Beth Kaplan is currently the Managing Member of Axcel Partners, LLC investing in consumer facing early stage and growth companies. Prior to this, Kaplan was President and Chief Operating Officer at Rent the Runway, a fashion apparel company with a technology soul disrupting the way women get dressed. In her role, Kaplan worked closely with the co-founders and oversaw finance, operations, merchandising, customer insights, business development, and retail.
Prior to joining Rent the Runway, Kaplan served as President and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer, and Director at General Nutrition Centers Inc. where her focus was on key strategic initiatives surrounding the marketing & merchandising of GNC stores, development of an ecommerce platform, and product development. Kaplan played an integral role in the company’s 2011 IPO, the most successful IPO that year. Prior to GNC, Kaplan served as Executive Vice President and General Manager at Bath & Body Works where she oversaw the merchandising and marketing of the new flagship store format. Prior to Bath & Body Works, Kaplan was the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising at Rite Aid Drugstores, and prior to that spent 16 years at Procter & Gamble, her last role being President and General Manager of the Cosmetics and Fragrance division, including Cover Girl and Max Factor.
Kaplan received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been recognized in the industry for her work on a number of occasions including Drugstore Marketer of the Year in 1998 and one of Advertising Age’s Top 10 “Women to Watch” in 1999. She was the keynote speaker this year at Baltimore’s Women to Watch event. In addition to Rent The Runway and Meredith, Kaplan is also a director of the Howard Hughes Corporation, a director of Framebridge, a director of Leesa Sleep, and a director of Car/of. She was previously a director at Blackboard (public), Sleepys (private equity), Things Remembered (private equity), Minute Clinic (venture), and The First Years (public).
Kaplan splits her time between New York City and Baltimore, Maryland, and is married with two sons.