Meet Our Board of Directors

Aileen Zelekowitz

Independent Retail Consultant at AMZ Consulting

Aileen is a tenured retail construction project manager. With 20 years experience in retail and a specialty in fashion, Aileen has helped some of the most unique and demanding brands build out and launch dozens of retail spaces across the country. Aileen started her career at Intermix, where she worked as Director of Retail Development for over 12 years. During this time, she completed over 35 build-outs, 40 renovations, and managed the capital and operational budgets across all stores. Aileen was a key player in Intermix’s acquisition by the Gap in 2013. She led the operational transition eventually reporting directly to Gap’s Real Estate Finance division on behalf of Intermix. After leaving Intermix in 2015, Aileen embarked on an independent path, as an Owner’s Representative between designers, CFO’s and boards to roll out brick and mortar locations with a team of architects, contractors and suppliers she works with regularly. With her experience and degree in finance, Aileen also works with Budgyt, a business budgeting software, to help CFO’s create and budget their business across multiple departments and dimensions. Budgyt is used by companies such as Habitat for Humanity, Sierra Nevada, divisions in SPCA, along with several universities, hospitals and non-profits.


Christina Papale

Founder and Principal at Verboten Group 

Christina was one of the founding Board members of Shop Repurpose and is excited to get back involved. She is the Founder and Principal of Verboten Group, a brand agency specializing in brand identity, naming, and messaging. 


Heller Goldberg

Founder of Clothingline Sample Sales

Heller Goldberg has been in the retail industry for over 35 years. She had her start as a partner of Nice Price Inc., which was a chain of off-price retailers. In 1987 Heller started a Sample Sale business and since then has continuously run inventory and sample sales for some of the biggest names in fashion, including Theory, Tory Burch, Milly, Roberto Cavalli and more. Heller also serves on the Board of Mt Sinai’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Board.


Jessie Freschl

Entrepreneur and Founder of Shop Repurpose, Freschstyle, and Turnstyle

Jessie Freschl has a wealth of experience in the Fashion industry. Having previously founded Freschstyle, a personal styling business, in 2011, Jessie founded Shop Repurpose in 2019, to merge sustainable fashion and workforce development opportunities as a way to promote community and connection. Currently, Jessie is focused on Turnstyle - a community tech platform where fashion meets function. Aside from work, Jessie enjoys being active in her community and balances her schedule with the practice of yoga and mindfulness, and loves spending as much time as she can in nature with her husband , their three teenage girls, and Bernadoodle, Rocky.  

Laura Elkins

Operations Advisor of Marketing at Advent International 

Laura Elkins is a global brand marketing professional with consumer packaged goods, luxury fashion and cosmetic brand expertise. Laura has successfully developed and grown brands by applying a consumer-centric approach. Laura has managed cross-functional, global teams and has a solid reputation as an inspirational leader and developer of talent. She takes pride in mentoring individuals and inspiring her teams to achieve their highest potential. Laura earned an MBA in Marketing and Management from New York University, where she graduated as a Stern Scholar and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass communications from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She lives in New York City with her husband and business partner. They share a love for traveling, hiking and experiencing different cultures around the world.


Melissa Danenberg

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at Lanx Management, LLC

Melissa is the COO of Lanx Management, providing investment advisory services for over 20 years. 


Sarah Iooss

Head of Sales, Americas at Twitch 

Sarah Iooss has spent 20 years cultivating a career in media across TV, Digital, Mobile and Social. She has led Sales, Marketing, and Business Development teams at companies like A&E, Viacom, Mic and is currently at EVP of Revenue at Bustle Digital Group. She is a frequent speaker at several industry conferences such as SXSW, Social Media Week, AdWeek, Brand Innovators, The Seller Forum, and one of her favorite communities, Ladies Get Paid, an organization working for equal pay and advocacy to close the wage gap. Sarah enjoys volunteering at PS199 and mentoring young people in her industry.


Stephanie Dobbs-Brown

Chief Marketing Officer at Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) 

Stephanie is a marketing leader with two decades of experience leading marketing, brand and PR across Fintech and data services. As Chief Marketing Officer at Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), a Fortune 500 data and technology company and owner of the New York Stock Exchange, Dobbs-Brown is responsible for all components of marketing and brand management inclusive of digital, creative, advertising, events, and marketing operations. She most recently led the rebrand of ICE, a cohesive repositioning that links ICE’s global expertise in designing, building, and operating digital networks. Prior to joining ICE, Dobbs-Brown held leadership roles at Dow Jones where she led Corporate Marketing and at Thomson Reuters where she was Head of Brand and Public Relations Strategy. Dobbs-Brown earned a degree in Public Relations from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Stephanie is an Advisory Board Member.

Zoe Coady

Founder and CEO of Brandstyle Communications

Zoe is the founder and CEO of Brandstyle Communications, a public relations agency that delivers business-changing campaigns and social media strategy for industry disruptors in technology, wellness, fashion, finance, real estate, design, and food.