The Mother-Daughter Duo: Co-founders of Dormify, Amanda and Karen Zuckerman

The vision for Dormify was born out of founder Amanda Zuckerman's own experience shopping for her freshman dorm at Washington University in St. Louis. While double majoring in graphic design and marketing, Amanda created Dormify as a dorm lifestyle blog supported by a college ambassador community. After graduation, she launched Dormify as a DTC brand and one-stop shop for small-space living.

With her mom, Karen Zuckerman, as her partner, Amanda has grown Dormify to a multi-million-dollar success with triple-digit annual revenue growth, earning a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2018. Following a successful acquisition in 2022, Dormify is now the largest retailer of college dorm and apartment essentials, with nearly 800 college and university partners across the country and a thriving community of student ambassadors.

Karen Zuckerman is a serial entrepreneur, creative director, and marketing executive known for taking bold risks and her brand-building expertise. As a graphic designer by trade, she scaled her first business, HZDG, into an award-winning creative agency with Fortune 500 clients, eventually selling it to WPP in 2018 and retiring in 2021.

Currently, Zuckerman serves as a board director of Dormify. Zuckerman played a crucial role in developing Dormify’s omnichannel marketing strategy and content platform, creating a space for young people to connect and navigate an exciting stage of life.

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.