I am the creative mind behind Zita B. Kids. My background consists of working for L’Oreal, primarily concentrating on the Maybelline brand as a Category Development Manager. My focus was on account promotions, in store marketing, and competitive analysis. Prior to this, I worked in advertising for Martin Williams where I focused on various consumer product accounts. My education consists of a Bachelors of Science from Elon University in North Carolina with a focus in marketing. My professional passion has always been advertising, sales and marketing, with a focus in the fashion industry. I am also a passionate volunteer with the Junior League of Chicago.

How did I get started? The reasons are two-fold. First, my two beautiful daughters are under the ages of three and I wanted to be able to stay at home with them during the day; I wanted to maintain a professional career to continue to utilize my business and creative abilities. Second, I have always been one who is creative and has a strong belief in my abilities. If I find a product within fashion, I know that I can either make it better or design it in a way that is more appealing to the consumer. Zita B. Kids would suffice both of these reasons.

Why the name Zita B. Kids? Zita is the first name of my grandmother. The letter “B.” is the first initial of her last name, which is Bleecker. She was very hip and trendy and was considered to be quite the shopper. Her passion was fashion and travel as she saw most boutiques both within the United States and across the world.

My personal passion is my family, volunteering, socializing, and entertaining. I always enjoy dinner and a good bottle of wine with my husband and our friends.

I consider myself the “behind the scenes” individual for Zita B. Kids where I am responsible for the financial and operational aspects of the company. My background consists of working for International Paper and Rio Tinto Alcan in various financial management roles, primarily with an international focus. My education consists of a Masters of Business Administration from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois with a focus on strategy and marketing. Additionally, I hold a Bachelors Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a focus on accounting. I spent eight years in the United States Army Reserves in various supply chain positions.

My professional passion has always been finance and strategy. My personal passion is my family, golfing, and spending time on the various lakes of the Midwest. My wife and I always enjoy dinner and a good bottle of wine at our favorite restaurants in Chicago.