New York native Stacey Bendet founded alice + olivia in 2002 with the quest to create the perfect pair of pants. The brand was an immediate success, and shortly after its launch, Theory founder Andrew Rosen joined as a partner. Since then, the company has grown into a full contemporary lifestyle brand, encompassing a wide range of offerings including the signature collection, evening wear, the “To Work” and “AIR” lines, footwear, handbags and accessories.

Stacey Bendet pulls inspiration from her love of vintage and all things feminine to design and create beautiful clothing that makes women feel attractive and confident. Ornamented fabrics, whimsical prints and ultra-flattering fits provide today’s modern woman with options for every day and every occasion. alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet is available at aliceandolivia.com, over 30 free-standing boutiques located in major cities around the world including, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, as well as over 800 of the finest department and specialty stores worldwide. In 2009, a+o launched e-commerce at www.aliceandolivia.com, opening the “world of a+o” to a truly global customer base.

Full-time CEO and Creative Director, Bendet is also a wife and mother of three who makes supporting charity endeavors a priority in her personal and professional activities. She is a member of the board of trustees of NY-based Baby Buggy, a foundation who provides essentials for children of families in need, she supports Ronald McDonald House, which offers assistance to the families of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses and she is also a member of the board of the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, her alma mater. She has been featured on Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed List five times and is now in their hall of fame. Bendet currently splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.

Alexandra Lebenthal is the CEO of Lebenthal & Company. She comes from a storied Wall Street family. Her grandparents, Louis and Sayra Lebenthal, founded Lebenthal & Co., Inc, a municipal bond specialist, in 1925. Her grandmother worked until age 93. She followed her father, James Lebenthal, as the company spokesperson. She joined Lebenthal in 1988 and became President and CEO in 1995 at the age of 31. Ms. Lebenthal remained at the firm for four years after its sale, leaving in 2005 before starting anew in 2006.

A passionate supporter of women in business, she was named one of the top 50 Women in Wealth Management by Wealth Manager Magazine. She has also been named to the Crain’s New York Top Women Owned Business and Crain’s Fastest 50 Growing Businesses in New York.

As one of the most recognizable women on Wall Street she is a frequent commentator in the media, and is an official CNBC contributor.

She is a board member of The Committee of 200, the leading organization for female businesswomen. She is also a board member of Savvy Ladies, a non-profit organization that provides financial literacy education and resources for women.

Ms. Lebenthal published her first novel “Recessionistas”, in August 2010, which was sold to Universal Cable Productions. She is currently writing “The Women’s Investment Bible”, a comprehensive book on investing for women. A graduate of Princeton University in 1986, with an A.B. in history, Ms. Lebenthal began her career in the municipal bond department at Kidder Peabody.