How a 34-year-old Stanford and Harvard grad built Stitch Fix into a $1.63 billion company that just went public (SFIX)

• CEO Katrina Blake has run Stitch Fix since it was founded in 2011. The company held an IPO Friday.

• The 34-year-old Stanford and Harvard grad was "risk averse" as a child and initially considered becoming a doctor.

• Lake is the only woman to lead a tech IPO in 2017 so far.

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Friday, Katrina Lake became the only woman to lead a tech IPO so far this year.

Lake is the CEO of Stitch Fix, a subscription-based fashion startup. It works by having customers fill out a detailed questionnaire on their personal style, pick a shipment date, and pay a $20 styling fee. Stitch Fix stylists then pick out outfits to match your style, and if you like your outfit enough to keep it, you pay for the clothes.

The San Francisco-based company has around 5,000 employees — 3,500 of whom are full and part-time stylists, according to the Los Angeles Times.

According to CNBC, investors and analysts were concerned about Stitch Fix's profitability in the wake of troubles at meal subscription company Blue Apron. Forbes reported the IPO raised $120 million.

Here's a look at how Lake went from a prospective pre-med major to an entrepreneur on a quest to blend fashion and tech:

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Lake told the Los Angeles Times she was "risk-averse" growing up in San Francisco and Minnesota. The daughter of a physician and a teacher, she thought about pursuing medicine.

Source: Los Angeles Times, Star Tribune

However, when she began attending Stanford University, she became mesmerized by economics. Lake earned a B.S. in the subject and went on to receive her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Source: Katrina Lake's blog, The Los Angeles Times

Before Stitch Fix, Lake worked at tech company Polyvore and management consulting firm The Parthenon Group.

Source: Katrina Lake's blog

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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