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Dany Levy, 34
Editor in Chief
DailyCandy
New Yorkers who pride themselves on being in the know about the newest restaurants, hottest nightclubs and must-hit sample sales never miss DailyCandy e-newsletters. In the six years since Dany Levy launched DailyCandy New York, it has become a powerful trendsetter that regularly bestows stardom on little-known businesses. Advertisers are rabid over it. DailyCandy has been profitable since the fourth quarter of 2001. Last year, Ms. Levy sold a minority stake in the company, which was valued at $130 million. The company, which e-mails its free newsletters to more than 2 million subscribers, expects to generate revenues of $25 million this year.
The chatty brunette got the idea for DailyCandy after covering fashion and lifestyle for a handful of elite publications, including New York Magazine and The New York Times. In 1999, while working on the prototype for Conde Nast shopping magazine Lucky, Ms. Levy pitched DailyCandy as its online companion. The editorial staff passed, and she quit to pursue the idea on her own. In March 2000, the first DailyCandy e-mail went out to 700 of her acquaintances.
Ms. Levy, a single New York native who lives in Los Angeles part-time, now produces 12 regional and three national versions of the must-list. With a full editorial staff on hand, she focuses on ensuring that each post maintains the gossipy tone of her original concept. Next on Ms. Levy's agenda: launching DailyCandy in Asia and Australia.