cost-benefit analysis by 3P sales channel to evaluate strong channels and opportunities, developed 3P PNL, including UE by channel
○ Newport Physical Therapy (Health Services Company Launch Partner)
■Worked closely with Founder to professionalize a freelance physical therapy practice, including PNL management, investor relations, and all office operations (client/patient communications, scheduling, and FF&E)
■ Structured and operated all non-treatment business verticals including real estate operations, strategic practitioner recruitment and hiring, and retail partnerships (became the 2nd US distributor of On Running merchandise in 2015)
■ Developed business plan and growth strategy (finalist in the 2015-2016 Rhode Island Business Plan Competition)
● Founded and ran a direct-to-consumer outerwear business, scaling from inception to $1M in gross revenues
● Executed daily operations, including all customer service, distribution, product development, paid and brand marketing
● Managed PNL and cap table; led board meetings and investor relations
● Supported the Founder & CEO of global direct-to-consumer swimwear brand Andie Swim from pre-launch (pre-revenue) through Series A (~ $35M run rate), including:
○ Executing direct vendor payments (bank account access)
○ Pitch deck preparations, including data analysis, slide assignments, and brand formatting; investor due diligence assistance
● Focused on daily operations such as developing and operating customer service systems, managing inventory and distribution logistics, and executing various projects (brand events, photoshoots, influencer/press marketing)
● Developed and merchandised new products/collections based on CX analytics, trend research, and UE goals
● Scaled systems to align with rapid growth, including hiring/training the CX team, leading product development and diversification, and managing 3PL and other vendors
● Advanced through multiple properties across multiple departments and responsibility levels, including hospitality operations (F&B, Rooms, Events) and back office management (Executive Assistant, Sales & Marketing, Revenue Planning Analyst)
● Worked closely with guests to ensure exemplary service, managed multiple cross-functional and operational teams to support client needs
● Forecasted revenue strategy based on operational expertise and comp set analysis to set competitive rates and maintain occupancy goals
● 2014 Grand Hyatt/Hyatt Regency Washington "Employee of the Year"
● 2012 Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh International Airport "Jack/Jill of all Trades"
Awards
- This was for my time on the Sales & Marketing Team, which was collaborative between the two business-luxury Hyatt brands in Washington, DC
Awarded annually to an exemplary employee who shows commitment, integrity, and excellence in their position
Awarded annually to an employee who shows cross-functional acuity, adopts team-oriented problem-solving methods, exhibits a plurality of skills, and has a strong cognizance of Hyatt hospitality values
Features
Guest on Darian Parrish's "Founders with Purpose" podcast, discussing values-based entrepreneurship and my approach to growth and brand building.
The podcast can be found here: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/found…
Discussed entrepreneurship, specifically my experience as a female entrepreneur, the burgeoning industry of sustainability-focused companies, and the importance of adopting sustainable practices and values with the same vigor as growth and profitability.
Discussed the intricacies of final mile logistics, adding my expertise in customer-facing companies in a customer-facing role.
The panel can be found: drive.google.com/file/d/1d8pXd1…