Lindsay Kaplan

Lindsay Kaplan is an American entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Chief, a network for senior executive women. Kaplan began her career in publishing with roles at Oxford University Press, Time Out New York, and ELLE. She later joined Casper as its first full-time employee, serving as vice president of communications and brand marketing. Under Kaplan's leadership, Casper transitioned from a mattress product company to a global sleep brand. She was recognized as one of the Most Innovative CMOs by Business Insider during her tenure at Casper.

Chief was founded by Carolyn Childers and Lindsay Kaplan as a women's networking organization. The idea originated from the founders' experiences as executives, where they recognized the increasing challenges and pressures at the VP level and questioned who was mentoring the mentors. Chief has grown into the largest community of senior women executives in the United States, with members representing more than 10,000 organizations, including 77 percent of Fortune 100 companies, and over 40 percent of members in the C-suite. Kaplan and her co-founder raised $100 million in funding, increasing Chief's total funding to $140 million and reaching a $1 billion valuation, making it one of the fastest women-founded companies to achieve unicorn status.

As co-founder and chief brand officer at Chief, Kaplan has received several honors, including being named an AdAge Leading Woman, inclusion in Crain's 40 Under 40, and recognition as one of Inc. Magazine's Most Dynamic Female Founders. She has also been named a New York Times DealBook Groundbreaker and one of Business Insider's Most Innovative CMOs in the World. Chief has been recognized as one of TIME's Most Influential Companies and Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies.

A keynote speaker on startup leadership, marketing innovation, and women in business, Kaplan has appeared on the mainstage at Web Summit, Collision, Fast Company Innovation Festival, Slush, and TechCrunch Disrupt.

An angel investor and startup advisor, Kaplan joined the venture capital fund Next Wave NYC as an investing partner, focusing on early-stage artificial intelligence startups. She is an advocate for AI as a productivity engine and supports the rise of in-person experiences as a counterforce to digital fatigue. Kaplan is also an investor and advisor in companies including Clay, Rocco, Conceive, Loop, and Diem. Through her journey from publishing to brand-building to founding a rapidly growing membership community, Kaplan has established herself as a voice on entrepreneurship, community, and the future of women's leadership.