Tory Burch | In Conversation

Tory Burch

Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Cfficer of Tory Burch LLC.

Tory Brurch, LLC

Tory Burch is the Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Tory Burch LLC.

Tory grew up in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. She studied art history at the University of Pennsylvania, then moved to New York and worked for Zoran, Harper’s Bazaar, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, and Loewe.

Tory launched her company in 2004 with a clear purpose: to build a global luxury brand and a foundation that would increase women’s economic power. She started with a boutique in New York and an e-commerce site; there are now 400 stores and 13 e-commerce sites globally. Designed in her New York atelier, the collection includes ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, beauty, and home.

In 2009, Tory established the Tory Burch Foundation to provide women entrepreneurs in the United States with capital, education, and community. Every Tory Burch product supports the Foundation’s work. Through her unique hybrid model, Tory has created a paradigm for authentic brand purpose.

Tory has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades, including the Smithsonian’s Design Visionary honor, the 2024 TIME 100, Harper’s Bazaar’s Designer of the Year, and Forbes’s Most Powerful Women in the World, and her designs have been featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

Tory serves on several boards, including the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Wharton School’s Jay H. Baker Retailing Center. She is a Founding Advisory Council Member of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a trustee at The Barnes Foundation.



 

Megha Tolia

Co-founding Director and Global Ambassador of the William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the SMU Cox School of Business. 

William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Megha Tolia is the former president and COO of Shondaland, the television production company founded by renowned Hollywood storyteller and writer Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Bridgerton and Inventing Anna. Prior to Shondaland, Megha spent eight years managing several businesses for SC Johnson, including Method, Ecover, Mrs. Meyers, and Babyganics. She now serves as a Co-founding Director and Global Ambassador of the William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the SMU Cox School of Business.