Warby Parker WRBY
Warby Parker, the eyewear disruptor founded in 2010 by four Wharton School visionaries—Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa and Jeffrey Raider—has transformed how the bespectacled masses see the world. Known for its stylish, affordable glasses and a business model that thumbed its nose at the traditional optical industry, Warby Parker has become synonymous with hipster chic and social consciousness. Its "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" program melds consumerism with philanthropy, earning accolades and the occasional eye-roll. Valued at around $3 billion, Warby Parker's rise includes memorable milestones like opening its first brick-and-mortar store and a flashy IPO. However, not all has been rose-tinted. The company's rapid expansion has faced scrutiny over quality control issues and the ethics of its supply chain. Executives like CEO Blumenthal and CFO Steve Miller have navigated these spectacles with aplomb, turning what could have been mere market disruption into a genuine lifestyle brand. Warby Parker's mix of innovative marketing and savvy social responsibility makes it a darling of millennial capitalism, even if it occasionally stumbles over its own stylish frames.