Meet Revel's Co-Founders

How old are you?‍

33

Where did you grow up?

Centreville, VA

Why Revel?

My mother raised me by herself and is one of four sisters, and so I think that from the very beginning I grew up knowing that women are endlessly capable, resourceful, and gritty and that this gets truer and truer as we age.

When I graduated from business school, I joined a venture capital firm called August Capital as the first female investor in their twenty-five-year history. Every day, I was pitched by founders, the vast majority of whom were building products and apps for teenagers and twentysomethings. My mother was about 65 at the time and I couldn’t understand why no one was thinking about her as a target consumer, especially because she was craving new adventures, experiences, explorations more than ever before in her life. Alexa and I were together one weekend and starting talking about this and also about how in general technology is driving us all further and further apart, and could we build technology that would weave women closer together. And that’s how the idea that became Revel was born.

Who is your current over-40 role model?

Dale Pollekoff, who has an endless curiosity and capacity for learning, and Kirsten Green, our lead investor, who shook up the VC industry and is known as a great investor, not just a “great female investor”

What’s the #1 lesson you’ve learned from the women you’ve met through Revel?

I had a negative outlook on aging before starting this company. I honestly thought that after giving birth, I’d be on a steep and precipitous physical decline. No one had ever told me that mentally it only gets better: more self-confidence, less tolerance for bullshit, more loving of oneself. Aging is freedom, I’ve come to realize, and I’m so excited for it.

Guilty pleasure?

The running joke at Revel is that I think raisins are a guilty pleasure.

Best quarantine binge-watch?

Schitt’s Creek (the final season also got me through labor.)

Favorite book ever?

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Secret talent?

Mining for chocolate chips in ice cream.

Where do you hope to be in twenty years?

In a comfy chair reading a really good book, ideally looking out at a nice lake/mountain/ocean view.

Tell us something surprising about Alexa….

She has a tattoo...

How old are you?

34

Where did you grow up?

Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Why Revel?

I come from a healthcare-focused family that made a point of emphasizing the importance of taking care of your mental and behavioral health in addition to your physical health. While I was working for a health insurance startup after graduating from business school, it was impossible to ignore all the evidence that our society was slowly losing the communities we once relied on and how this was negatively impacting our overall health and well-being. When Lisa and I were on a ski trip in Tahoe two years ago and we started talking about how we could use technology to build a community for a powerful demographic that is often overlooked (and one we’ll be a part of soon!), it immediately felt like we had found our next calling.

Who is your current over-40 role model?

It might be the obvious answer but it really is my mother. She was an engaged and present mom for me and my two sisters (came to every one of my soccer games, hand-made every one of our Halloween costumes, and so much more), all while working full-time as an anesthesiologist. She is curious, constantly pushing herself to learn new things, and can find the good in anyone she meets. She is nearly 70 years old, still works full-time, just published her first book, and recently hiked Yosemite. She continues to inspire me every day.

What’s the #1 lesson you’ve learned from the women you’ve met through Revel?

Before we started Revel, it felt like the big decisions I would make in my 20’s and 30’s would be the most important in my life. After that point, the rest of the book would have already been written. What I’ve learned from so many amazing and different women in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and even 80’s is that life is, in a way, only beginning in your 30’s. Whether it’s your work, family, love life, health, location… there is no age in which you can’t learn, explore, and/or take your life in a new and interesting direction.

Guilty pleasure?

Reality TV shows like 90 Day Fiance and Married at First Sight. They are so addicting!

Best quarantine binge-watch?

Succession. I can’t wait for the new season!

Favorite book ever?

The Princess Bride

Secret talent?

Not sure how talented I am but I love ceramics and throwing pottery.

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?

Continuing to build Revel. And getting married :)

Where do you hope to be in twenty years?

If Revel has taught me anything it’s that there is so much learning and joy to be found in the process of building something. In twenty years, I hope to still be working on new and interesting challenges with people I respect and admire.
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Tell us something surprising about Lisa….

She loves music festivals!

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