Tom Gruber
Co-Founder, CTO & Head of Design of Siri | Pioneer of Humanistic AI | AI Designer, Inventor & Entrepreneur | Founding Board Member, Partnership on AI
Sophia Amoruso
Founder, Nasty Gal ($100M+ Brand) & Girlboss | Founder & Managing Partner, Trust Fund | NYT Bestselling Author, #GIRLBOSS | Investor in 45+ Startups
Sophia Amoruso knows entrepreneurship from every side: she grew Nasty Gal from an eBay shop into a $100M fashion brand, watched it go bankrupt, and rebuilt as the venture investor behind Trust Fund. That range gives her rare authority with founders, executives, and investors. On stage, she pairs candid storytelling with operator insight, leaving audiences with clear lessons on building brands, recovering from setbacks, and growing companies that last.
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Sophia Amoruso biography
Sophia Amoruso is a serial founder, venture investor, and New York Times bestselling author whose career spans three distinct acts: building a fashion brand from scratch, turning her story into a media company, and backing the next generation of founders. Entrepreneurship speaker Sophia Amoruso brings audiences a rare vantage point, because she has lived the full cycle of a company, from viral growth to public collapse to reinvention.
She started Nasty Gal in 2006 at age 22 as a vintage store on eBay, sourcing, styling, photographing, and shipping every item herself. The business grew into a fashion e-commerce brand with more than $100 million in annual sales, venture backing from Index Ventures, and a devoted global following. Her memoir #GIRLBOSS became a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a Netflix series executive produced by Charlize Theron. In 2016, Nasty Gal filed for bankruptcy, an experience Amoruso has discussed with uncommon candor and one that anchors much of her thinking on leadership and risk.
From Founder to Investor
Amoruso went on to found Girlboss, a media company and community for ambitious women that produced editorial content, podcasts, and live events. In 2020 she launched Business Class, a digital course and community that teaches founders how to start and grow a company. Her investing career began with personal angel checks into startups such as Liquid Death and Public.com, then grew into Trust Fund, the early-stage venture firm she founded to back pre-seed and seed companies. Trust Fund drew support from prominent investors including Marc Andreessen, Chris Dixon, and Andrew Chen, and Amoruso has invested in more than 45 startups, among them Lovable, Superhuman, and Eight Sleep.
Her work has earned recognition from Forbes, which named her to its list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, as well as from Fortune (40 Under 40) and Fast Company (Most Creative People).
As a speaker, Sophia Amoruso gives audiences an unvarnished account of what building a company actually involves: the instincts behind a breakout brand, the decisions that led to collapse, and the discipline required to start again. Drawing on her experience as both operator and investor, she speaks on entrepreneurship, brand building, resilience, and what founders need to raise capital and grow. Founders, executives, and investors leave with practical lessons grounded in one of the most candid entrepreneurial stories of her generation.
Sophia Amoruso Speaking Videos
#GIRLBOSS | Sophia Amoruso | Talks at Google
Sophia Amoruso: Don’t Make The Mistake I Made As A 22-Year-Old ‘Girlboss’
Sophia Amoruso Keynote Topics
Long before the bestselling book and the Netflix series, Sophia Amoruso was a 22-year-old photographing thrifted clothes and shipping orders from her apartment. In this signature keynote, she breaks down how Nasty Gal grew into a nine-figure fashion brand: the instinct for a distinctive brand voice, the obsession with customers, the culture that fueled growth, and the decisions she would make differently. Audiences come away with a clear-eyed framework for building a brand that people choose, share, and defend.
Plenty of speakers explain how they won. Sophia Amoruso explains what happened after Nasty Gal went bankrupt, and why that chapter taught her more than the growth years did. In this candid talk, she examines the warning signs she missed, the lessons that only failure could teach, and how she rebuilt as a sharper founder, a more honest leader, and a more disciplined investor. For organizations facing uncertainty, setbacks, or pressure to reinvent, this keynote offers a practical approach to turning failure into a competitive edge.
Startup playbooks age quickly. As founder and managing partner of Trust Fund, an early-stage venture firm backing pre-seed and seed companies, Sophia Amoruso sees firsthand what strong founders do differently, what investors look for, and where new opportunities are emerging. Speaking from both sides of the table, she gives operators, investors, and aspiring founders a grounded view of what it takes to build, fund, and scale a company in the current market.
Vintage reseller, CEO, bankrupt founder, media entrepreneur, venture capitalist: Sophia Amoruso has lived several careers, often under public scrutiny. In this keynote, she draws on that full arc to show how to reinvent yourself without losing what makes you distinctive, how to build a personal brand that survives both success and failure, and why the most durable careers rest on authenticity rather than image. A strong fit for audiences facing change, career transitions, or the pressure to keep evolving.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Sophia Amoruso
Why Sophia Amoruso?
Sophia Amoruso brings a perspective few speakers can match: she has built a $100 million brand, lived through its bankruptcy, and rebuilt as a venture investor backing more than 45 startups. That combination of operator experience and investor insight makes her compelling for founders, executives, marketers, and investors who want more than a polished success story. Her talks are candid, energizing, and full of practical lessons on brand building, resilience, and growth. Aurum Speakers Bureau can arrange Sophia Amoruso for keynotes, fireside chats, and leadership events worldwide.
What is Sophia Amoruso known for?
Sophia Amoruso is best known as the founder of Nasty Gal, the fashion e-commerce brand she started on eBay at age 22 and grew past $100 million in annual sales. She wrote #GIRLBOSS, a New York Times bestseller that inspired a Netflix series, and later founded the Girlboss media company and Business Class, a course and community for founders. Today she is known as an early-stage venture investor through Trust Fund.
What does Sophia Amoruso's venture firm Trust Fund invest in?
Trust Fund is the early-stage venture firm Sophia Amoruso founded to invest in pre-seed and seed startups. It drew backing from well-known investors including Marc Andreessen, Chris Dixon, and Andrew Chen. Across her angel investing and Trust Fund, Amoruso has backed more than 45 companies, including Lovable, Superhuman, Eight Sleep, Liquid Death, and Public.com.
What can audiences learn from a Sophia Amoruso keynote?
Audiences learn how to build a distinctive brand from limited resources, how to recover from setbacks without losing momentum, and what investors look for in founders today. Amoruso pairs personal storytelling with practical frameworks drawn from her years as an operator and investor, which makes her talks relevant for entrepreneurship summits, women's leadership events, marketing conferences, and corporate innovation programs. Event organizers can work with Aurum Speakers Bureau to tailor her session to their audience.
How to book Sophia Amoruso as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Sophia Amoruso as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Sophia Amoruso's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Sophia Amoruso or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Sophia Amoruso speaking fee?
Sophia Amoruso speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Sophia Amoruso to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Sophia Amoruso.
How can I contact Sophia Amoruso?
We only work with Sophia Amoruso on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Sophia Amoruso and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Sophia Amoruso speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Sophia Amoruso for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Sophia Amoruso for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Sophia Amoruso is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Sophia Amoruso for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
