Sophia Amoruso
Born 1984 · Age 41
American entrepreneur, founder of Nasty Gal and Girlboss; bestselling author of #GIRLBOSS; built a fast‑fashion e‑commerce brand, experienced a high‑profile bankruptcy and pivoted to media and community building for millennial women.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in San Diego, California
Sophia Christina Amoruso was born at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California.
Stopped shoplifting after being caught (personal turning point)
While living in Portland, Oregon, Amoruso stopped stealing after being caught, marking a shift away from that lifestyle.
Worked at Academy of Art University lobby
Moved to San Francisco and worked checking student IDs in the Academy of Art University lobby — a job she later cited as giving her the downtime and access to start selling on eBay and to obtain health insurance for a hernia surgery.
Launched Nasty Gal Vintage on eBay
Started an eBay store called Nasty Gal Vintage selling curated vintage clothing and secondhand items from her bedroom in San Francisco; first sold a book she had taken as a teenager (as she later recalled).
Quit lobby job — focused full time on selling vintage
She left her job at the art school lobby and committed to running the eBay store full time as it began generating income immediately.
Moved Nasty Gal off eBay to standalone website
After being banned from eBay in 2008 for including hyperlinks in customer feedback (and because of restrictions on controlling the customer experience), Amoruso launched NastyGal.com as an independent online retailer.
Nasty Gal revenue (2008)
Company revenues reported at approximately $223,000 in 2008 (Wikipedia figures tracking early growth).
Film role: 'SkyDiver' (Instructional Video #4)
Appeared (as Sophia) in the 2010 feature/instructional film SkyDiver.
Rapid revenue growth by 2011
Nasty Gal revenues rose from ~$223k in 2008 to nearly $23 million by 2011 according to reports tracking the company's fast growth phase.
Leased large fulfillment center (~500k sq ft)
As part of scaling after VC investment, reports indicate Nasty Gal leased a ~500,000 square foot fulfillment facility to support logistics growth.
Inc. Magazine names Nasty Gal one of fastest‑growing companies
Inc. Magazine recognized Nasty Gal among the fastest growing companies (and later the company and Amoruso received multiple '30 Under 30' style recognitions around this period).
Large VC investment and fulfillment expansion (2012)
Reports indicate Nasty Gal raised a sizable venture round in 2012 (sources vary between ~$49M and ~$50M) — Index Ventures is cited as a major investor — and the company leased a large (≈500,000 sq ft) fulfillment centre as it scaled operations.
Company scale milestone: ~$100M annual sales (peak period)
At its peak scale around this era Nasty Gal is repeatedly reported as pulling in roughly $100 million in annual sales and employing over 200 people (figures vary by source and year).
TV appearance: 'House of Style'
Appeared as herself in 2 episodes of 'House of Style' in 2012, reflecting rising media profile.
Business Insider: Named one of the 'Sexiest CEOs Alive'
Business Insider included Amoruso on a list naming 'sexiest CEOs alive' during her high-profile growth years.
Named to Inc. 30 Under 30 / press recognition
Amoruso received multiple media accolades in 2013, including Inc./30 Under 30 and features in outlets like The New York Times and Business Insider.
Nasty Gal revenue decline begins (2014 figures)
Bankruptcy filings later showed Nasty Gal sales declined to about $85 million in 2014 (down from prior peak figures).
Book '#GIRLBOSS' hits bestseller lists
#GIRLBOSS spent multiple weeks on the New York Times bestseller list (ThoughtEconomics cites an 18‑week run) and sold hundreds of thousands of copies and was translated into multiple languages.
Launched The Girlboss Foundation
Started the Girlboss Foundation to award financial grants ($15,000 each, twice yearly) to women in design, fashion, music and arts.
Published autobiography '#GIRLBOSS'
Amoruso's memoir #GIRLBOSS was published by Portfolio/Penguin on May 6, 2014; it became a New York Times bestseller and a cultural touchstone.
TV appearance: 'Project Runway All Stars' guest judge
Appeared as a guest judge on 'Project Runway All Stars' (episode 'Some Like It Hot Dog').
Married Joel DeGraff
Amoruso married Joel DeGraff (marriage later ended in divorce in 2017).
Nasty Gal revenue (2015)
Bankruptcy documents show Nasty Gal sales were about $77 million in 2015, continuing a downward trend from earlier peaks.
Steps down as CEO of Nasty Gal
On January 12, 2015, Sophia announced she was stepping down as CEO, acknowledging leadership gaps and organizational issues.
Launched Girlboss Radio podcast
Debuted the Girlboss Radio podcast (October 2015); it grew rapidly and accumulated hundreds of thousands of downloads per month in later years.
Public admission of leadership/CEO learning curve
Amoruso publicly stated in interviews (e.g., Forbes) that she was unprepared for CEO demands and recommended gaining managerial experience before founding a high‑growth firm.
Published 'NASTY GALAXY'
Released her second book NASTY GALAXY (2016), a visually led title tied to the Nasty Gal/Girlboss aesthetic.
Netflix orders '#GIRLBOSS' series
Netflix ordered a scripted series adaptation of #GIRLBOSS (announced Feb 5, 2016); Amoruso served as an executive producer; Charlize Theron was attached as executive producer.
Named on Forbes 'Richest Self‑Made Women' cover; net worth reported
Forbes (June 1, 2016) named Amoruso one of the richest self‑made women and reported an estimated personal fortune of about $280 million (largely from equity in Nasty Gal at the time).
Nasty Gal files Chapter 11 bankruptcy; Amoruso resigns as executive chairwoman
In November 2016 Nasty Gal filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid sales declines, lawsuits, leadership upheaval and internal culture issues. Amoruso resigned her executive chairwoman role.
Divorce from Joel DeGraff finalized
Marriage to Joel DeGraff (married 2015) ended in divorce by 2017 (reported in coverage around the time of Nasty Gal bankruptcy).
Raised seed funding for Girlboss (~$3.1M)
ThoughtEconomics and other profiles report Amoruso raised approximately $3.1 million for Girlboss from investors including Lightspeed, Gary Vaynerchuk, Brian Lee and Slow Ventures (announced 2017).
Launched Girlboss Rally events (annual conferences)
Started Girlboss Rally weekend‑long instructional events for entrepreneurs (ticket prices reported in the $500–$1,400 range); events would grow to thousands of attendees by later years.
Executive producer / writer credit for 'Girlboss' Netflix series
Credited as executive producer and writer for the Netflix adaptation of #GIRLBOSS (13 episodes, 2017).
Boohoo Group acquires Nasty Gal assets
In February 2017 Boohoo Group purchased Nasty Gal (intellectual property and assets) for approximately $20 million; the brand continued under Boohoo's ownership based in Los Angeles.
Netflix 'Girlboss' series premieres
The 13‑episode scripted series Girlboss (based on #GIRLBOSS) premiered on Netflix in April 2017 to all subscribers; Amoruso was an executive producer. The show was cancelled after one season.
Published 'The Girlboss Workbook'
Released The Girlboss Workbook on October 24, 2017 — a practical companion to the Girlboss ethos.
Founding of Girlboss Media
In December 2017 Amoruso founded Girlboss Media, a company producing editorial content, podcasts, events and a professional network aimed at millennial women.
Additional Girlboss funding led by Initialized Capital (~$3.5M)
In 2018 Initialized Capital (co‑founded by Alexis Ohanian) led a round reported at $3.5M for Girlboss, bringing the total raised to approximately $6.6M according to profiles.
Featured on multiple prestige lists and speaking circuits
By 2019 Amoruso had been included in lists such as Fortune/Forbes; she became a frequent speaker and moderator at conferences and continued to expand Girlboss events programming.
Girlboss Foundation grants milestone
Profiles report that the Girlboss Foundation, launched 2014, had awarded over $130,000 in grants to female entrepreneurs (cumulative figure reported in bios/interviews by 2019–2020 era).
Launch of new Girlboss.com professional network
At the fifth Girlboss Rally Amoruso unveiled the new Girlboss.com — a digital professional network for women combining content and social networking features.
Girlboss Rally at UCLA (1,800 attendees)
At the June 29–30, 2019 Girlboss Rally at UCLA, the conference drew ~1,800 women from 28 countries and featured ~120 speakers including Paris Hilton, Whitney Cummings and others.
Continued media and mentorship activity (podcast, events)
Amoruso continued to produce content for Girlboss, run events, and participate in entrepreneurship conferences and media appearances. (General milestone summarizing ongoing activities after 2019.)
Public reporting about Girlboss sale/transactions (profiles reference an exit)
Profiles and reporting from 2019–2021 reference transactional activity around Girlboss (reports of sales/exits to holding companies and restructuring of the brand); specific terms and dates vary among sources.
Public interviews and memoir reflections (podcasts, press)
Amoruso continued to reflect on Nasty Gal failure and Girlboss growth in major interviews (example: 2023 Thought Economics interview), discussing resilience, VC history, and lessons learned.
Profiles estimate long-term net worth (various estimates)
Multiple later profiles estimate Amoruso's personal net worth at a substantially lower level than the 2016 Forbes peak; estimates vary widely (examples in the public record range from low millions to ~$25M depending on assets counted).
Founder & Managing Partner, Trust Fund (venture firm)
As of 2025 Amoruso is listed as founder and managing partner of Trust Fund, a venture capital firm investing in pre‑seed and seed startups (noted on a London Tech Week 2025 speaker listing / bios).
Key Achievement Ages
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