Carolyn Rafaelian
| Carolyn Rafaelian | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | The American College in Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founding Alex and Ani |
Carolyn Rafaelian is an Armenian American designer, philanthropist, and business woman. She is the founder of Alex and Ani, as well as the current owner of the Belcourt Castle and Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyards.
Background
Rafaelian's father opened a jewelry factory in 1966, in which Rafaelian and her sister worked as punishment when they misbehaved.[2] Over time she helped her father design pieces and produced original designs herself for her father's jewelry manufacturing company[3] Cinerama. For high school, she attended Prout Memorial High School for Girls (later known as The Prout School). She attended the University of Rhode Island between 1987 and 1989 (where she was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority), and then she transferred to and graduated from The American College in Los Angeles.[4] In 1994 she joined her father's business, and eventually began to work on her own line. In 2002 Rafaelian became co-owner of Cinerama with her sister, Rebecca. Rafaelian's designs became the main seller for the company, keeping it afloat.[5]
Business career
In 2004 Rafaelian founded Alex and Ani, her own private jewelry line named after her two eldest daughters. She has stated that the line was not only named after her two daughters, but inspired by her desire to leave a legacy for them once they were older.[3] The brand started with five cocktail rings and eventually expanded into a full line of jewelry anchored by its patented expandable wire bangle.[5] She is also the owner of the Rhode Island winery Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard, formerly known simply as Sakonnet Vineyards.[6] The Patriot Ledger wrote that, "The vineyard produces 13 wines, including a sparkling wine, its signature Vidal Blanc and the one it may be most well known for among locals, Eye of the Storm, a blush wine born out of 1991's Hurricane Bob churning up the vineyard's white and red grapes."[7]
Rafaelian also owns a cafe franchise called Teas and Javas.[8] The cafes are attached to Alex and Ani stores in some cases, and independent in others. The cafes also film patrons in their shops in order to create promotional materials for the company moving forward.[9] Rafaelian has been interviewed by newspapers regarding current events, including the New York Daily News.[10] Rafaelian received the 2012 Rhode Island Small Businessperson of the Year award from the Small Business Administration for her work with Alex and Ani.[11] That year she also received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of Year in the products category for New England.[12]
Personal life
Rafaelian is the owner of a 60-room historic mansion, the Belcourt of Newport, formerly known as Belcourt Castle, in Newport, Rhode Island. The Belcourt is a place dedicated towards public receptions,[13] originally built in 1894.[14] It is set to open for public tours in the summer of 2014, after having undergone a significant restoration effort.[15] Rhode Island Monthly described Rafaelian's personal charitable work as including "Project USA, a nonprofit, which has raised funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, survivors of breast cancer, and endangered species" as well as separate projects with the Humane Society of the United States.[1]
References
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- ↑ http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/rhode-island-hard-hit-recession-slow-recover
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