Jennifer Gilbert

Gilbert graduated from the University of Vermont in 1990 and received a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Marketing with a minor in Business.[6] She attended MIT for a fellowship program called The Birthing of Giants.[7] After graduation, Gilbert moved to New York City.[8] In 1991, at the age of 22, a stranger attacked her, stabbing her 37 times with a screwdriver before leaving her for dead.[4][9][10][11]

After recovering, she decided to become an event planner and started Save the Date in 1994.[12][13] The company has rendered services to many notable clients including several in Fortune 500 companies and has been retained by customers such as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Oprah Winfrey and the singer Jewel.[14][15]

In 1998, she was awarded the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award for "Save the Date" by Ernst & Young. Her work on "all things events" has been featured in national outlets such as Forbes,[16] Huffington Post,[17] The New York Times,[18] and monthly publications like Marie Claire.[19]

In 2010, she presented the keynote on "Making It in Events: The View From Here!" at BizBash, an event Expo.[20] In 2013, she delivered a TEDx talk on the "Entrepreneurial Spirit" at TEDxBarnardCollege.[21] She is a founding member of the Forbes Impact Summit.[22]

I Never Promised You A Goodie Bag, her authored memoir, was published by Harper Collins in 2012.[23][24] In her book, she discussed how her life changed after being attacked at a young age and then how she took control of her life and started a successful company.[25][26] She spoke at TEDx Barnard College Women sharing her philosophy.[27]

She appeared as herself on the Bravo's hit TV series The Real Housewives of New York City in 2010.[28] She was the party planner for Jill Zarin.[29]

Gilbert lives in New York City with her three children.[30] Gilbert is known for promoting the advancement of women in the workforce. She has sat on the board of the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).[31]

• Jennifer Gilbert at IMDb