Niraj Shah

 Niraj Shah built Boston-based Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) into a household name by making decorating fun through a digital platform that changed how home furnishings are sold and delivered across North America and Europe.  Mr. Shah, CEO and co-chairman, with his business partner, Steve Conine, launched the e-commerce website www.racksandstands.com in 2002. With the encouragement of suppliers to sell their other products online for them, the business quickly grew into 250 product-specific, individual websites, which operated under the umbrella of CSN Stores.  The Wayfair brand was launched in 2011 to consolidate home goods, furniture, decor, housewares, and home improvement items onto a single site.

A year later it made its national TV advertising debut as a means of driving traffic to their sites by telling customers about the brand, who they were, what they stand for, and why a consumer might be interested.  The new platform democratized e-commerce sales for thousands of home goods providers – from local artisans to global manufacturers – thereby setting new standards for the breadth of retail assortment and pricing, with easy and convenient deliveries and returns made possible by a nationwide logistics network purpose-built for large home goods delivery. The specialty brands Joss & Main, AllModern, and Birch Lane; the luxury brand, Perigold; and B2B Wayfair Professional were added to simplify navigation.  New bricks and mortar stores serve as an introduction to Wayfair for the consumers looking for a different retail experience.   

               Mr. Shah has been honored as a Fortune Magazine”40 Under 40” and Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has been recognized as a business leader by Indiaspora.  He has served on the boards of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, the Cornell Tech Council, the MIT Presidential CEO Advisory Board and the MGH President’s Council. He is a former board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Wayfair is a longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity and Homes for Our Troops.