The founder and the partnerships lead behind one of the most trusted names in sneaker raffles reveal how EQL is trying to level the playing field for consumers and brands alike.
Andrew Lipp is the Founder & CEO of EQL, and Scott Carter is EQL's Head of Partnerships for Sneakers & Streetwear. Together they've built EQL into a platform designed to bring fairness and transparency to sneaker raffles, partnering directly with major brands to give consumers a genuine shot at the pairs they want. TheStockroom met Andrew and Scott in Paris for this conversation — covering everything from EQL's origins to where the raffle industry is heading next.
They explain:
◼ Why building genuine relationships mattered more than anything else in EQL's early days
◼ How EQL earned the credibility to partner directly with major brands
◼ What it felt like launching their very first product through EQL
◼ Why consumer experience sits at the centre of everything EQL does
◼ How EQL actually measures success, and what the EQLizer score means
◼ Their favourite raffles to date, and how the industry has changed from EQL's point of view
◼ How EQL decides which brands and partners to align with
◼ Where AI already shows up in EQL's day-to-day workflows
◼ What the future holds for EQL … and for TheStockroom
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:07 – EQL x TheStockroom Live in Paris
01:36 – Introducing Andrew Lipp, Founder & CEO of EQL, and Scott Carter, Head of Partnerships for Sneakers & Streetwear
02:43 – What's on foot, pairs brought to Paris & favourite sneakers
15:19 – How EQL started and the importance of connecting to people
20:43 – Building credibility and partnering with brands
23:53 – Launching their first product via EQL
30:00 – Why consumer experience is so important to EQL
39:10 – How EQL measures success
49:50 – What is the EQLizer score?
52:54 – Andrew & Scott's favourite raffles
1:00:28 – How the industry has changed, and how EQL chooses who to align with
1:08:01 – What the future of EQL looks like
1:13:13 – How AI shows up in EQL's workflows
1:17:23 – Where TheStockroom wants to be in 5 years
1:23:00 – Andrew's why
1:25:13 – Andrew and Scott's words of wisdom