Changing the Face of Business: Rachel Tipograph @ MikMak

Rachel Tipograph implores aspiring founders to: “Know what your superpower is, and how you can align it to a problem you want to solve.” It’s a playbook she’s lived out—as she leaned on her own particular brand of fearlessness to embrace ‘crazy’ marketing ideas as Gap’s youngest-ever Global Digital Director; to found MikMak to help businesses e-commerce-enable all their digital channels; and to use her influence as an investor to champion diversity, equity and inclusion at the founder and executive levels.

In her talk with Jesse, Rachel reflects on her early years as a student, intern, and self-identified member of the ‘digerati’. She describes how being born into a family of small-business owners spawned an entrepreneurial spirit, but also deep reflections on the inequities that have historically accompanied lines of succession. She identifies the forward-thinking insights that led to the founding of MikMak. She outlines the criteria that guide her personal investments. And she leaves us with a look at the future of media, commerce, and the workplace experience.

(2:59) From NYU, to saying goodbye to Hollywood internships

(6:07) Digital Directing at Gap: Sans-scrutiny, try crazy things

(10:40) When not everyone had a voice in the family business

(13:35) Not a female founder. A founder.

(17:11) Diversity at MikMak: the progress and the challenges

(19:04) The deepening intersection of media and commerce

(24:54) The future of of the workplace experience

Guest Bio

Rachel Tipograph is the Founder and CEO of MikMak, a global eCommerce enablement and analytics platform for multichannel brands. MikMak has earned recognition for its workplace culture and DE&I efforts as a “Fastest Growing Company in America” and “Best Place to Work” by Inc Magazine, “#10 Startup in the United States” by LinkedIn, “Breakthrough Brand” by Interbrand and “Nineteen Technologies Underpin AI And Analytics For Retail” by Forrester.

Rachel has also been recognized as a thought leader by leading media publications including Forbes (“30 under 30 Who Are Changing The World”), Fast Company ("The Most Creative People in Business") AdAge ("The Most Creative People of The Year"), Adweek ("The Young Influentials Shaping Business and Culture") and many more.

Helpful Links

MikMak’s website

Rachel’s podcast: Brave Commerce

Crunchbase: MikMak secures $10M Series A

Appearance on Forbes: Building An E-commerce Presence That Sells

Rachel on LinkedIn and Twitter