Ben Elowitz
Chief Executive Officer, Wetpaint
Ben is best known for his success as co-founder and vice-president of Blue Nile Inc., the leading online retailer of certified diamonds and fine jewelry. He oversaw the company’s front-end operations, which included product management, technology, and creative services from 1999 to 2001. Blue Nile, a publicly traded company ("NILE"), is widely recognized as the first and most successful online luxury goods retail site.
Ben is also well known for his role at the online professional, technical, and business bookstore Fatbrain.com, which was acquired by Barnes & Noble. As the Director of Business Development, Ben looked after product management, marketing programs, and business development from 1996 to 1999. He created the company’s strategic partners and corporate bookstore programs which were cornerstones of the company's business-to-business revenue line.
Prior to his roles at Fatbrain.com and Blue Nile, Ben worked at the global business consulting firm Bain & Company. As a management consultant, he specialized in providing business strategies to the high-tech industry.
In 2002, Ben consulted for eHarmony.com, a web service that matches marriage-minded singles. While there, he re-engineered the company’s positioning and website to improve branding, messaging, and conversion.
Most recently, Ben worked at Precor USA Inc., one of the country’s most successful fitness equipment brands. From 2002 to 2005, he helped Precor in its transition to a customer-driven, growth-oriented company. At Precor, Ben led product management, marketing, and new product development efforts for commercial equipment lines at Precor.
Ben attended University of California, Berkeley as a UC Regents Scholar. In 1994, he graduated after completing two degrees in four years. He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science cum laude and a B.A. in Applied Mathematics.
