John Rigos
John finds it hard to pinpoint his favorite part of what he does. “I love growing the business,” he says. “I love opening new stores. I love generating strong results. And doing it with multiple concepts and entrepreneurs at the same time. I love that each entrepreneur is pursuing their own dream, and we’re working together to make it happen.” John oversees the major investment and financial initiatives for Aurify, including overall strategy, expansion into new markets, and management of the financial and operating reporting structure of the company’s growing network. John works closely with each brand leader to ensure that projections, budgets and timelines are being achieved. He is also responsible for allocating capital to help develop and grow each concept.
Is he carving his own path? No — and yes. “My father was a Greek immigrant who worked in diners all his life,” says John, “and he and my mother never wanted me to get into the restaurant business — and I actually don’t feel as if I have. Yes, the companies we’re building feed people. But it’s a totally different environment. We want to build multiple, national brands that resonate with people — employees and customers — and make them happy.”
John has spent much of the past twenty years conceiving, growing and advising start-up businesses in various industries. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Kevyn Aucoin Beauty, helping to turn around a once-distressed cosmetics company. He was an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Idealab; co-founder and co-CEO of Cductive.com, a leading digital distributor of music (an iTunes predecessor); and, early in his career, an investment banker with Prudential-Bache Capital Funding.
John graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics in 1989, and from INSEAD, with Dean’s List Honors, with a Master’s degree in Business Administration in 1996.
