Jennifer Hyman

She made history as the 30th woman to take a company public.

In 2008, Jennifer Hyman watched her sister spend thousands on a dress she’d wear once.

That moment sparked an idea: Why buy when you can rent?

By 2009, she co-founded Rent the Runway, pioneering the world’s first “Closet in the Cloud.”

Investors were skeptical.

Would women actually rent clothes instead of owning them?

Turns out, they would.

Under Hyman’s leadership, Rent the Runway scaled to over 11 million members, partnered with 600+ designer brands, and hit a $1B valuation.

In 2021, she became the 30th woman in history to take her company public, leading an all-female C-suite in the process.

But the journey wasn’t always glamorous.

She battled industry bias, fought for paid family leave in her company, and publicly spoke out against sexual harassment in tech.

Today, she sits on the boards of Estée Lauder and Zalando.