Brit + Co had a round of layoffs this month as part of a ‘reorganization’

Brit + Co had a round of layoffs this month as part of a ‘reorganization’

Brit + Co laid off some employees earlier this month as part of a reorganization, TechCrunch has learned. Brit + Co declined to comment on the number laid off, but the women’s lifestyle and digital media company’s employee base went from 92 people in September 2017 to just 78 today, according to its team page.

“It’s been a very unpredictable time in the media industry, but we grew revenue by 50% in 2017 and are excited to continue to grow our already diverse revenue stream which, in addition to advertising, includes online classes, merchandising, and experiential events,” a Brit + Co spokesperson told TechCrunch. When asked what prompted the reorganization, the spokesperson said it “is part of an effort to make operations more efficient.”

Meanwhile, the company recently brought on a new president, Jill Braff. Braff previously worked as general manager of Ellen Digital Ventures, a joint venture firm between Warner Bros and Ellen Degeneres. In her role at Brit + Co, Braff will be responsible for overseeing revenue, marketing and strategic partnerships.

Since launching in 2011, Brit + Co has made a number of pivots. When it first started, the company was simply a lifestyle brand with a wedding app called Weduary. In 2012, the startup made its first foray into e-commerce with the launch of Brit Kits, monthly boxes for DIY crafts. Then, in 2014, Brit + Co doubled down on the DIY e-commerce play with the launch of an Etsy-like marketplace for makers to sell their goods.

Last May, Brit + Co raised a $15 million round from Verizon Ventures (TechCrunch’s parent company) with plans to expand its digital content business and branded merchandise that target women. This brought its total funding to more than $40 million.

Published at Sun, 14 Jan 2018 04:26:10 +0000