MADISON MCILWAIN

Madison McIlwain is a partner at defy vc, where she is responsible for managing defy's seed portfolio. Previously, Madison was an associate with defy. She is passionate about retail innovation, supply chain and consumer technology helping source investments such as Thrilling and Prive. A former product manager at Gap Inc., Madison worked alongside a team of over forty engineers to modernize their order management system and customer communication channels. During her time at Gap, she spoke at Dreamforce on the value of integrating thoughtful automation into the customer service experience. Previously, she worked at Rent the Runway and an AI startup to create a shoppable virtual closet.

Madison is a firm believer that everyone deserves the opportunity to be in the room where it happens. With this goal in mind, she co-hosts The Room Podcast to highlight unique founder and funder stories to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs including guests like Ciara Wilson and Michelle Zatlyn. Madison earned a B.A. in history from Dartmouth College with a minor in human-centered design from the engineering school.