A biography for Jennifer Hymanhasn’t been written yet.
“I sleep around 8 hours, but I tend to wake up several times a night with constant dreams, thoughts, and ideas related to Rent the Runway.”
“When we launched, we had to figure out every problem - big or small - on our own.”
“While it can be challenging for women with disruptive, technology-based ideas to acquire significant funding, in my experience, once I was able to raise that funding, I was met with droves of people offering to help me fulfill my dreams.”
“In order to really believe in an idea being revolutionary, you have to truly understand how it's going to revolutionize life.”
“Fashion should be a daily convenience, not a daily chore.”
“I didn't wake up one day and want to become an entrepreneur. I had the idea for Rent the Runway and thought it would be fun to work on and also thought if it was successful, it would make women feel great about themselves.”
“I think a lot of people might've and probably did have the idea of renting clothes before me. I was the only one who was crazy enough to attempt it.”
“I was sexually harassed while building Rent the Runway - propositioned, sent sexual text messages, harassed and threatened in person.”
“I'm totally obsessed with Italian food and Mexican food.”
“If your work isn't mission-driven or emotionally resonant to you, it will be very hard to maintain passion and focus over a long period of time, which is critical in entrepreneurship.”
“I want to have an 'Eat, Pray, Love' experience where I drop off the face of the planet and move to Greece.”
“When I feel like the day is great? Pasta. When I feel like I want the day to be great? Pasta. It's just awesome.”
“I have the most eclectic music taste out there. I can be listening to an indie pop song just as easily as I could be listening to a Carly Simon song from the '70s to a country song.”
“The most important thing to Ben and me was starting a family, so as soon as we got engaged, we booked Gurney's in Montauk - which is just a few miles down the beach from our summer home - as our wedding venue a full year and a half out, and then we immediately started trying to get pregnant.”
“I've always felt the connection between clothing and confidence, which is why I probably was such a shopaholic.”
“I've been humbled by the amount of people who have gone out of their way to reach out, mentor me on an ongoing basis, and devote time to help solve the problems Rent the Runway faces as a company - simply out of their own interest and kindness.”
“Mentors don't just have to be people who are older or more experienced than you are. Mentors are people who really care about you, know you, and want to offer feedback and advice to help you grow.”
“I think that life is difficult. People have challenges. Family members get sick, people get older, you don't always get the job or the promotion that you want. You have conflicts in your life. And really, life is about your resilience and your ability to go through your life and all of the ups and downs with a positive attitude.”
“Startups, by their nature, are entrepreneurial - testing new things, launching new products, and disrupting themselves. That's why you join a startup in the first place - to create, to stretch beyond your current capabilities, and to make an outsized impact.”
“Even though she's my younger sister, Becky's definitely a role model in my life. She's the most genuinely positive person I've ever met.”