LDR Ventures | A Los Angeles Based VC Firm Startup Accelerator - A Los Angeles Based VC Firm Startup Accelerator A Los Angeles Based VC Firm Startup Accelerator About Us Experience Portfolio Team LDR Thoughts Contact Us About Us LDR Ventures is a VC firm and startup accelerator based in Los Angeles. We invest $10K to $100K at the Seed or Series A round. We're looking for exceptional entrepreneurs with great opportunities, game changing ideas and a tremendous work ethic. We make investments in companies where we have expertise and can make a difference that focus on eCommerce, Fashion, Consumer Products, Retail Innovation, Health and Beauty, Digital Media, Fitness, Food, Technology, Entertainment and Mobile. What makes us unique is our significant in the market experience analyzing, assessing, building, scaling and operating businesses ranging from privately held startups and medium size companies to publicly traded global leaders. We partner with entrepreneurs when and where they need it most to maximize value and build success. Investment We invest $10K to $100K at the Seed or Series A round along with a lot of knowledge capital. Workspace We give you free workspace right near the campus of UCLA working alongside other entrepreneurs and business experts. Hands-on Support Our team of executives, investors and advisors provide mission critical support to help grow your business to the next level. Experience Our team of mentors and investors are a talented, diverse and successful group of executives, entrepreneurs business builders. Portfolio A list of brands we have invested in or advised. All Consumer Products Digital Media Fashion Retail Innovation Technology Prev Next We are accepting applications now. Click the "Apply Now" button to submit your application on AngleList. Apply Now Team Drew is widely regarded as an expert in Omnichannel retail, consumer lifestyle businesses and eCommerce. His experience includes: start-ups, large private, public and global organizations. Drew's executive leadership positions include CEO of The Beach People, a global brand of luxe seaside essentials and fashion accessories, Vice President of e-commerce and Omnichannel retail for Guess Jeans, President of eCommerce customer experience for footwear leader Steve Madden, CMO of Melissa Doug a childrens toy company and CMO of FreshDirect, an online grocer. He is recognized as a Top 25 Retailer by Apparel Magazine, Top Three Mobile Marketer in the world by Mobile Marketer Magazine, Boston Business Hall of Fame Inductee, Virgin Atlantic Entrepreneur of the Year, 40 under 40 award recipient, YEO charter member 2 Chapter President. He serves on the Mens Leadership Council of the Stuart House in Los Angeles. Andrew Koven - Founder, CEO Cognitive Match (online advertising technology, sold to Magnetic in New York, 2014) - Founder, Touch Clarity (web optimization technology, sold to AdobeOmniture 2007) - Founder, CEO, VIvid Edge (web agency, sold to LBIFramfab 2000) - BA Hons, Oxford University - Experimental Psychology - Speaker at: TED Global, DLD, LBS Business School - Enterprise UK Ambassador. Supports charities including The Prince's Trust Alex Kelleher Aubrie Pagano is founder and CEO of Bow Drape, the destination for women to customize products that express their personality. For her work with Bow Drape, Aubrie has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, WWD, WSJ, Techcrunch, InStyle, Glamour and Teen Vogue. She was named Forbe's 30 Under 30 in Retail and introduced the world's first 3D printed accessories in market. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Aubrie was a Management Consultant at Fidelity Investments, and Director of Strategy and Planning at Emily Muller Apparel. She holds a BA in American History Literature from Harvard ('08) and started her first business when she was six. Aubrie Pagano Matt Joseph was formerly the Director of Investments and Operations at the seed fund and accelerator Launchpad LA, which during his tenure was named the top accelerator in Southern California by Forbes and TechCrunch. Matt previously held corporate positions at Verizon and the Boston Consulting Group. He earned a BA at Princeton before earning a JD/MBA from UCLA. Matt Joseph Maxine is Chief Administrative Officer of The Beach People. A global brand of luxe seaside essentials and fashion accessories. She is also the founder of MKK PR, a boutique Public Relations firm specializing in consumer products for moms, families and children. Prior to founding MKK PR, Maxine built and led the public relations and social media initiatives for Melissa Doug, the children's educational toy company. She managed and measured all activities and results for 5 distinct brands. She has worked in public relations, marketing, and entertainment for over 20 years. Positions including working for EMI Music Publishing on Intellectual Property licensing deals and worked as the music supervisor on the Sundance awarded film Being Elmo, A Puppeteers Journey. Maxine Kozler Jon is the co-founder of Iterate Studio which discovers and curates disruptive technologies from start-ups around the world for an exclusive Member-group of companies. He is responsible for discovering startups, nurturing Retailer relationships, and ensuring that experiments are executed properly for Iterate Studio. Prior to Iterate, Jon was the founding CEO of eBags which grew for 8 years at a 34% CAGR. eBags also built and sold 6pm.com to Zappos, while running CaseLogic.com and TUMI.com in the US, UK, Germany and Japan. Today, Jon serves as eBags Chairman. Jon was also CEO of UsingMiles (acquired 2013), an aggregator of 400 loyalty programs and meta-search for air-hotel. Hes advised many startups, including Runa (acquired by Staples, 2013). Jon Nordmark Ian Gomar is President of Shaquille ONeal Enterprises and a partner in Pheasant Hill Consulting, which focuses on helping accelerate the growth of digital marketing start-ups. Formerly a CMO at Sears Holdings, Ian has a steeped retail background having been President of Steve Madden Retail and E-commerce, President of Athletes World/Bata In Canada, CEO of Olsen Europe Fashion, and has had CMO roles at Footlocker, Inc., Wolverine Worldwide and Starter apparel. Ian began his career working in advertising on P G before moving to the client side as Brand Manager at the Coca-Cola Co. He then went on to be Group Brand Manager at Bacardi introducing many products such as Bacardi Black rum, Tropical Fruit Mixers and Bacardi Breezers. Ian Gomar Jamey Maki is a leading ecommerce executive with 10+ years leading omni-channel and direct consumer businesses. He most recently ran the online division for Golfsmith International, based in Austin Texas, as the VP of eCommerce for North America. Under Jamey's leadership, Golfsmith.com became one of the leading innovators in online retail, most notably launching the first version of ratings and reviews with Bazaarvoice. Jamey is also a frequent industry speaker with Shop.org and eTail in the US and in Europe. In addition to his work with Golfsmith, Jamey is also an active advisor with many online startups in the Austin area. Jamey Maki David is Co-founder and CFO of Pinkham Estates, a boutique real estate consultancy in Bel Air, California. Previously with Coldwell Banker as an Estates Director in Beverly Hills, David has received numerous honors and special recognition for his high production and personalized approach to building customer relationships. He has held leadership roles at top 5 Star Hotels in the hospitality industry achieving awards and accolades for high service standards which led to increasing profitability and return rates. He is a trusted advisor and consultant to early stage companies, imparting personal values to building cultures and teams rooted in honesty, integrity, dependability and genuine friendliness in business. David Pinkham Lisa Joy Rosner is the current CMO of Neustar. During her career, she has successfully re-branded four companies and launched three companies, helping to drive $1.5 billion in market cap. She is known for her educational and creative approach to B2B marketing, with a focus on marketing to both CMOs and CIOs. Prior to joining Neustar, Ms. Rosner was the CMO at social intelligence company NetBase. Additional roles include Vice President of Marketing for MyBuys, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at BroadVision Inc., and held marketing positions at Brio Technology, DecisionPoint, SGI and Oracle. Lisa was named a 2013 Silicon Valley Woman of Influence and B2B Marketer of the Year by the Sage Group and The Wall Street Journal, has won OMMA and Silver Anvil awards for integrated marketing campaigns and was named a Great Mind by The Advertising Research Foundation in 2011. Lisa Joy Rosner Jim Scharpf is currently a senior analyst at Dogswell; a growing, private equity backed dog food and treat company. Previously he worked at Guess?, Inc. in both the corporate and retail finance divisions with experience in budgeting, forecasting, inventory control, and financial modeling. He earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Dayton, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a dual degree in Finance Economics. Jim Scharpf Stephen C. Harris is a television executive producer and writer. He is currently Head of Non-Fiction development for Marlon Wayans reality division, Workaholics Entertainment Group. Past experience includes former network development and creative working at TLC as well as A+E. Steve has over 15 years of experience producing 1,000+ hours of franchise friendly formats in both the unscripted and scripted space and distributed across all broadcast platforms. Credits include: Wife Swap, Miami Ink, Trading Spaces, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Flip This House, Double Vision, I Survived, Celebrity Ghost Story, My Ghost Story, Monster-In Laws, Basketball Wives, Running Russell Simmons, Hammer Time, Mob Wives The Jacksons He is a co-founder ofWhat The Funny.com a digital platform devoted to curating comedic content with his business partners Marlon Wayans Rick Alvarez. Steve Harris Edan Goldenberg has over 25 years of experience in the fashion, apparel and retail industry. He was most recently the GMM (General Merchandise Manager) of Buying, Planning, and Ecommerce at Kitson Stores based in Los Angeles, CA from 2013 to 2015. He was responsible for all buying, planning and allocation of the full price and outlet channels, as well as all ecommerce management. Previously, he was the GMM and the VP of Buying and Merchandising at Guess, North America, from August 2012 to March 2013, responsible for all buying and merchandising of the Men's category in the USA, Canada and online. Prior to Guess, Mr. Goldenberg was the Director of Merchandising at True Religion Apparel, from July 2010 to August 2012. Previously, he was at Ermenegildo Zegna USA, where he was the Chief Merchant for the USA division, from August 2006 to July 2010. Prior to Zegna, Mr. Goldenberg was a Buyer at Macy's East Women's Bridge and Impulse (Contemporary Sportswear), a chain of department stores, where he worked from 2003 to 2006. Mr. Goldenberg has also served as the Director of Women's, Men's, and Beauty Fashion Merchandising and Planning at eLuxury.com, a division of LVMH Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey, from 2001 to 2003; Director of Merchandise Planning at Polo Retail Corporation, Polo Ralph Lauren, from 1997 to 2000; and as a Buyer and Merchandise Planner at Barneys New York from 1992 to 1997. Edan Goldenberg James is the current President of Outspoken, a market leading messaging platform and technology company that enables businesses of all sizes to utilize mobile messaging technologies. He is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on mobile video and MMS in the United States. He founded Mogreet in 2006, growing the company to become the leader in rich media messaging, and serving as CEO until its acquisition by Silver Lake Sumeru in 2013. James is a frequent speaker at major digital and mobile industry events, a published author and advisor to early-stage companies. James previously held senior roles with Avery Dennison and Deutsche Bank and is a graduate of Princeton University. James Citron Phineas started his career as an account manager for The Forge, a digital showroom in Austin Texas representing socially conscious brands such as FEED projects, Raven + Lily, and Jedidiah Clothing. He then moved to New York to join Warby Parker. During his tenure Phineas managed the Warby Parker Class Trip, a cross-country mobile retail initiative covering ten cities over eight months. He now manages retail partnerships and collaborations where his focus is on redefining traditional retail channels through creative design and execution. Phineas is an expert in brand marketing, retail innovation and strategy. Phineas Ellis Giri Durbhakula is a highly accomplished and experienced Technology Executive, with expertise in many industries such as Retail, Manufacturing, High-Tech, CPG, and Financial Services. Giri is Vice President and CIO for National Pen, a B2B Retailer/Manufacturer specializing in promotional products, operating in over 24 countries. He also serves as a mentor and advisor to a handful of startups. Prior to this, he was Vice President of Multi-Channel Technology at Petco, where he was responsible for Merchandising, eCommerce, Supply Chain and Marketing, and served as a key change agent in helping lead many key Omni-channel transformation projects. He has also served in senior technology leadership roles at companies such as Charlotte Russe, Fair Isaac, Intuit, Targetbase, and Gateway. In particular he has a deep background in Data and Analytics and many applications of Analytics such as Customer, Marketing, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Fraud, and Credit scoring. He has over 25 years of experience and has been an industry practitioner, management consultant and vendor, and brings a unique perspective to bear in helping solve business problems that enable strategic business growth for companies. He has written many articles and has also spoken at many different forums in his career on many topics. He has an undergraduate degree in Engineering and a graduate degree in Management from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as Executive Business Management courses from Stanford University. Giri Durbhakula Lisa Pisano is a leader within the fashion apparel footwear market. She is currently a SVP at Talbots, Inc. leading thru their revolutionary turn around. Over her career she has been focused in rebuilding and growth brands; Ann Taylor Loft, Steve Madden, Nine West, ZIGI USA. Her expertise is in the areas of merchandising, planning, allocation, analytics. She has led each team thru organizational, process, and system implementations. She loves leading and developing collaborative teams while mentoring those newly entering the work force. Her philosophy = keep it simple, focus on the big wins, be passionate in your role. Lisa Pisano Alek is a talented technology entrepreneur, mobile futurist and well rounded leader with a strong record of building successful products in the online, mobile and SaaS space. He is the current CTO of mGage - the mobile engagement company. Key industries he has worked in include mobile, technology, online and financial services. He has worked as part of senior and executive management teams in both start-ups and larger businesses and brings a wealth of international experience having worked in the USA, Australia and South Africa with two exits from start-ups he founded. He has led a variety of technology focused teams and been responsible for the development of a number of ground breaking platforms which include a mobile messaging platform integrated to all major US carriers, a mobile campaign system, mobile payments, a trading reconciliation system and an analytics service. He loves leading talented groups of engineers and product managers, driving multiple deadlines and great products. Alek Zdziarski As a Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) and licensed Unitive coach, Dr. Blakes more than 25 years of experience is uniquely diverse. His clients come from commercial printing, consumer products, food processing, healthcare, government, utilities, entertainment, defense and tribal businesses. Orlando is a Founding Fellow of the Institute for Professional Coaching Association at Mclean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate. He received his masters from the University of Southern California, with a specialization in applied behavioral sciences. He followed this with a doctorate and breakthrough research at Claremont Graduate University that discovered unique techniques to resolve disputes. Orlandos business experience includes senior executive positions for Warner Bros, Mercantile National Bank and Guess? Inc. After leaving corporate life, he provided key executive career services and executive coaching for Lee, Hecht, Harrison and Right Consultants in Southern California. In addition to Dr. Blakes nationally recognized consulting and coaching practice he was a consulting editor for Personnel Policy Manual and HRMatters, and a columnist for the maquilladora-focused Twin Plant News. Orlando Blake, Ph.D. CPT Brad Bose is one of the most experienced health, wellness and fitness professionals in the world. Exercise physiologist, author, teacher and business owner, Brad is based in Los Angeles and works throughout the sports and entertainment industries with clients who must get the best results as their professions depend on it. Bose manages and develops health and wellness programs, coaches and manages high profile individuals with specific health or body shaping issues. Selected film clients include: Robert Downey Jr., Tobey Maguire, Toni Colette and Declan Joyce, boxers include Paulie Malignaggi, Peter "kid Chocolate" Quillin and Mike"mile high mike" Alvarado. The #2 Paraolympic athlete in world Paratriathlete Scout Bassett,Velo-cyclist Shelby Walter. Brad's expertise includes assessing, critiquing and developing business plans for fitness concepts and studios, health and wellness programs, techniques for personal trainers and fitness professionals to increase their productivity and results. Brad Bose Gil is the Co-Founder and CEO of ECommerce Partners, a full-service web development and interactive digital marketing agency. Gil is widely recognized as a trusted partner that helps clients achieve their online business goals and connect with consumers and customers alike to drive business success. His expertise includes: eCommerce, mCommerce and Ominchanel retail strategy consulting, website platform development, digital marketing, maintenance and support. Client work includes: Stage Stores, Fossil, Sabon, L'Occitane, Grey Goose Vodka, Time Warner Cable, Penguin, DKNY and Perry Ellis. Gil Levy M. Chris Herrera has over 26 years of strategic planning and design experience. Chris is currently a strategist and Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army serving as the Director of Operations and Strategy for the National War College, the premiere senior service college in the Department of Defense, in Washington, D.C. During his career in the US Army, Chris has been deployed to Afghanistan twice to support the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and most recently to develop the NATO strategy to man, train, and equip the Afghan National Security Forces. In addition, he has extensive experience in Supply Chain Management and Security Management. Chris worked as a senior manager for Arthur Andersen, Bearing Point, and Unisys consulting to clients in the areas of supply chain management, security management, strategic alliances, network management, and business process improvement. Chris key clients were Smithfield Foods, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, Expanets, Marvel Comics, Department of Homeland Security, and Unilever. Chris holds an MBA from the Pennsylvania State University, with a focus on Supply Chain Management and a B.A. in Communications from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. M. Chris Herrera Kyle is the Director of M C Saatchi SHARE, the digital company of M C Saatchi LA, Inc. and has led teams building and executing digital and social media strategies for clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 brands. Prior to joining the agency he has served as the Global Director of Digital, Mobile and Social Media at GUESS? Inc. and also co-founded the Digital Group at PMKBNC, a renowned Hollywood media agency. Kyle has extensive experience in a range of industries including technology, retail, entertainment and hospitality. Kyle Maurer Romany "Rom" Malco is an American actor and music producer. He has been nominated for several awards, including an NAACP Image Award, MTV Movie Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Malco portrayed Conrad Shepard on theShowtime series Weeds and George St. Cloud on the ABC primetime one-hour drama No Ordinary Family. He began his career at the age of seven, when he picked up a microphone and started rapping. As a teen he formed the rap group R.M.G., and upon relocating to Los Angeles, the crew signed a deal to Virgin Records. The group's name was changed to College Boyz and their first big hit, "Victim of the Ghetto," went to #1 on the rap charts. Romany has been seen on big screen in hits including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Love Guru, Blades of Glory, Baby Mama, and Think Like a Man 1 and 2. He has received critical praise for his star-turning performance, playing Jay, the streetwise, trash-talking womanizer who sets the tone for the film's antics. His most recent work Mad Dogs has just been picked up by Amazon. Romany Malco LDR Thoughts LDR's Thoughts on Life, Food, Fashion, eCommerce, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Philanthropy, Investment and much more. Mar 11 0 Mar 11 0 People Before Profits! Prioritizing families has a business benefit at Patagonia proof is in the data Post by Drew Koven | Business Productivity Company Culture Corporate Culture Leadership Management Patagonia People Before Profits Productivity Retail Social Responsibility | No Comments A Patagonia VP explains a seemingly counterintuitive business decision that helped the company triple its profits Dean Carter, Contributor Dean Carter is a vice president overseeing HR, finance, and legal at Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company based in Ventura, California. Yes, there are financial costs inherent in building a family-affirming workplace, but the benefits [] Read more Mar 11 0 Mar 11 0 People Before Profits! 5 Priceless Lessons In Collaboration, Risk Taking, And Motivation Post by Drew Koven | Business Productivity Charles Duhigg Company Culture Corporate Culture Entrepreneurship Fast Company Leadership Management People Before Profits Productivity Retail Innovation Social Responsibility Technology | No Comments Stephanie Vozza 03.08.16 Fast Company Best-selling author Charles Duhigg offers lessons from Saturday Night Live, Frozen, and the Marines in stretching beyond your comfort zone. Charles Duhigg thought he was on top of things. The New York Times reporter won a Pulitzer Prize in 2013, and his first book, The Power of Habit, was a [] Read more Mar 11 0 Mar 11 0 People Before Profits! Is The Honest Company Honest? Post by Drew Koven | Company Culture Corporate Culture eCommerce Fortune Magazine Social Responsibility Start Ups Venture Capital | No Comments Full Disclosure I have two children. And as a parent first, I hope that this is a misunderstanding. I also was an Executive in the Internet Grocery Business. And we need Honest answers Fast! I am told by my wife that there are several Mom Blogs that have spoken out about this and have been for awhile. By Laura [] Read more Mar 11 0 Mar 11 0 People Before Profits! Mindfulness In The Workplace Post by Drew Koven | Company Culture Corporate Culture Entrepreneurship Investments Leadership Management People Before Profits Productivity Social Responsibility | No Comments March 10, 2016 Case Western Reserve University Mindfulness in the workplace improves employee focus, attention, behavior, new management-based research concludes ScienceDaily Mindfulness is often viewed as either a touchy-feely fad or valuable management tool that can lift an entire workplace. A new comprehensive analysis of mindfulness research suggests the latterthat injecting a corporate culture [] Read more Mar 10 0 Mar 10 0 People Before Profits! FORTUNE hosted three CEOs whose companies made their top ten list Post by Drew Koven | Company Culture Corporate Culture Entrepreneurship Fortune Magazine Leadership Management People Before Profits Productivity Social Responsibility Start Ups | No Comments People Before Profits! FORTUNE last night hosted three CEOs whose companies made their top ten list of 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Three takeaways from their comments on how to create a great workplace culture: 1) Show you care. If you treat people like they make a difference, they will make a difference 2) [] Read more Mar 10 0 Mar 10 0 People Before Profits! The exponential business benefits of putting people first Post by Drew Koven | Company Culture Corporate Culture Leadership Management People Before Profits Productivity Social Responsibility Start Ups Technology | No Comments Attracting and keeping a best-in-breed workforce is harder than ever. Organizations, especially in tech, have to compete fiercely to engage, challenge and develop the best people. But what does that engagement look like in practice? What do the employee-focused companies actually do to keep their best talent content and committed? Set goals and be clear [] Read more View All Blog Contact Us 2337 Roscomare Road, Los Angeles, CA 90077 323.905.4LDR (323.905.4537) info@ldrventures.com Get In Touch © 2015 LDR Ventures. All right reserved.