Who we are.
FITiST Labs is a
strategic and brand consultancy founded by Neda Talebian
Funk and Caroline Limpert. Funk and Limpert have backgrounds
in finance, retail, and the building, operating and
marketing of major consumer-facing brands including Gilt
Groupe, Flywheel Sports, Victoria’s Secret, Juicy Couture,
Oribe, Nike, Town Sports International, The Cosmopolitan of
Las Vegas, and FITiST, which they co-founded in 2011. FITiST
Labs operates in the retail space with a focus on lifestyle,
retail and fitness brands. FITiST Labs is also actively
bringing new brands to life. Most recently, Limpert and Funk
incubated a new direct to consumer brand, LIVELY – melding
the casual and uptrending athleisure space with lingerie in
a smartly priced, transparent, ecommerce play.
NEDA TALEBIAN FUNK & CAROLINE LIMPERT
Neda and Caroline co-founded FITiST, the first one-stop
membership and bookings platform for boutique fitness in
2011. FITiST was named one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Fitness
Innovators of 2013. After spinning off its booking engine in
April 2014, FITiST launched the FITiST Collective, a bricks
and mortar location in East Hampton that housed the best
trainers and studios under one roof in the Summer of 2014.
Additionally, the FITiST Collective operated as a pop-up
including a series at The Cosmopolitan Hotel of Las Vegas
during the 2014 winter/spring season.
TALEBIAN FUNK
Prior to starting FITiST, Neda held various
roles in finance and fashion and luxury goods.
Neda began her career as an equity analyst at
Bear Stearns covering retail companies,
providing her with a deep understanding of what
makes retailers thrive in a highly competitive
landscape. Additionally, she has worked in
strategic functions for luxury brands, including
Oscar de la Renta, as well as retail start-ups,
gaining greater insights into the dynamics of
the luxury and start- up markets. Neda has
extensive consulting experience, having provided
marketing expertise for Chanel, La Praire, Gilt
Groupe, and Juicy Couture among others. Neda is
a contributing writer for the Huffington Post,
and was listed as one of Details magazine’s 2012
Social Mavericks. She holds a BA from Georgetown
University and MBA from The Wharton School.
LIMPERT
Prior to starting FITiST, Caroline helped build
new businesses for NY- based VC firm Tricera
Partners, including Flywheel Sports. She has
also served as a marketing executive for the $1B
Victoria’s Secret Beauty brand for several years
and was among only a handful of people selected
to work in the CEO’s “think tank”. As a member
of this key team, she was directly involved with
the launch of new businesses, such as Henri
Bendel accessories, helping to analyze and
coordinate each initiative’s market and consumer
dynamics. Caroline also has vast consulting
experience having provided marketing expertise
for best-in-class brands such as Gilt Groupe,
Juicy Couture, and Zales. Caroline is a
contributing writer for Inc. magazine and the
Huffington Post, and was listed as one of
Details magazine’s 2012 Social Mavericks. She
holds a BA from Dartmouth College and MBA from
The Wharton School