From Breaking Into Y Combinator to Reshaping A $58Bn Furniture Resale Industry w/ Reham Fagiri, AptDeco
From Breaking Into Y Combinator to Reshaping A $58Bn Furniture Resale Industry w/ Reham Fagiri, AptDeco
In this episode, we’re joined by Reham Fagiri, co-founder and CEO of AptDeco, the trailblazing furniture resale platform that’s transforming a $58 billion industry.
What started as Reham’s frustration with selling furniture on Craigslist has grown into a powerhouse business with over $100 million in sales, innovative logistics, and booming B2B growth.
As the first Black female founder to break into Y Combinator, Reham has raised more than $70 million while building a platform that’s redefining how we buy and sell furniture. From her beginnings at Goldman Sachs to launching a game-changing startup, this conversation is packed with billion-dollar insights and inspiration. Don’t miss it!
Timestamps/Key Takeaways
0:00 - Intro
01:50 - Billion Dollar Question
04:15 - From business school to Goldman Sachs to the conceptualize of AptDeco
08:57 - The Co-Founder relationship with Kalam Davis
13:53 - Deficiency in the now, $58Bn furniture resale industry; breaking through Y Combinator
18:48 - Growth hacking; the journey to hit the J-curve; AptDeco’s in-time delivery
26:39 - The explosive growth between 2014-2017; unsuccessful attempt to raise Series A
29:19 - Expanding through B2B partnerships; building warehouse return solutions for brands
35:54 - Key factors to raise $19M capital; being the first black female to break into Y Combinator
41:30 - What needs to change in venture ecosystem for minority founders?
44:20 - Final message to founders alike
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Reham Fagiri
CEO & Co-Founder, AptDeco
Reham Fagiri is the co-founder and CEO of AptDeco, the leading furniture resale platform that makes buying and selling furniture easy, efficient, and sustainable. AptDeco, built the first of its kind suite of resale technology and logistics solutions tailored to the furniture industry. Prior to starting AptDeco Reham worked at Goldman Sachs in various engineering and management positions focusing on designing, building, and launching new software applications for the firm.
Reham holds a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania. She has served on the Fast Company Impact Council and Rewriting the Code advisory board, which works to advance women in business and tech.