Amber Venz Box launched RewardStyle in 2011 with a relatively modest goal: make enough money to move out of her father's house.
"I was in my early 20s, living at home, still eating my dad's cereal," Box, now 36, tells CNBC Make It.
Box's Dallas-based marketing company, now called LTK, helped pioneer the modern creator economy, connecting influencers and bloggers with retail brands' advertising dollars.
It was most recently valued at $2 billion, after a 2021 investment from Japanese investment holding company SoftBank.
"We found a defunct business in Fort Worth and drove over in Suburbans and trucks, and loaded up some chairs and some desks," says Box.
Persons:
Amber Venz, Box's, Baxter, they're, RewardStyle, LTK, —
Organizations:
CNBC
Locations:
Box's Dallas, influencers, Fort Worth, Suburbans