Marissa Evans

Bio:

I am the founder of GO TRY IT ON, we are a social retailing start up based in New York City. GO TRY IT ON seeks to to transform the social retailing space by helping people answer the question "What should I wear?". My past experiences include working at the digital media agency, Digitas in Strategy & Analytics. Here I focused my efforts on helping brands build out digital social media marketing initiatives. I started my first company, a personalized merchandise company, A Shirt Thing, LLC in 2005. I attended Cornell University ('06) and got my MBA from Harvard Business School ('08). I live in New York City. In my spare time, I perform comedic improvisation with my team Poolside around NYC.

• Title: CEO, GO TRY IT ON
• Age: 26
• Location: LES
• Contact: @mevans1

In a previous interview with 20 Questions with Jennifer Sung you mention that after business school you went right to Digitas, where you were quickly disenfranchised within a large corporation.  When looking back, are you happy that you went to Digitas or do you wish that you had straight back into entrepreneurship (considering the fact that your first company, A Shirt Thing, LLC, was successful)?

My experience at Digitas was very valuable for me as it really allowed me to immerse myself into the digital landscape. I got to work for big brands such as Delta, IMB, and Samsung and learn how they understood digital and what it was they were looking to accomplish. It was great to be on the agency side because I was able to assess what worked and what didn’t across industries, all in the digital space. Also, was able to get my feet wet when it comes to understanding product usability, email marketing campaigns and analytics. Overall, a really powerful experience to have prior to starting a fashion 2.0 company which has its legs in user generated content and real-time information.

In a tumblr post that you wrote back in May of last year titled “How to “start” becoming techie in New York… Perspective: A twenty-something, female entrepreneur in NYC” your first piece of advice is to follow four people you’d like to meet someday. Who were your four and did you get to meet all of them yet?

My four were: Meg Whitman, Fred Wilson, Chris Dixon and Seth Meyers.
 
Haven’t met all of them yet ;)

How did you first get involved with improv? Any upcoming events that members of the tech community can come support you at?

I preform improv with my team Poolside around NYC, we all came out of UCB here in the city! I first got started back in Boston when I was at Business school… a friend of mine was a comedy writer and he suggested I might like improv…There’s definitely a way I think about things that lends itself to improv… I feel really comfortable brainstorming, imagining…trying to think about things in unexpected ways…Improvisation for me is a very creative, lively state of mind, and I try to bring much of that to my work! Upcoming shows TBD but you can find out more if you check out Poolside on facebook!

Outside of your own, what’s your favorite current startup here in NYC and why?

Can I say two?! Yipit & Village Vines

Yipit because I believe in the founders and their approach to the market. I look up to them and consider them to have terrific insight into the digital space. I also think the two of them are great example of co-founders who’s personalities compliment each other in a way that really adds to the overall team and product.

I love Village Vines because it’s a product I use and can find real value in being a local New Yorker! I also really like the team and have a great deal of respect for the founders and their approach to getting things done.