Kimel and Zuckerman grew up in Potomac, Md. You can now sign up for just $99, plus receive a 7-day free trial. College and graduate students are projected to spend an average of $942.17 each, totaling $55.3 billion, on back-to-school shopping, according to a 2018 survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics.

“The initial barriers someone would have of the fear of doing something on their own were eradicated by having this experience growing up.”.

In 2010, when Amanda Zuckerman was preparing for her freshman year of college, she and her mom, Karen Zuckerman, went shopping for her dorm room. Kimel gave the Zuckermans advice about college, and “from there it was a natural progression to join forces with them to help launch Dormify,” she says. Now, she's a 27-year-old creative director for the fast-growing brand she build from the ground up. Entrepreneur Insider is your all-access pass to the skills, experts, and network you need to get your business off the ground—or take it to the next level. At the time the co-founders all worked remotely, with Zuckerman still in her Washington U dorm, using her marketing and graphic design courses and campus life to guide her business decisions. To build buzz around the brand before the actual product launched, Amanda and her mom started a simple blog using Wordpress. We didn’t even have a website! Copyright © 2009-2020 Her Campus Media, LLC. “I talked to my friends all the time, and I spoke to my sorority sisters about more specific, targeted questions we had,” she says. As incoming freshman know, however, purchasing everything you need can be a daunting task. Zuckerman credits her parents’ entrepreneurial background — they co-founded HZDG — with giving her the confidence to start her own company. The blog portion of Dormify is truly in the DNA of the brand. My first internship was at Vogue when I was 19, and although I felt like I was dreaming every time I walked through that door, by working for free somewhere so prestigious at a young age, I learned how to work hard, stay humble, maintain a level of professionalism and how to network. *laughs* You need a lot of things, but some of the necessities are things for your bed because you’ll spend a lot of time there, whether you’re sleeping, reading, studying, watching TV, or just hanging out with your roommate. They created Dormify.com, a … “We didn’t spend that much time thinking about it,” Amanda admits. “There were a lot of juvenile designs and ‘bed in a bag’ solutions that left no room for creative expression,” says Zuckerman, now 27. Many of us have been told to “think big” when defining our goals, but when Amanda Zuckerman and her mother, Karen, started Dormify, they found value in thinking small instead. This is the time to listen to others, learn things, and ask questions. The two identified the problem and came up with a solution. Amanda Zuckerman, who graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2013, experienced a similar dilemma when shopping for her own dorm room, and to solve this issue, she co-founded Dormify, an online one-stop-shop that sells everything incoming college students need for their rooms. In November, Dormify announced a $3.45 million series A investment led by American Eagle Outfitters Inc., a brand it has partnered with for three years. But, there wasn’t one place that had everything they needed, especially stylish Twin XL bedding. Jumpstart Your Business. I knew that it was the only time in my life that I was going to be able to live in that type of environment, take classes that didn’t necessarily matter to my future, make tons of amazing friends, be in a sorority, and all of the other things I wanted to do. I double majored in graphic design and marketing, and just balancing that in itself was really hard, but it’s all part of life, having to balance things. With an eye for design and a good amount of determination, they were able to create a beautiful room for Amanda using existing products -- but it was no small feat. The Zuckermans realized there wasn’t one place to easily find everything needed to make her dorm feel personal and homey, and that it would be easier to shop online. For the next year, that was their manufacturing partner. Although Dormify has raised funding, it always faces a threat from competition.

It’s my favorite thing!

College and graduate students are projected to spend an average of $942.17 each, totaling $55.3 billion, on back-to-school shopping, according to a 2018 survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics. The founders plan to use the new funding to host more pop-up shops (it hosted three this summer, staffed by college students), explore using artificial intelligence for customer service and develop new products, including more decor for men.

Kinda Wanna Eat Pizza.” Later Kimel, 32, the chief merchandising officer, joins the conversation, wearing a gray turtleneck and a black baseball cap that says “Dormify.”. I handle our website design and graphics, product design, photoshoots and everything in between. *laughs* It’s just a really special, unique time, and if you prove yourself to be an amazing asset during your internship, you’re so much more likely to get a full-time job offer at that company or one you hope to work for.

After Kimel graduated from George Washington University, she worked for HZDG, Karen Zuckerman’s agency in Rockville, Md. I learned how to prioritize my time and how to manage others in order to work efficiently and productively. I particularly love our collapsible ottoman, which serves as a seat, step stool, and shoe storage box all in one! AZ: I tried to tackle too many things at once and did not trust others to help me out. Your side projects, hobbies and interests, even quirks, could prove to be huge assets in your workplace or could be considered very intriguing to a future employer. Amanda Zuckerman wasn't an ordinary college student. What do you look for when considering hiring someone? By 9 a.m. employees are at their desks, communicating with customers who can email, chat, call or FaceTime with stylists or come to the showroom. It can go under your bed, especially if it’s lofted, and you can use this piece as a stool to reach your bed, and friends can also sit on it when they come over. Startups like Dorm Decor and Room 422 and big companies like Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Target and JCPenny also offer dorm room products, bedding sets and design inspiration. Amanda Zuckerman: I am the lead graphic designer for Dormify, so I’m responsible for executing all creative and ensuring that our brand’s point of view is consistent across all touch points. “They knew it was a good idea -- they’ve sold to the Bed Bath & Beyonds and the Targets of the world,” she says. I didn’t know where to go, and everywhere I went wasn’t an exact match for what I was looking for. Why the Founders of Senreve Built a Fashion Brand in Silicon Valley, How the Founder of Year & Day Made Millennials Love Tableware, Larabar's Founder Stocked Shelves at Whole Foods to Learn About Retail, How This Founder Raised Venture Capital -- Before She Built Her Debut Product, She Sold Botox in Beverly Hills.

“The point was to get people talking about dorm décor and college life and all these things that relate to Dormify to solidify proof of concept,” she says.


What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now? Before agonizing over whether I should have other experiences before joining the rest of the Dormify team after graduating from college, I wish I realized that our industry encompasses all of these things. Today the 15-person Dormify team works out of this showroom and office on 31st Street and Fifth Avenue.

The co-founders started the business with their own money then raised a $2.125 million seed round in 2013. Try risk free for 60 days. Could you elaborate a bit on this and discuss your style advisor program? Multiple bedroom setups display bedding and wall options from feminine to boho-chic. Create your business plan in half the time with twice the impact using Entrepreneur's BIZ PLANNING PLUS powered by LivePlan.

She started her own advertising agency out of her house when she was in her twenties, and has grown her business into a big-time ad agency with a lot of hard work, determination and dedication. In order to maximize the small space that a dorm room offers, you need to have multi-purpose furniture like this. The company has also established a style advisor program called Dormifam, which allows students across the country to participate in Dormify’s product development, have opportunities to be featured on Dormify’s social media accounts, and have access to exclusive sales and discounts.

Just use promo code SYOB99 to claim your offer. She also had a model for how to own a business with a family member. This is a loaded question! Good lighting is also important for a dorm, since the lighting in the room is usually pretty dim. She's a writer, editor, and social media manager, as well as co-founder of The Prospect (www.theprospect.net), the world’s largest student-run college access organization. I handle our website design and graphics, product design, photoshoots and everything in between. I always advise people to develop a personal brand and in your free time, hone in on your “professional extracurriculars.” This could be photography, interior design, DIY projects, social media, musical talents, an appreciation for food… you name it.

In the Women Entrepreneur series My First Moves, we talk to founders about that pivotal moment when they decided to turn their business idea into a reality—and the first steps they took to make it happen. Zuckerman excitedly shows a colleague new bedding, puts her Nap Queen mug in the sink and gets back to work.

There was a lot going on.

Out of all the products you’ve created, which one is your favorite? Though the offices often feel bustling, with students browsing through the pillows, art and bedding, today the back-to-school frenzy has slowed and the office and showroom are calm. Amanda Zuckerman of Dormify shares tips and lessons learned for aspiring female entrepreneurs with CNBC onsite at the 2018 YPO EDGE in Singapore. People would often tell us, “You’re crazy for going up against Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Walmart,” but we didn’t let that hold us back. We didn’t even have a business card,” Zuckerman says. “The other half of the story is that my mom owns a creative agency that she started over 30 years ago, so we had this huge advantage of using her resources in order to get off the ground,” she says.