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Bringing Up Baby
As a Walt Disney Co. executive who helped turn around the company's Euro Disney operation, Laura McCartney (MBA '93) knew plenty about problem solving and strategizing in the corporate world. But as a mother, she also knew from personal experience that shopping for maternity clothes is a daunting task for even the most capable, accomplished women.
So in 1997, McCartney made the leap into e-commerce with eStyle, Inc., a dot-com backed with some $60 million in funding that sells clothing and accessories to expecting mothers. Last April, she added kidstyle.com, a clothing line for children. On top of that, her second child arrived in June.
"Motherhood is all about being flexible in a fast-paced environment, being tolerant, and welcoming change," McCartney told Business Week (June 26, 2000). "Working in the Internet is the same." Based in Los Angeles, eStyle has grown from 6 to 175 employees; McCartney does not reveal sales figures for the company, but with "e-tailing" these days looking as challenging as child-rearing, she'll be calling on all her formidable skills to help her start-up grow strong and healthy.
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