Desiree Gruber
Through her multi-media agency, Full Picture, Desiree Gruber has been instrumental in building some of the world’s most notable brands across fashion, entertainment, technology, and retail, including Victoria’s Secret, vitaminwater, and Living Proof, as well as strategically guiding the careers of high-profile personalities such as Heidi Klum. She advises clients such as Google, AOL, and Condé Nast Entertainment. And she has helped create two of the most influential fashion properties of the last 20 years—the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and Project Runway.
Her latest endeavor, DGNL Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund, is an extension of her entrepreneurial success. DGNL Ventures invests in startups that are smartly navigating the intersection of technology, lifestyle, and celebrity. Previously, Gruber has invested in such notable companies as popchips, Living Proof (acquired by Unilever), Songza (acquired by Google), and Fashion GPS (now Launchmetrics).
Gruber has won a Peabody Award, a GLAAD Media Award, and 14 Emmy nominations for executive producing Project Runway. She was selected as one of Harper’s Bazaar-Dolce & Gabbana’s Women to Watch of 2014, one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs of 2010, and has been honored with over 20 media industry awards.
Gruber approaches her philanthropic endeavors with the same passion that fuels her businesses. She serves on the boards of the US Fund for UNICEF in New York, Tech:NYC, a newly-launched non-profit representing New York City’s technology sector, and God's Love We Deliver. She has been profiled in numerous publications, including O: The Oprah Magazine, Variety, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, New York Magazine, and Women’s Wear Daily.
Nir Liberboim
Nir Liberboim has been an active investor and entrepreneur in the consumer space for over 15 years. He co-founded DGNL Ventures to invest in innovative consumer brands and work alongside passionate entrepreneurs who are creating meaningful, lasting businesses. Previously, Nir founded and still operates Uprise Ventures to seed consumer-facing ideas that disrupt traditional business models and leverage key influencers to build brand awareness and drive adoption. Uprise Ventures’ investments include: ipsy, FabKids (acquired by JustFab), Sir Kensington’s (acquired by Unilever), Roadster (acquired by CDK), KiwiCrate and Red's All Natural.
His previous experience includes venture capital at Polaris Partners, management consulting at McKinsey & Company (Consumer & Retail), investment banking at Goldman Sachs (Technology & Media) and brand management at L’Oreal. Nir is a graduate of Harvard Business School and The University of Texas at Austin. He is also a recurring panelist on the CNBC series, Power Pitch.