Nurturing Future Leaders

Founded in 2005, the Luxury Education Foundation is a dynamic community of established leaders and emerging talent. LEF nurtures future leaders through mentorship and continuous learning opportunities and provides leading luxury brands with access to expertise and actionable solutions.

Learn more about the Luxury Education Foundation for:

2024 Participating Brands

The Luxury Education Foundation

Established in 2005, LEF is a public not-for-profit organization that nurtures future leaders in the luxury industry and fosters meaningful exchanges between like-minded CEOs, leading executives, and high-potential, emerging talent.

Friends of LEF

Not a brand or an LEF alum? Become a Friend of LEF and get access to exclusive events where leaders in the luxury industry share their views on current trends and challenges facing the industry with an enthusiastic group of business and design students.

A special thank you to our media partner Sarah Gargano Communications for their support throughout the years.

What people are saying

  • “As Chairman of the Board of LEF, I was always amazed by the energy of our organization which allowed us to continuously reinvent ourselves in the ever-changing landscape of the luxury experience."

    - Robert Chavez

    Chairman, Hermès Americas

    LEF Director Emeritus

  • "LEF has built a wonderful community of students and alumni in the luxury space and is a wonderful partner to Columbia Business School. They always do more for our students than we can expect. LEF is always coming to us with new program ideas and opportunities for both MBA and PhD students, supporting industry opportunities as well as basic research. It’s always a pleasure to work with LEF."

    -Kinshuk Jerath

    Chair of the Marketing Division, Columbia Business School

  • “LEF has always been instrumental in the growth of my career. From the Alumni Council, to countless informative panels, LEF has allowed me to stay connected to peers across the industry for over 15 years.”

    - Maloni Goss

    Head of Insights, CHANEL

    LEF Alumna, CBS Class of ‘08

  • "If you are a key decision-maker at a small luxury brand, you would often find yourself wondering if you're operating the right way. You wish there were others who understood you and could chime in with trusted and qualified advice. You will find this community in the Emerging Luxury Council."

    - Gourav Soni

    LEF Alumus, CBS Class of ‘16

    Emerging Luxury Council Founding Member and Co-Chair

We had the pleasure of welcoming a highly anticipated guest for our very On-Campus Fireside Chat at Columbia Business School: Matteo Torre, President of Ferrari North America!✨ Matteo engaged in a thoughtful exchange with our students and alumni, s
Last week, our students celebrated the conclusion of the Luxury Approach Master Class at our annual Students’ Final Presentations. The students showcased their impressive recommendations for this year’s participating brands: @audemarspigu
Leila Jalai is the Senior Vice President of Global Planning & Inventory Management at David Yurman, where she leads Merchandise Financial Planning, Demand/Supply Planning, and Inventory Management. Before joining David Yurman, Leila served as S
What an amazing day in the classroom! Our students had the incredible opportunity to meet Diane Mahady, President of @hermes Americas. The students were eager and excited to engage with her, and the exchange was truly enriching! They learned about
LEF will be hosting the annual Students’ Final Presentations, featuring the case studies from the Fall 2024 Luxury Approach Master Class for Audemars Piguet, Christofle, and Ralph Lauren ! 👩‍🏫 We’re looking forward to sharing the
LEF hosted the annual Lunch & Learn at Columbia Business School featuring four of our distinguished LEF Alumni! 👩 The panelists shared their unique experiences with our Columbia Business School students who were eager to learn more about their