Lawrence Lenihan
Co-founder and co-CEO of Resonance; founder of FirstMark Capital
Lawrence Lenihan is an American venture capitalist and entrepreneur who founded FirstMark Capital and co-founded Resonance, a New York venture operating company built around on-demand manufacturing and digital design tools for fashion. He is co-CEO of Resonance and an adjunct professor at NYU Stern, where he teaches Next Generation Retail.
| Role | Co-founder and co-CEO, Resonance |
|---|---|
| Founded | FirstMark Capital; Pequot Ventures (1996) |
| Resonance founded | 2015 |
| Teaching | Adjunct professor, NYU Stern (since 2011) |
| Education | Duke (BS), Wharton (MBA) |
Who is Lawrence Lenihan?
Lawrence D. Lenihan Jr. is a New York based investor and operator. He is best known in technology as the founder of FirstMark Capital, and in fashion as the co-founder and co-CEO of Resonance, which describes itself as a venture operating company that partners with talented creators to transform the fashion industry. He leads Resonance together with co-CEO Christian Gheorghe.
Career
Lenihan studied electrical engineering at Duke University, graduating in 1987, and earned an MBA at the Wharton School. His career developed in several stages:
- IBM, starting in retail sales and later launching a product division focused on interactive retail kiosks
- Pequot Ventures, which he established in 1996
- FirstMark Capital, the New York venture firm that succeeded Pequot Ventures and invested in commerce companies including Pinterest, Shopify and Tommy John
- Fashion ventures from 2009, including the women's apparel company Norisol Ferrari and the acquisition of Crouch and Fitzgerald, a business founded in 1839
- Resonance, co-founded in 2015
Since 2011 he has also taught at NYU Stern School of Business as an adjunct professor, where his course Next Generation Retail examines how technology is changing the way products are made and sold.
Influence on the fashion business
Resonance was set up to build a more sustainable model through on-demand manufacturing and digital design tools. As a venture operating company it works with creators and brands as a partner rather than only as a financial investor, addressing the overproduction that results when garments are made in bulk ahead of demand.
Lawrence Lenihan and technology
His approach brings software and venture thinking to production. Resonance combines digital design tools with on-demand manufacturing, so that production can follow demand. His earlier work on interactive retail kiosks at IBM and his course on next generation retail show a long-standing interest in how technology changes the way products are made and sold.
Why it matters
Lenihan connects two worlds that rarely meet: early-stage technology investing and apparel manufacturing. His work with Resonance is a reference case for anyone exploring on-demand production, digital product creation and AI-driven demand sensing as alternatives to the traditional seasonal model.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Lawrence Lenihan?
Lawrence Lenihan is an American venture capitalist who founded FirstMark Capital and co-founded the fashion company Resonance in 2015, where he is co-CEO. He also teaches Next Generation Retail at NYU Stern.
What is Resonance?
Resonance is a New York venture operating company that partners with creators and brands to transform the fashion industry. It focuses on on-demand manufacturing and digital design tools to create a more sustainable model with less overproduction.