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Curriculum Vitae: Jeffrey Raider

Fall 2016

By Magazine Staff

alum-raiderJeffrey Raider ’03 is the co-founder of Warby Parker, an innovative eyewear company offering designer eyewear at competitive prices, and Harry’s, an e-commerce shaving company focused on the design and engineering of its blades.

Education

  • 2003 Bachelor’s degree, international studies, Johns Hopkins University
  • 2004 Master’s degree, European studies, Hopkins’ Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
  • 2010 Master’s degree, business, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

 

Notable

  • Named in Fortune magazine’s 2015 40 Under 40 list of influential young people in business.
  • GQ magazine dubbed Warby Parker the “Netflix of eyecare.”
  • Famous Warby Parker fans include Oprah Winfrey, John Hamm, and Ryan Gosling.
  • For each pair of glasses sold, Warby Parker will donate a pair to its nonprofit partner, VisionSpring, which trains people in developing countries to give basic eye exams and sell glasses at affordable prices.
  • For every $1 earned by Harry’s, the company donates 1 percent to City Year, which helps young people with professional and
    life skills.
  • This academic year, Warby Parker will provide free eyeglasses to more than 2,500 Baltimore City public school students.
  • Warby Parker’s name comes from two characters in unpublished writings of Jack Kerouac: Warby Pepper and Zagg Parker.
  • Warby Parker converted an old school bus into a pop-up shop in 2012 to showcase its glasses in what the founders called “Warby Parker Class Trip.”
  • Harry’s opened a small, two-seat barbershop in Manhattan in 2013 to showcase the new brand.

 

In His Own Words

 

“Push through the moments when things seem bleak. Surround yourself with talented people. Love the idea of what you’re doing.”
from interview on NBC’s Today Show

“At the end of the day, it all starts with trying to understand our customers by putting ourselves in their shoes, talking to them constantly, and then taking steps to make products that we think are right for them.”
from LinkedIn Pulse

“We are one of the only companies in the world that makes all of our own products. We make our shaving creams and we make our own razor handles ourselves in our own factory. Our competitors who sell online don’t do that. As a result, we can really control the whole experience from start to finish and take customer feedback and drive it back into the products that we’re making to improve the experience over time. ”
to men’s fashion blogger Lance Chung