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Aubrie Pagano
Professional profile
Aubrie Pagano is a General Partner at Alpaca VC, a venture capital firm based in New York that focuses on early-stage investments in companies transforming commerce through technology. She joined Alpaca VC in 2020 after successfully founding and selling Bow & Drape, a fashion brand known for its mass customization and celebrity endorsements.123
Background and Career
Before her venture capital career, Aubrie Pagano co-founded Bow & Drape in 2012, where she served as CEO until its acquisition by Win Brands Group in 2019. Under her leadership, the brand became popular for its unique offerings and was sold through major retailers like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's.127
In addition to her role at Alpaca VC, she has been involved with XFactor Ventures, an investment fund that supports startups with female founders, where she focused on early-stage investments in various sectors, including consumer goods and technology.234
Education and Recognition
Aubrie graduated from Harvard University and has received several accolades, including being named one of Business Insider's Top 40 Women Seed Investors and Forbes' 30 Under 30 in the retail category.347
Investment Philosophy
At Alpaca VC, Pagano emphasizes the importance of "Founder-market fit" and diversity in funding decisions, advocating for investments in underrepresented founders and innovative startups that bring fresh perspectives to the market.236 She has invested in companies like Pack Digital and Mayple, focusing on next-generation commerce solutions.57
Aubrie Pagano resides in Brooklyn, New York, where she continues to engage with the startup ecosystem and contribute to discussions on commerce and investment trends.15
Highlights
Innovation isn't building something new. It's seeing what everyone else sees and asking why it has to be that way.
I recently had Covid, and I don’t care whether you are 13 or 43 - getting sick in the summer wrenches your soul through your eye sockets like a poetic contrapasso from Dante’s infamous circles of hell. I had a lot of time to lie next to my A/C and think: about Covid; about the shortages and now excesses of goods we are experiencing in its wake; about where our collective zeitgeist for wanting stuff remains.
I wrote my latest musings on my Substack, let me know if you're consuming, drinking, shopping less! 🍅
#consumerinsights #covid Alpaca VC Ryan Freedman David Goldberg Daniel Fetner Laura Chau Lorraine Sanders
