Michele Varian and Jay Norris, the founders of Guesst, discuss what effect out-of-control rents have had on the design world, why the internet broke the wholesale model, and how COVID-19 will reset the retail equation.
Michele Varian and Jay Norris are the founders of Guesst, a tech platform that allows brands, retailers and landlords to connect in new ways. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Michele is also the owner of a beloved New York design shop that she recently relocated from SoHo to Brooklyn to escape skyrocketing rents. As a broker in the commercial real estate world, Jay saw the rent crises unfold from the other side of the table. Together with host Dennis Scully, they discuss what effect out-of-control rents have had on the design world, why the internet broke the wholesale model, and how COVID-19 will reset the retail equation. This episode is sponsored by The Urban Electric Company.