Photo: Anna Zornosa, Founder and CEO of Ruby Ribbon.
Longtime direct sales executive Joey Carter is joining Ruby Ribbon’s advisory team, after participating in the shapewear company’s recent Series C funding round.
Carter is General Partner at Direct Selling Capital, the Dallas-based firm that co-led Ruby Ribbon’s $7.5 million round alongside San Francisco’s DBL Partners. Silicon Valley venture firms Trinity and Mohr Davidow also participated in the round.
Before founding Direct Selling Capital, Carter was Chairman and CEO of Home Interiors & Gifts Inc., a direct selling company founded in 1957 by his grandmother, Mary Crowley. During his tenure the business reached annual sales in excess of $600 million. Carter also has served as Chairman of the Direct Selling Association and held a seat on the Direct Selling Education Foundation’s board. He currently is an advisor and consultant to Ambit Energy LLP.
“We are thrilled to add Joey Carter as an advisor,” Anna Zornosa, Founder and CEO of Ruby Ribbon, said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of experience, and we are honored that he has chosen to join the Ruby Ribbon team.”
Zornosa, a former Yahoo and Knight Ridder executive, founded Ruby Ribbon in 2012. The California-based company sells shapewear and apparel through a network of more than 1,000 Stylists, taking the intimate shopping experience from an impersonal retail setting to home trunk shows or private appointments. In 2015, Inc. magazine recognized Ruby Ribbon’s unique products in a look at “7 Startups That Are Radically Altering the Apparel Industry.”
“I’m excited to join Ruby Ribbon and be part of what I see as the future of direct sales,” said Carter. “The company is revolutionizing the direct sales channel with unique products that customers are passionate about and easy-to-use digital tools to harness the power of social media in our ever-connected world. The team is impressive and I look forward to working with them as we grow Ruby Ribbon together.”
