Mark Chou

Chief Executive Officer

2023 - Current

Swiftwick designs, engineers, and builds performance socks for endurance sports, featuring advanced moisture-wicking, optimal compression, and contoured performance. We are proudly based in Tennessee, manufactured in the USA, and worn the world over. Visit swiftwick.com to learn more.

Founder and Managing Partner

2020

Bradhurst Ventures partners with consumer brands primarily through consulting, advising, and investing. Our consulting services are currently on hiatus. Our primary consulting offering is a fractional / interim President/CMO service, providing you access to a senior operating executive to work hand-in-hand with you and your team. Fractional consulting engagements are available for a maximum of 2 companies at a time, with a minimum commitment of 1 day a week. Project-based consulting (e-commerce and marketing audits, organizational design and talent acquisition, technology and agency vendor RFPs, fundraising, international expansion, etc.) also available. Representative clients include Away, SENREVE, Rowing Blazers, Tom Beckbe, HATCH Collection, Askov Finlayson, and Stripes Group.

Advisor

2018

A luxury handbag company for the multifaceted modern woman. Dreamed up in SF, designed in NYC, and made in Italy. Advising SENREVE in all things marketing, creative, and digital. Fellow advisors include the former president of YOOX (now YOOX Net-a-Porter), former president of Kate Spade, and former president of Coach North America.

CMO / Chief Growth Officer

2020 - 2021

Served as CMO / CGO for next generation luxury brand SENREVE, a client of Bradhurst Ventures, until my family moved to Hong Kong in Feb. 2021. Member of the executive team, reporting to the CEO. Bradhurst Ventures concluded its engagement after stabilizing the company through a volatile 2020 while achieving significant growth, as well as hiring heads of growth marketing and brand marketing, along with a new COO. Areas of focus ranged from digital product and engineering to marketing and creative to processes and scalable infrastructure, recruiting, as well as international expansion. Key accomplishments included: - Served as a key sounding board to SENREVE's co-founders, CEO Coral Chung and COO Wendy Wen. - Drove significant YoY growth for a luxury brand in the midst of a global pandemic while reducing promotionality and establishing a foundation for post-COVID growth. - Successfully hired a head of growth marketing and head of brand marketing and helped hire a new COO following the departure of the co-founding COO. - Brought on a new senior advisor to guide the company in its continued international expansion, with a focus on APAC. - Onboarded a new development agency to support increasing complexity for the company's Shopify Plus webstore. - Introduced the company to key data / analytics resourcing to build a robust data infrastructure

Shareholder

2016

Advisor

2020 - 2020

Served as an advisor to CEO Stuart Haselden and President of International and SVP Retail & E-Commerce Roy Chan. After four years as part of the founding team at Away leading the acquisition, retention, digital product, engineering, data, insights, and international departments and serving as a member of the management team from launch to 9 figures in annual revenue, I transitioned into an advisory role for the company. Team members that I hired / managed / mentored over the course of four years have held the following positions at other companies: - Chief Digital Officer at Magnum Photos - Chief Operating Officer at Fenton - SVP, Growth at Our Place - Head of Growth at Brightland - Head of Growth at Magic Spoon - Head of Marketing at Fenton - Acquisition Lead at Patch Plants - VP, Brand Communications and Retention at Simple Health - Sr. Engineering Manager at Squarespace

VP, International

2019 - 2020

After building a growth team of 20 and helping Away profitably scale from launch to $150M in annual revenue in less than 3 years, I was tapped for a general management role overseeing our international P&L and markets in Canada, Europe, Australia, and Greater China. Hired and oversaw a team of 18 based in New York, London, and Sydney, and grew the international business 2.5x year-over-year, ultimately shipping to 39 countries.

VP, Growth and GM, Greater China

2018 - 2019

I oversaw acquisition marketing, retention marketing, digital product, data / analytics, and customer insights – departments consistently rated at the top of culture and engagement surveys during my ~3 years of leadership. I also co-chaired In Living Color, Away’s POC employee resource group. In addition, I led the early due diligence for Away's expansion into Greater China before being tapped to oversee all international markets for the company. Hired as employee #3 in early 2016, helping Away to scale from seed through Series C, with a $700M valuation, over $150M in annual revenue, and over 1 million suitcases sold.

VP, Growth Marketing and E-Commerce

2016 - 2018

I created and oversaw the growth marketing (acquisition and retention) as well as digital product teams at Away, and subsequently built the data / analytics and customer insights teams as well. During my time at Away, I also previously had the following responsibilities: - Overseeing engineering: 2.5 years - Overseeing brand marketing (organic social, influencer marketing, brand partnerships, and editorial): 1 year - Serving as in-house studio photographer and photo editor: 1.5 years I joined Away as Head of Digital Marketing and E-Commerce and was promoted to VP in January 2017. Internet Retailer Hot 100: 2017 IAB 250 Direct Brands to Watch: 2018 Fast Company World's Most Innovative Companies: 2018

Limited Partner

2021

Executive Advisor

2018

Stripes Group is a leading growth equity firm that makes $10-150 million investments in internet, software, healthcare IT and branded consumer products businesses and currently has $1.5 billion+ in assets under management. Portfolio companies include A24, KHAITE, Reformation (acquired by Permira), On Running (NYSE: ONON), Kosas, Levain Bakery, Erewhon, Monday.com (NASDAQ: MNDY) and Gimlet Media (acquired by Spotify).

Advisor

2023

VHS Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on the next generation of consumer founders, focusing on consumer brands and consumer infrastructure startups.

Advisor and Investor

2017

Blazers, shirts, and ties handmade in New York City, using the best American, British, Italian, and Japanese materials. Launched in May 2017, Rowing Blazers is principally a direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand, but is also available at some of the world's most influential menswear retailers, including United Arrows and BEAMS in Japan. Currently advising this menswear brand with marketing, brand, and digital strategy.

Advisor

2020

Classic benchmade footwear, made in England, with a twist. blackstockandweber.com.

Head of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships

2014 - 2016

Acquired by Kuzari Group, a lower middle market private equity firm based in New York City. Led all aspects of marketing (brand, acquisition, retention, PR, creative) and strategic partnerships (product collaborations, sweepstakes, B2B) at ONA, a New York City-based purveyor of fine, handcrafted bags and accessories, reporting directly to the CEO. In addition, I oversaw all digital product, e-commerce production, creative direction and production, organic social, influencer marketing, and editorial.

Managing Director

2014 - 2014

Recruited by founding partners to lead the New York Fashion Tech Lab for its inaugural 12-week program in 2014 and to lay the groundwork for the 2015 Lab. Managed team of four leading up to Demo Day (attended by 150+ retail execs, entrepreneurs, and investors). Coordinated everything from pitch sessions and workshops to press to contract negotiations to communications with Founding Member retailers, in addition to serving as key advisor to the eight Lab companies. Also oversaw search process for hiring the program's next managing director. The NYFTL is a mentorship-focused accelerator created by the Partnership Fund for New York City and Springboard Enterprises that pairs major fashion retailers with early and growth stage companies that have developed innovations at the intersection of fashion, retail, and technology. The Founding Members of the Lab include Alex and Ani, ANN Inc, Estee Lauder, J.Crew, Kate Spade, Li & Fung / Global Brands Group, LVMH / Marc Jacobs, Macy's, and Ralph Lauren. The 2014 class included Clothes Horse (acquired by Fits.Me), Nineteenth Amendment (closed a partnership with Macy's), Perch, StyleSage (TechStars NY '15), Stylinity, Stylit, Suddenlee, and Trendalytics.