ALYSSA J. RAPP 240 Locust Rd., Winnetka, IL 60093 ● 251 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94301 ● 847 612 3359 ● alyssa.rapp@gmail.com

EXPERIENCE___________________________________________________________________________

AJR Ventures, Strategic Consulting and Advisory Services Fall 2015-Present

Strategic consulting and advisory services to Fortune 500 and $500MM+ privately-held companies on their

e-commerce, digital, social media, and content strategies

Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Lecturer-in-Management Spring 2014-Present

Global Dynamics of the Wine Industry

Bottlenotes, Inc., Founder, CEO, & Chairman of the Board 2005-2015

Conceived of, fundraised for, and built a team to first pursue a “Netflix for Wine” e-commerce strategy

(2006-2008), and later, due to a major regulatory shift by the California Alcohol Bureau of Control re:

Third Party Marketing Firms, pivoted to become one of the leading interactive media company in the U.S.

beverage industry (2009-2015)

Managed a board of directors comprised of three venture investors and one outside director

Led all strategic planning, financial forecasting, supplier and supply chain management activities, talent

recruiting, board and investor relations for the growing enterprise

Author, Bottlenotes Guide to Wine: Around the World in 80 Sips® (Adam’s Media, October 2008)

Frequent expert guest on wine/entrepreneurship on national television and in national digital publications,

including: The TODAY Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Fox Business Network, ABC, NBC, as well as a

reoccurring contributor to Forbes.com and The Huffington Post. (All press mentions available via this link.)

Coalition for Consumer Rights (501(c)(4)), Founder & Officer 2009-2012

Conceived of, successfully recruited key stakeholders, and raised funding for organization that advocated to

CA Attorney General/Governor Jerry Brown why an anti-small business, anti-consumer, and anti-

technology 2009 industry advisory by the California Alcohol Bureau of Control should be overturned.

o The regulation was successfully overturned in November 2011

RO Imports, National Sales Consultant, New York, NY June-December 2004

Sole national sales strategist for import company of New Zealand wines owned by legendary hedge fund

investor, Julian H. Robertson

Schakowsky for Congress, National Finance Director, Chicago, IL 2000-2003

Managed the fundraising operation for Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's re-election to the United States

House of Representatives.

Created and executed the (now 13th

annual) Ultimate Women's Power Lunch, still attended by over 2,000

women in Chicago annually.

New York Senate 2000, Intern, New York, NY Summer 2000

Member of the National Finance Team for Hillary Clinton’s U.S. Senatorial Campaign

EDUCATION____________________________________________________________________________

Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Palo Alto, CA 2003-2005

Masters of Business Administration (MBA 2005)

Yale University, New Haven, CT 1996-2000

Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and the History of Art (BA 2000)

Frank M. Patterson Prize, Best Senior Essay on the American Political System

Political Science Departmental Prize & Davenport College’s Mellon Foundation Prize for Research

Yaledancers: Modern Dancer, Choreographer, Artistic Director, and Director of Community Outreach

Leiden University, The Netherlands, Student of Law and Art History Winter-Spring 1999

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT/PHILANTHROPY________

Illinois Housing Development Authority, Board Member (Gubernatorial Appointment) May 2015-Present

Co-Chair, Economic Development Transition Team, IL Governor-Elect Bruce Rauner November-December 2014

Spark Program, National Board of Directors January 2015-Present

Spark Program, Chicago Executive Committee August 2011-December 2014

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, National Board of Trustees August 2007-Present

AWARDS ______________

Socrates Program Scholar, The Aspen Institute July 2014

People’s Choice Award Winner & Best Advertising & Marketing Company, Empact Showcase* October 2013

Member, The Young Entrepreneurial Council June 2013-Present

100 Most Influential People (#23) in the US Wine Industry, Intowine.com 2012-Present

Inc.com’s “30 Under 30 Coolest Entrepreneurs in America” October 2008

Kieretsu Forum, Angel Capital Expo, Most Valuable Company May 2008

PERSONAL PASSIONS Angel and venture investing, wine, world travel, entrepreneurship, sprinting, skiing, hiking (Mt. Kilimanjaro, Machu

Picchu, etc.), yoga, teaching, mentorship, modern dance/choreography, contemporary art and creative writing.

About Alyssa

Alyssa J. Rapp is the principal at AJR Ventures, a strategic consulting and advisory firm for

Fortune 500 and $500MM+ privately-held companies on their e-commerce, digital and social

media, and content strategies.

Starting in April 2014, Alyssa also joined the ranks as a lecturer-in-management at Stanford

University’s Graduate School of Business.

From 2005-2015, Alyssa served as the founder & CEO of Bottlenotes, Inc., one of the

leading interactive media companies in the U.S. wine, craft beer, and artisanal spirit

industries.

Alyssa’s work at Bottlenotes included conceiving of, fundraising for, and building a team to first pursue a “Netflix

for Wine” e-commerce strategy (2006-2008). Later, due to a major regulatory shift by the California Alcohol Bureau

of Control re: Third Party Marketing Firms, Alyssa pivoted the company to become one of the leading new media

companies in the U.S. beverage industry (2009-present). As such, she recruited and chaired a world-class board of

directors, became a published author, Bottlenotes Guide to Wine: Around the World in 80 Sips® (Adam’s Media,

October 2008), and frequently served as an expert on wine/entrepreneurship on national television and in national

digital publications, including: The TODAY Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Fox Business Network, etc. (All press

mentions available via this link.)

Alyssa was named in Inc. Magazine's “30 Under 30” coolest entrepreneurs in America (September 2008)” and one

of the wine industry’s top 25 of 100 most influential people by Intowine.com, from 2012 to present. Bottlenotes also

received the “Best Advertising and Marketing Company” and the “People’s Choice Award” at the Empact 100 in

September 2013 at the United Nations, honoring the top 100 companies with founders under 35.

Alyssa earned a B.A. in Political Science and the History of Art from Yale University in 2000 and an M.B.A. from

Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business in 2005. At Yale, she earned the Frank M. Patterson prize for the

best essay on the American political system for her senior thesis on public housing reform in Chicago.

Alyssa serves on the national Board of Trustees for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the country’s preeminent

contemporary dance company, for Spark Program, an organization that provides transformative apprenticeships for

middle school students in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia. She is honored to have been

appointed by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to serve on the board of the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

When not immersed in entrepreneurial and civic life, Alyssa loves to run track, do yoga, ski fast, and try as hard as

possible to decipher a slider from a curve ball from her husband, 1990 MLB World Series champion and current

Director of Professional Scouting for the Los Angeles Angels, Hal Morris. Alyssa and Hal are the proud parents of

Audrey Margaret Morris (born: September 12, 2012) and Henriette (“Hettie”) Daniella Morris (born: March 16,

2015).