Lindsay Perper didn’t set out to become an influencer, but during the pandemic, the former Ralph Lauren director found herself on TikTok—quickly amassing 30,000 followers. As viewers flooded her comments asking where to buy her glasses or sweaters, Perper spotted something bigger than fleeting internet fame: a fundamental gap in the way people want to shop online.

“People wanted to buy what they saw in my videos, but there was no seamless way to go from inspiration to checkout,” she said. That disconnect became the seed for her company, Rodeo—a social commerce platform that transforms user-generated content into shoppable experiences. “It’s the mall of the future,” she explained, “where user generated content leads to discovery, inspiration, and checkout all in one place.”  

But bringing that vision to life meant going back to school. “I saw this huge opportunity, but I didn’t even know where to start,” Perper admitted. After a decade in New York and years in fashion, she applied—last round—to NYU’s Stern School of Business, hoping it could be the launchpad she needed.

Once admitted to Stern’s full-time MBA program, Perper immediately plugged into the Leslie eLab’s entrepreneurial programs. “The second I got to school, I got to work,” she said. Through the Bootcamp, J-Sprint, Summer Launchpad, and the Venture Program, she found a support system of fellow founders across NYU. “It was an incredible environment. Stern gave me the confidence to go for it.”

She also found mentors and champions among faculty, like Professors Luke Williams and Michael North who oversaw independent studies related to Rodeo, Adam Brandenburg who advised on Rodeo, and adjunct professor Jamyn Edis whose classes aligned directly with her venture’s mission. “The classroom really pushed me to think differently and creatively,” she said. “It was empowering. I don’t think I would have done this if it hadn’t been for Stern.”

The Rodeo app officially launched during the summer of 2024, but she introduced the minimally viable product (MVP) while in school. Since then, the app has seen rapid growth—100% user growth in April alone. Users spend over 12 minutes per session and often click “shop” at least once. Perper attributes that traction to the authentic, community-driven nature of the platform. “It’s not about influencers,” she said. “It’s about anyone—your friends, classmates, even strangers—sharing their style and helping others find theirs.”

But the journey hasn’t been without hurdles. “I was raised by strong women, worked under female leaders, and never felt held back as a woman—until I started fundraising,” she said. Perper quickly realized that the world of venture capital was a different landscape. “Only 1.5% of VC money goes to women. It was the first time I felt a real power dynamic that wasn’t what I was used to.”  

Still, she hasn’t let it stop her. “I just keep going. I keep my head down and stay focused.” That focus recently earned her a spot in Andreessen Horowitz’s Talent x Opportunity Initiative. She’s the only female founder in the current cohort, and Rodeo will present at Demo Day during New York Tech Week in early June.

For Perper, the best part of running her own business is seeing how it impacts people. “We get emails all the time from users who say Rodeo has changed how they shop or express themselves,” she said. “It’s rewarding to know we’re creating something that matters.”

And yes, she’s still very much a Rodeo user herself. “I scroll the app in my free time. It’s actually inspiring,” she laughed. When she’s not working, she loves reading—especially startup books or suspense novels—and spending time with family. Her last vacation was a trip to Anguilla over New Year’s.

Fashion remains a personal passion, too. “I love denim Canadian Tuxedo style—very Rodeo, but also very Ralph Lauren,” she said. She’s known for using her glasses as a mood-based accessory. “They’re kind of my signature.”

Despite the challenges of entrepreneurship—and the unique pressures that come with building a company as a woman in her 30s—Perper says she wouldn’t change a thing. “It’s never too late,” she said.