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Deborah Benton
Deborah Benton is a seasoned consumer retail executive with extensive experience in the fashion and e-commerce industries. She joined Breakwater Investment Management, LLC as a Partner in November 2014.13 Prior to this role, Benton served as:
- President and COO of Nasty Gal, an online women's fashion retailer, where she led revenue growth of 400%.13
- COO of ShoeDazzle, an online women's shoes and accessories company, managing over 20 times revenue growth in just over two years.13
- Executive Vice President, Operations and Inside Sales at Teleflora, where she managed a $100+ million P&L.3
At Breakwater, Benton's initial role was to serve as a strategic advisor to the board of directors of the firm's portfolio company Planet Blue, a California-based lifestyle retailer and fashion brand.13 Her focus at Breakwater includes identifying attractive investment opportunities in emerging growth companies and supporting their leadership teams to deliver outstanding value creation.3
More recently, Benton has founded Willow Growth Partners, an investment firm supporting early-stage consumer brands.2 As the founder and managing partner, she focuses on fair seed-stage deals for companies in beauty, personal care, health and wellness, food and beverage, pet, and baby categories.2
Benton is known for her expertise in operational management, her advocacy for women entrepreneurship, and her ability to drive significant growth in the companies she leads.13
Highlights
Lucious lip balm, 'of the moment' charms, and juicy secrets ... oh my! What a terrific launch Bubble! Congrats Shai Eisenman and the entire Bubble team!
"For our community, this is about more than looking and feeling good; it’s about self-expression. Gen Z, with their passion for individuality, are finding new ways to stand out in an increasingly fragmented and noisy cultural landscape."
Willow Growth Partners Amanda Schutzbank Dor Sela Andrew Ross
Willow Growth Partners team is GROWING! Are you obsessed with consumer brands? Dream about the new product launches at Sephora and Ulta? Comb the aisles at your local Target, Walmart, CVS, and Whole Foods, eyeing all the new better-for-you brands, excited to try them? If so, this incredible opportunity may be for you! We are seeking an exceptional Investment Analyst to join our team - see below for details!
Amanda Schutzbank
