How Do You Go from an Idea to $130m in Sales in 3 Years | David Wolfe

How Do You Go from an Idea to $130m in Sales in 3 Years

David Wolfe
CEO, New Economy Brands

David has a 34-year history of starting and growing new businesses. After 7 years as a strategy consultant in London, David moved to the US in 1994 to co-found and build The Vacation Store, one of the first, large-scale, direct travel companies. The company was sold to a strategic buyer in 1998. David spent the next 16 years bringing new ideas to life using e-commerce as the primary transactional platform. He partnered with and advised several of the major consumer products companies including Proctor and Gamble, Clorox, General Mills, Purina, and VF Corporation. David was also a co-founder and member of the investment committee of a private equity firm for 16 years.

In 2014, David and his innovation team developed the Leesa mattress and launched the company in 2015, growing annual sales to just under $130M in 2017. He is most proud of Leesa’s mattress donation program, which was built into the DNA of the company long before launch. David led the company’s early growth through 2018.

David is currently CEO of New Economy Brands, which invests in and/or advises over 20 ecommerce businesses. NEB’s core invest under active management is The Fascination, a curated online marketplace where you can discover, research, and shop emerging, mission-driven, direct-to-consumer brands – all in one place.

David is driven by his passion for his family, his friends, his work, and a deep sense of purpose. He lives with his wife of almost 37 years in Virginia Beach and has two adult daughters. In recognition of his visionary leadership and positive impact, David was honored in June of this year with EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Award in the Consumer Products Category – Mid-Atlantic Region. He has an engineering degree from Birmingham University and an MBA from London Business School.

The Fascination

Discover, research and shop top emerging mission-driven brands – all in one place.

We explore the science and soul of today's top emerging direct-to-consumer brands, testing hundreds of brands' products and curating our top picks for you. At The Fascination, you can read product reviews, browse our curated brand directory, find brands that align with your values, and shop bestsellers, seamlessly.