Lily Kanter

Background

About Lily Kanter

I believe entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful tools for creating positive impact in the world. Over the past 20+ years, I've launched and scaled companies that blend commerce, design, and purpose - from Serena & Lily's fresh approach to interiors to Boon Supply's shop-to-give fundraising model that generated over $100M for schools and communities. Lily Kanter Biography Lily Kanter is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned leader in the home design industry, with a proven track record of founding and scaling successful companies over the past two decades. She has co-founded and served as CEO of four notable ventures: Mill Valley Baby & Kids, Serena & Lily, Boon Supply, and Averylily. Lily began her career in accounting and technology, holding leadership roles at Deloitte & Touche and Microsoft. While at Microsoft, she was honored with the Chairman’s Award from Bill Gates for her innovation in launching the company’s first retail presence in San Francisco. In she transitioned from corporate leadership to philanthropy, focusing on mentoring and supporting disadvantaged youth in technology careers—an initiative that led to her being featured on the cover of Time Magazine in July as part of The New Philanthropists cover story. Inspired by motherhood, Lily launched Mill Valley Baby & Kids Home, which paved the way for co-founding Serena & Lily. As CEO for 13 years, she built Serena & Lily into a renowned home brand. She later founded Boon Supply, a commerce-driven fundraising platform that raised over $104 million for schools. Her latest venture, Averylily, blends interior design with a curated home collection, celebrating local Hawaiian craftsmanship and global women artisans. Beyond design, Lily is deeply committed to impact investing. She founded Empower Her, an investment collective that channels Donor Advised Funds into female-led impact ventures. Lily is a Wexner Heritage Fellow and a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. She also guest lectures at Stanford University, teaching a case study on Serena & Lily, and serves as Chair of the Diller Tikkun Olam Awards. She and her husband, Marc Sarosi, reside in Mill Valley, California, and are proud parents of three college-aged sons. In her free time, Lily enjoys traveling to Africa with her family and playing tennis.