The Safari – Details, episodes & analysis

Since founding ICR in 1998, Tom and his senior team have grown the firm into one of the largest, most respected and most impactful agencies in the world. He has studied public companies, their value creation initiatives and communications strategies for over 30 years and has used his experience as a former sell-side analyst/investment banker to advise hundreds of high-profile companies spanning numerous industries. This includes Abbott, Keurig Green Mountain, Chipotle, Wendy’s, Texas Roadhouse, and Legg Mason to name a few.

As a true partner to corporate clients, Tom’s advice is solely geared toward building and preserving C-Suite credibility and reputation, which is a key driver of valuation and capital costs. This, in turn, leads to his clients becoming the employer of choice, the logical exit for companies looking to sell, and other untold opportunities for reinvestment and capital deployment.

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

Patrice Meagher is the Founder and CEO of MilkMate, a Company on a mission to empower working moms and the employers who support them. MilkMate offers an all-in-one breast pumping solution for workplace wellness rooms and was created out of the inefficient experience Patrice had while breast pumping at work after returning from maternity leave for her four children.

Prior to MilkMate, Patrice spent 15+ years as an EVP at CBRE on the top agency leasing team in New York City, representing institutional and entrepreneurial owners. Patrice completed more than 10 million square feet of leasing during her tenure at CBRE and also founded the CBRE Tri-State Women’s Network. Prior to joining CBRE, Patrice served as Senior Associate at Preferred Real Estate Investments, Inc. in Philadelphia. Patrice began her career with The Philadelphia Orchestra Association, where she was responsible for fundraising and coordinating special events.

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

Ed began his career in his native Sydney launching menswear brand, Beat Poet, out of college.  Beat Poet quickly became a cult Australian imprint, winning GQ designer of the year in 2009.  After divesting the brand and moving to New York for grad school, Ed has since worked for Robert Burke Associates, Patrick Johnson Tailors, and for the last 5 years as COO and then CEO of Vivid Brands, owners of Roller Rabbit, 18 East and Loudmouth.

Roller Rabbit is a travel-inspired lifestyle brand, offering exotic, sophisticated yet affordable leisurewear, accessories and home goods with a magical and playful touch.

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

Trained as a painter, sculptor, and art historian, Michael has neatly applied his diverse background to the decorative arts. Lyrical and often witty, his work encompasses a wide range of media and reveals a rich and variant source of inspiration – nature, mythology, narrative storytelling, and purified form. Michael’s work is also a celebration of craft and age-old hand working traditions. It is the enduring fusion of these ideals – originality, narrative, and craftsmanship – that has become the hallmark of this gifted artist.

Fascinated with the richness of the living crafts tradition which he discovered on his first trip to Delhi, Michael set up a studio in India where he has created his work for over 30 years. Today, over 200 artisans work alongside him in his workshop where the same creative interaction between artist and artisan remains the source of every object that Michael makes.

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

Daniel Patrick Giles is a visionary executive with over 25 years of success in building prestige beauty brands, including Benefit Cosmetics, Perricone MD, Too Faced Cosmetics, and as a founding partner of Peace Out Skincare. In 2022, he launched his luxury fragrance brand, Perfumehead, with a mission to explore the Osmocosm through beautiful scents and fascinating stories.

Giles possesses extensive experience in developing transformative marketing strategies and is recognized as a bold leader known for his innovative thinking, creativity, and thought leadership. His unique experience includes working directly with brand founders, strategic partners, private equity partners, and board members.

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

Dave Lazar has been advancing the state of the art in digital media throughout his career. An interactive content pioneer and software entrepreneur, Lazar is the founder and CEO of Stage TEN, the world’s leading platform for interactive content and commerce.

Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

Veronica Beard was founded by sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard in 2010. What began as a rack of dickey jackets has expanded into a full lifestyle collection for the women who make it happen.

Their motto: Look good, feel good, do good.

Veronica Miele Beard is from North Caldwell, New Jersey, and hails from the world of finance. She worked in sales and trading at multiple investment banks on Wall Street—and did a stint in ad sales at Vogue—before becoming a partner and COO at technology hedge fund, Coatue, where she learned to take risks and build a business. A mother of five, Veronica loves to travel and take her kids off the grid.

Veronica Swanson Beard grew up on both coasts, in San Francisco, California and Naples, Florida. Her career in fashion started at Narciso Rodriguez and Alberta Ferretti, in wholesale, and as a buyer for Marissa Collections in Florida. If not a fashion designer, this mother of three would be flipping real estate and designing interiors.

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

Jay Benson is CEO of Simon Pearce in Windsor, VT.  He joined Simon Pearce in 2017.  Prior to his current position, Jay has been a CFO, a strategic consultant, and a member of the management team of TeleAtlas/TomTom. Jay has a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from The Tuck School at Dartmouth. Jay serves on several boards, including Ledyard National Bank and Love Your Brain Foundation.

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

Morty Singer joins Alex Rawlings on The Private Equity Podcast to discuss the importance of culture in private equity, investing in the consumer industry, and more.

Alex Rawlings is the Founder & Managing partner of Raw Selection, an executive search firm that specializes in working with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies across Europe and North America. On his podcast, Alex interviews the leading experts in the Private Equity industry to unlock their secrets of success.

Since founding her eponymous design firm, Sara Story has forged a reputation for imparting to all of her projects an ineffable style she can truly call her own. Drawing inspiration from extensive travels, an active interest in contemporary art and fashion, and a rigorous lifestyle, Sara wields a keen eye to exact her aesthetic vision. The firm continues to work on residential and commercial projects worldwide and maintains several successful product collaborations, including wallpaper and hardware. Sara earned a B.F.A. from the University of San Diego and holds a degree in Interior Architecture from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She is also an active member of the Artemis Council of the New Museum, America's Society, and the Design Leadership Network. This fall, Story released her debut monograph with Rizzoli, "The Art of Home."

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.