Episode #77
Jill Dempsey
CEO of Wedding Line & Former Founder of DUO Events Discusses Innovation & Bringing To Market Her Ideas
Guest Bio:
Jill Dempsey is an experienced private equity investor and operating executive in middle-market businesses. A Partner at Dolphin Capital from its founding, they raised and fully-deployed two funds in companies such as Ragnar Relay, Winder Farms, and the GSL Brine Shrimp Cooperative. The firm was founded on the principle of investing in both financial and human capital. Mrs. Dempsey assumed operating roles in multiple portfolio companies. Most recently, Jill led Dolphin Capital’s acquisition of Manduka, an LA-based premium yoga products company, where she served as CFO and COO for three years, completed the acquisition and merger of Yogitoes and subsequently led Manduka’s sale to a top-tier private equity firm in 2015. She has expertise in structuring mutually-beneficial transactions for investors and business owners, raising debt and equity, and growing businesses. Passionate about education, she taught an entrepreneurial finance course as an adjunct professor in the Marriott School for over six years. She is currently Acting CFO of Comforts of Home, an international study abroad student housing provider across Europe. She holds a BS in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Brigham Young University. She played on the BYU women’s rugby team for four years and served as the Marriott School student body president and president of BYU’s CEO chapter, ranked #1 in the nation.
Selected Links and People from the Episode:
Show Notes
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Introduction (1:45)
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How Jimmy and Jill first met during college (2:10)
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How Jill first got started with her success (4:30)
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Key things for someone who wants to scale their businesses (9:10)
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Her engagement with the event industry (18:44)
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Why she went into a wedding financing (25:36)
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Embracing the chaos and responding the right way (32:05)
