Discover the captivating career voyage of Nelli Jeloudar, from her roots at The Cloakroom to the founding of Bundleboon, and ultimately, her pivotal role as Head of New Markets at LABFRESH. Delve deeper into Nelli’s narrative of resilience and renewal, illuminating the vibrant tapestry of Amsterdam’s startup ecosystem. Read on to uncover the full story and the secrets driving LABFRESH’s remarkable ascent.
Tell us about your career so far. How did you get to LABFRESH?
I have known the LABFRESH founders (Kasper and Lotte) for 10 years and we all used to work together at Kasper’s first company, The Cloakroom.
After I left my job at The Cloakroom in 2017, I started my first company in Amsterdam. Bundleboon was an online curated shopping service, specialized in kidswear. It was the most exciting chapter of my life. Unfortunately, after 5 years of running Bundleboon, the company went bankrupt in 2023. After a few months of finding my next calling and a night out with Kasper and Lotte, it was a no-brainer that my next career move should be to join LABFRESH as Head of New Markets. Joining LABFRESH allowed me to still be an entrepreneur. Working with Kasper and Lotte again has been such a game-changer for me. Going through my bankruptcy took a big toll on me and promoted a lot of self-doubt. Am I good enough? Was I a good entrepreneur, will I ever find a job again that I love as much as I loved running my own startup? Being part of the LABFRESH team helped me gain that confidence back.
We see that LABFRESH is going from strength to strength and enjoying strong, sustained growth and support by industry players. Could you share how your unique ethos has fuelled this growth and what the secrets behind your success are?
The majority of the LABFRESH success comes from the fact that LABFRESH was built on community building. We have literally sold 26% of the business to our customers. The customers are the reason why we were able to open our stores in Amsterdam and in Copenhagen.
Besides the customers, I have to say that the founders of LABFRESH (Kasper and Lotte) have an extraordinary vision of how they want to grow the company. Whether that is with crowdfunding campaigns, new stores, AI shoots or selling on marketplaces, they are very clear in what they want and how they want to achieve it.
Which exciting development are you hoping to see in the world of eCommerce in 2024?
I think we will see an AI invasion in 2024 more than ever before. We will see more AI content, AI models that enhance product recommendations and discovery features on e-commerce websites. We will see AI in ecommerce embrace and enhance personal shopping experience. We will see a lot of D2C brands investing in this in 2024.
Nelli’s journey embodies the spirit of perseverance and reinvention, showcasing the transformative power of collaboration and community within the startup realm. As LABFRESH continues to soar, fueled by a unique ethos and visionary leadership, the future holds boundless opportunities for innovation and growth.
Join us at our upcoming event in Savant eCommerce Copenhagen event, where Nelli, along with other industry leaders, will converge to share insights and inspiration. Don’t miss out on this incredible learning and networking opportunity – sign up now!
