Now, with Heretic Ventures, the San Francisco-based venture studio Naficy founded to identify and support businesses that increase opportunities for people in all communities to take part in the creator economy, the serial entrepreneur is continuing to push the envelope. “All of this success grew from a much softer skill set than I had imagined would make my career: passion for the product I was making, love for the artists I knew and empathy for the life that others lead,” Naficy continued. “I developed the empathy to encourage them when they were worried their work was inadequate and congratulate them when they married, had children and experienced great professional success.” “As I hand-built our community of artists, I would meet with them across the country, “ Naficy said. Naficy said Minted never would have become the success that it is if she hadn’t embraced the “soft skills” she had, like empathy and compassion, in addition to her business savvy. Now, the company’s wedding invitations, holiday cards and art have reached 40 million homes in the U.S., and its community of artists and designers is now 20,000 strong, with creators in 100 countries. In the beginning, success wasn’t guaranteed, Naficy said: The business almost failed on launch. Instead of providing stationary and art created by in-house designers, Minted ran monthly competitions where consumers could decide which cards, invitations or art prints from independent artists would be sold on the site. She had identified that people were starting to buy from small makers instead of large brands and saw a need to foster connections between independent artists and consumers. Naficy innovated the e-commerce space again in 2007 with Minted. Two years later, in 2000, Naficy sold the company for $110 million. Within a year, the site had hit $10 million in sales. Straight out of business school, she saw the promise of e-commerce and launched Eve.com, one of the first online cosmetics stores of the internet era. In 1998, Naficy remade herself into a tech entrepreneur. “And eventually, as I grew up, this vision turned into a purpose –– ‘I am always going to remake myself’–– meaning I would be a lifelong learner ready for personal change.” “I told myself this story: ‘I am going to remake myself,’” Naficy said. Naficy learned early that “while you can’t control the shocks that happen, you can control how you react to them.” she encountered “daily hatred and discrimination” from her classmates and often overheard her parents talking about their increasingly dire financial straits. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University She also received an honorary doctorate of entrepreneurship. Mariam Naficy, a serial entrepreneur, e-commerce pioneer and innovator in the creator economy, spoke at Northeastern’s commencement ceremony at Fenway Park on Sunday. to escape the chaos of the Iranian Revolution in 1979. But, at age 9, Naficy and her family were forced to flee Iran, her father’s native country, for the U.S. … Remember, opportunity is always in motion.”įew people understand that lesson better than Mariam Naficy, the founder of Minted who delivered Sunday’s commencement address.īefore she became an e-commerce pioneer, maker economy innovator and serial entrepreneur, Naficy grew up moving around the Middle East and Africa due to her father’s job as a development economist. Your life will not be linear, nor will it be predictable. “Your path took countless twists and turns,” Aoun told the graduates, as they waved countless flags representing dozens of countries. These empowered you to live and learn in different contexts.” “You had co-ops and dialogues and global experiences that allowed you to roam. Aoun after being introduced by Richard D’Amore, chair of Northeastern’s Board of Trustees. “Your time at Northeastern was not confined to a campus,” said President Joseph E. It was a journey full of unexpected challenges, globetrotting, industry-spanning adventures and future-defining accomplishments, and one that will continue to define the graduates’ lives for years to come. Northeastern’s 121st commencement exercises were held on May 7 in the iconic home of the Boston Red Sox and kicked off in the morning with the commencement ceremony for graduate students, including a keynote speech from Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister of Canada.įor the Class of 2023, Sunday was the culmination of an epic journey. Under a cloudless, sunny sky, smiles, applause and celebratory shouts spread throughout the 25,000 people gathered in Fenway Park on Sunday, as 4,600 new Northeastern University undergraduate alumni jumped out of their seats and took their first steps into the future. For more information, including a livestream, photos and live coverage throughout the day, visit our dedicated commencement page. This is part of our coverage of Northeastern’s 2023 commencement exercises.
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