Julie Wainwright

Founder of The RealReal, Entrepreneur, E-Commerce Pioneer, Brand Management Expert & Keynote Speaker

Julie Wainwright is the founder of The RealReal, the world’s largest luxury consignment platform, which she launched at age 52 after being told she was “unemployable” following the collapse of Pets.com. She transformed that setback into a billion-dollar public company. A pioneer in tech and female entrepreneurship, Julie is known for her grit, bold leadership, and vision. Her 2025 memoir, Time to Get Real, was an Amazon #1 New Release.

  • Languages Spoken

    English

  • Languages Spoken

    English

Suggested Keynote Speaker Programs

The Power of Failure

In this captivating keynote speech, Julie Wainwright delves into the transformative power of failure. Drawing from her own experiences in the business world, Wainwright shares invaluable insights on how failure can be a catalyst for growth, ...

In this captivating keynote speech, Julie Wainwright delves into the transformative power of failure. Drawing from her own experiences in the business world, Wainwright shares invaluable insights on how failure can be a catalyst for growth, innovation, and ultimately, success.

With the wealth of knowledge gained from her impressive career, Julie explores the importance of embracing failure as a necessary stepping stone toward achieving greatness. She highlights how failures can provide invaluable lessons, fuel resilience, and ignite the entrepreneurial spirit within individuals and organizations.

Through captivating storytelling and real-life examples, Wainwright inspires audiences to shift their perspective on failure. She challenges conventional notions of success and encourages attendees to view setbacks as opportunities for learning and personal development. By reframing failure as a powerful tool rather than a source of shame or disappointment, Julie empowers individuals to take risks, push boundaries, and unlock their full potential.

Explore The Power of Failure and discover how embracing setbacks can lead to unparalleled success in the ever-evolving world of business by hiring Julie Wainwright today.

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Collaboration, Creativity, & Cause: Building A Culture and Getting Results

In this keynote, Julie Wainwright teaches audiences how to build a culture that not only supports your business performance but improves it.   During her career as a c-suite executive, Julie has ...

In this keynote, Julie Wainwright teaches audiences how to build a culture that not only supports your business performance but improves it.  

During her career as a c-suite executive, Julie has seen some companies crumble and others achieve tremendous success. With that extensive experience, comes years of insights into what separated these high-performance cultures. 

Attendees will leave this keynote speech with a deeper understanding of the importance of building a culture that encourages collaboration, creativity, and cause within their organizations. Specifically, they will gain practical strategies for empowering employees, fostering innovation, and aligning company & employee values. Ultimately, they will be inspired to create positive change within their company and drive meaningful business results.

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Think You Want to Start a Company? Here’s What You Need to Know

In this engaging and informative keynote speech, Julie Wainwright provides invaluable advice and practical tips to navigate the challenging world of entrepreneurship. Drawing from her journey as the ...

In this engaging and informative keynote speech, Julie Wainwright provides invaluable advice and practical tips to navigate the challenging world of entrepreneurship.

Drawing from her journey as the founder and CEO of multiple successful companies, including The RealReal and Ahara, Julie delves into the key factors that contribute to success. She also addresses the common challenges and pitfalls that entrepreneurs often face and offers strategies for overcoming them. From managing finances and securing funding to marketing and branding strategies, attendees will gain invaluable insights from a career entrepreneur.

Attendees can expect to leave this keynote speech feeling motivated, informed, and equipped with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this keynote is a must-attend event for anyone looking to succeed in business.

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Thinking Big

At one of the lowest moments of her life, Julie Wainwright faced two devastating blows in a single day—her husband woke her at 4 a.m. to ask for a divorce, and hours later, she had to shut down Pets.com, one of the first major e-commerce ...

At one of the lowest moments of her life, Julie Wainwright faced two devastating blows in a single day—her husband woke her at 4 a.m. to ask for a divorce, and hours later, she had to shut down Pets.com, one of the first major e-commerce ventures. Soon after, a top Silicon Valley recruiter dismissed her as “unemployable.”

With her personal and professional life in crisis, Julie had a choice: let others define her future or take control and redefine herself. She chose the latter. Out of that defining moment, she built The RealReal, a revolutionary luxury resale marketplace that transformed the fashion industry.

In this keynote, Julie shares the pivotal lessons she learned about resilience, reinvention, and thinking beyond conventional limits. Her story is a powerful testament to overcoming adversity, embracing risk, and building something extraordinary when the world tells you it’s impossible.

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Fireside Chat: Reinvention, Resilience, and the Future of Consumer Tech

From launching and scaling billion-dollar businesses and taking it public – one of only 23 women to ever have done so – to navigating personal and professional setbacks, serial tech entrepreneur Julie Wainwright has earned her spot ...

From launching and scaling billion-dollar businesses and taking it public – one of only 23 women to ever have done so – to navigating personal and professional setbacks, serial tech entrepreneur Julie Wainwright has earned her spot on the inaugural Forbes 50 over 50 list. In this candid session, Julie sits down to share her unfiltered journey and offer actionable insights for founders looking to:

  • Transform Setbacks into Success: Learn when to pivot and rebuild in a tech-driven landscape, turning challenges into opportunities for innovation.
  • Build Scalable Consumer Trust: Learn what works (and what doesn’t) when creating a brand that resonates globally.
  • Master Strategic Fundraising: Discover what investors are really looking for and how to make your startup stand out.

Select the Right Board and Investors: Gain insights on choosing the optimal advisors and backers to support your growth / vision at every stage.

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About Keynote Speaker Julie Wainwright

Julie Wainwright is a trailblazing entrepreneur, e-commerce innovator, and seasoned C-suite executive whose career spans more than two decades building and scaling category-defining consumer and technology companies. Best known as the founder and former CEO of The RealReal, the premier digital marketplace for authenticated luxury goods, Julie has consistently redefined industries with visionary leadership, sharp operational execution, and a commitment to sustainability.

Julie began her career at Clorox, where she developed a strong foundation in brand management before moving into the fast-evolving worlds of technology and e-commerce. Over the next several years, she took the helm of multiple high-profile companies—serving as CEO of Reel.com in 1997, and later CEO of Pets.com in 1999—experiences that shaped her pragmatic, resilient approach to leadership and innovation.

In June 2011, Julie founded The RealReal and modernized luxury consignment by bringing it online at scale through a trusted, digital-first model for authentication and resale. Under her leadership, the company raised sizable venture capital, built a membership of more than 30 million people, sold millions of items, and fundamentally changed the way consumers buy and sell high-end luxury goods while disrupting traditional luxury retail. In 2019, Julie took The RealReal public, becoming one of only 23 women in history to found and lead a company to an IPO and solidifying her legacy as a pioneering business leader.

A recognized sustainability leader in the luxury space, The RealReal advanced circular fashion through major partnerships and industry commitments, including sustainability collaborations with Gucci, Burberry, and Stella McCartney. The company became the first luxury member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CE100 USA and the first resale member of the UN Climate Change’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action.

Julie is also the author of Time to Get Real: How I Built a Billion Dollar Business That Rocked the Fashion Industry (2025), a candid account of the lessons, triumphs, and setbacks behind building one of the most influential companies in modern retail. The book was cited by Amazon editors as one of the best nonfiction books of 2025.

Over her career, Julie has earned numerous accolades recognizing her impact on entrepreneurship, innovation, and business leadership, including Entrepreneur Magazine’s 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs, Fast Company’s Most Creative People, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, Inc. Magazine’s 100 Female Founders, a Retail Innovator of the Year Award, and Business of Fashion’s Top 500 in the fashion industry. She was also honored on Forbes’ inaugural 50 Successful Women Over 50 list and appeared on the cover of Forbes in June 2021. Her alma mater, Purdue University, also recognized her with the Burton D. Morgan Entrepreneurship Award.

A sought-after speaker, Julie has delivered keynotes and featured talks for audiences at ForbesWomen’s Summit, Code Commerce, Osservatorio Altagamma Monitor, Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit, The New York Times’ Luxury Summit, Barron’s, Copenhagen Fashion Summit, and the Financial Times’ Business of Luxury Summit, as well as at leading universities including Stanford and Purdue. Her keynotes inspire audiences with real-world lessons on building disruptive businesses, creating high-performance cultures, navigating setbacks, and leading with authenticity in moments that matter.

Beyond business, Julie is deeply committed to philanthropy and civic leadership. She supports local and national nonprofits focused on entrepreneurship, education, the arts, sustainability, and animal welfare. She currently serves as President of the MOCA Board of Trustees, helping guide one of the world’s most influential institutions for art produced from 1940 to the present. In addition, she has funded scholarships supporting diversity and sustainability, including sustainable fashion at Parsons School of Design.

Today, Julie is an investor in multiple venture capital funds and serves as a consultant and advisor to entrepreneurs, continuing her mission of helping innovators build what’s next. Her keynotes inspire audiences with lessons from her journey—turning failures into stepping stones, fostering high-performance cultures, and empowering entrepreneurs. Whether addressing corporate teams, aspiring business leaders, or global audiences, Julie delivers actionable strategies infused with authenticity and wisdom.  



Testimonials

“Creating a tsunami in the fashion business is never easy. Julie managed to create a brand-new retail system to change the buying habits of high-end consumers. A genius modernization of how, when, and where people shop for the best products!”

Tommy Hilfiger

 

“Julie has so many incredible insights to share as an entrepreneur. She is someone who has been the first woman to soar in the industry many times throughout her professional life. She’s not just an e-commerce pioneer, (but) a legend.”

Kara G.

Founder of Beverage Company Hint, Podcaster, & Author of Undaunted

“Thank you for the amazing interview today. It has been more than a pleasure and privilege to introduce this incredible book to our agents and learn from a true trailblazer and industry leader. Our agents got enormous value from the insights and expertise Julie so generously shared with us.”

Ida F.

The Corcoran Group

“I could not put the book down because I watched from the sidelines as this visionary built an entirely new business model under the overwhelmingly misogynistic tech field. I remember meeting her at a Financial Times conference and I felt so honored that she knew me. Read More

Daniella V.

CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo

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