Faire, an online marketplace that gives local retailers a way to buy wholesale from independent brands around the world, launched in 2017. That means the company, recently valued at $12.59 billion, has been navigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for roughly half of its life.

The startup has had to not only navigate its own business, but also help its customers survive unprecedented supply chain disruptions and adapt to a new normal. Faire currently pegs its customer base at 500,000 retailers and 70,000 brands. Despite the challenges, the startup has fared well during the pandemic. Between October 2020 and May 2022, its valuation increased by about $10.1 billion.

This success in the face of an extremely challenging macro environment is just one reason why we’re thrilled that Jeff Kolovson, Faire co-founder and COO, and Kirsten Green, a Faire backer and the founder and managing partner at Forerunner Ventures, will join us for a fireside chat onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt, which takes place on October 18–20 in San Francisco.

We’re curious about the company’s business model and its ability to maintain rapid growth during such a turbulent time. We’ll also explore how Faire’s customers adapted to pandemic-related challenges, like supply chain disruptions, and we'll get the company’s take on the future of retail and learn what’s next for the growing decacorn.

Jeff Kolovson, a founding partner of Faire, rejoined the company as COO after a period leading growth and operations at Opendoor. Prior to co-founding Faire, Kolovson held various leadership roles at Square, where he worked in product, business development, marketing, analytics and business operations.

In college, Kolovson launched Evolving Vox, a furniture rental company, which he sold for a profit after two years of operations.

Kirsten Green started San Francisco–based Forerunner in 2010, where she serves as managing partner. She has led efforts to raise over $2.3 billion from leading institutional investors, and the firm has invested in more than 100 companies.