Lillian Vernon - Immigrant Entrepreneurship

Lillian Vernon (born March 18, 1927 in Leipzig, Germany; died December 14, 2015 in New York, NY) was one of the most successful German-American entrepreneurs in American post-war history—and arguably one of the most successful female entrepreneurs overall. Born into a wealthy Jewish family in Germany, Lilli came to the U.S. as a little girl after e...

FAQs about Lillian Vernon - Immigrant Entrepreneurship Coupon?

Who was Lillian Vernon?

Lillian Vernon (born Lilli Menasche; March 18, 1927 – December 14, 2015) was an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She founded the Lillian Vernon Corporation in 1951 and served as its chairwoman and CEO until July 1989, though she continued to serve as executive chairwoman until 2003, when the company was taken private by Zelnick Media. ...

Where did Lillian Vernon start her business?

Throughout history, millions of women have started businesses in the same place: their kitchen tables. Table belonging to entrepreneur and business woman Lillian Vernon. This was the table which she began her company, then, The Lillian Vernon Catalog. (National Museum of American History) ...

When did Lillian Vernon Corporation go public?

Lillian Vernon Corporation went public in 1987. This made it the first company traded on the American Stock Exchange founded by a woman. ...

Why did Lillian Vernon start a mail-order business?

Intending to just make some extra money for her growing family at first, her start-up business soon developed into something bigger: a mail-order empire that was as closely connected to her own person as the shared name “Lillian Vernon” suggested—a name that she first gave her company, then herself. ...

What is the Lillian Vernon Writers House?

New York University 's Lillian Vernon Writers House is named after her and houses the University's prestigious creative writing program. When it went public in 1987, Lillian Vernon Corporation was the first company traded on the American Stock Exchange founded by a woman. ...