Rakuten Group, Inc. is a Japanese technology conglomerate based in Tokyo, founded by Hiroshi Mikitani in 1997.
Rakuten Group's 70+ businesses span a broad range of online and offline services, including e-commerce, travel, digital content, fintech, such as credit cards, banking, securities, insurance, electronic money and smartphone app payments, communications, including a mobile carrier service, and professional sports.
Type
Fulltime
Role
Chief Brand Officer
Category
ecommerce
"Buy.com Acquired By Japanese E-Commerce Giant Rakuten For $250 Million"
I began my tenure at Rakuten following the acquisition of Buy.com, coinciding with Rakuten's expansion through the acquisition of various ecommerce adjacent companies such as Linkshare and eBates. Harnessing the synergy of services, products, and talent within this coalition Rakuten catalyzed the development of several start-ups in the newly established US-based Rakuten ecosystem. Notably, I co-founded VANITI, an upscale boutique fashion brand marketplace, as a key venture within this innovative initiative.
VANITI pioneered the concept of a groundbreaking (at the time) premium brand-direct marketplace, establishing a unique space for premier designers and fashion brands to directly showcase and sell their products online. This innovative platform was successfully launched not only in the USA but also in Japan, providing a tailored and brand-appropriate digital storefront for fashion leaders to connect directly with their discerning audience.
"Vaniti to Launch as Online Marketplace"
"Crafters have Etsy; resellers have eBay; boutiques have Farfetch.com, and fashion brands will soon have Vaniti. Launching in May, the new online marketplace is designed to be a comprehensive shopping destination for upscale and emerging brands that will sell merchandise and convey their points of view through their own virt ..."
"Lisa Kline Fashions Online Career"
"Lisa Kline, long known among fashionable Angelenos for her retail prowess and celebrity clients, is trying out a new business model. She’s stepping away from brick-and-mortar stores and plunging into online shopping. Kline will be the public face and chief fashion officer of new e-commerce company Vaniti.com. The website, developed with financial backing from Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten Inc., aims to give fashion brands a risk-free opportunity to make more lucrative sales than they might otherwise be afforded through the traditional model of selling wholesale to retailers."
