Carolyn Rafaelian - wikipedia Carolyn Rafaelian Carolyn Rafaelian 1966 / 1967 ( age 51 -- 52 ) Residence Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. Citizenship American Alma mater American College in Los Angeles Occupation Entrepreneur Known for Founder and 80 % owner, Alex and Ani Net worth US $1 billion ( April 2018 ) Children Carolyn Rafaelian ( born 1966 / 67 ) is an American - Armenian entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the founder of the accessories and jewelry company Alex and Ani, and the owner of the Belcourt of Newport and Carolyn 's Sakonnet Vineyards. Contents 1 Background 2 Business career 3 Personal life 4 References Background Rafaelian 's father opened a jewelry factory in 1966, in which Rafaelian and her sister worked. Over time she helped her father design pieces and produced original designs herself for her father 's jewelry manufacturing company Cinerama. She attended Prout Memorial High School for Girls ( later known as The Prout School ). She attended the University of Rhode Island between 1987 and 1989, and then she transferred to and graduated from the American College in Los Angeles. In 1994 she joined her father 's business, and eventually began to work on her own line. In 2002 Rafaelian became co-owner of Cinerama with her sister. Rafaelian 's designs became the main seller for the company, and in 2016 Alex and Ani bought the manufacturing facility for an undisclosed sum. Business career In 2004 Rafaelian founded Alex and Ani, a jewelry line named after her two eldest daughters. The brand started with five cocktail rings and expanded into a full line of jewelry anchored by its patented expandable wire bangle. Rafaelian has been interviewed by newspapers regarding current events, including the New York Daily News. Rafaelian received the 2012 Rhode Island Small Businessperson of the Year award from the Small Business Administration for her work with Alex and Ani, and also the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of Year in the products category for New England. Rafaelian considers the biggest accomplishment of her life to be launching the Liberty Collection of jewelry made from original copper from the Statue of Liberty. Her firm 's revenue grew from $5 million in 2010 to over $500 million in 2016 and the company 's Charity By Design initiative, where 20 % of sales go to charity, makes up 20 % of sales. Rafaelian owns a cafe franchise called Teas and Javas ; some of its cafes are attached to Alex and Ani stores, and some are independent. She is also the owner of the Rhode Island winery Carolyn 's Sakonnet Vineyard, purchased in 2012 which features wine making, dining area and locally sourced foods. Since taking over, the vinyeard has won a number of awards in international competition. Personal life Rafaelian is divorced from her first husband. Rafaelian is the owner of a 60 - room mansion, the Belcourt of Newport, formerly known as Belcourt Castle, in Newport, Rhode Island, built in 1894. Rhode Island Monthly described Rafaelian 's charitable work as including `` Project USA, a nonprofit, which has raised funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, survivors of breast cancer, and endangered species '' as well as separate projects with the Humane Society of the United States. Rafaelian was listed 22nd in Forbes America 's Richest Self - Made Women in 2016, with net worth estimated at $700 million in June 2016. In May 2017, she was recognized by the David Lynch Foundation for her humanitarian efforts. As of June 2017, Rafaelian is estimated to be worth $1.8 billion, and 18th on the Forbes list of America 's richest self - made women, owning 80 % of Alex and Ani. References Jump up ^ `` Carolyn Rafaelian ''. Forbes.com. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Bangle Billionaire : How Alex And Ani Founder Carolyn Rafaelian Built An American Jewelry Empire ''. Forbes.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 19. Jump up ^ Dunn, Laura ( 21 April 2016 ). `` Women in Business Q&A : Carolyn Rafaelian, Founder, CEO and CCO, Alex and Ani ''. The Huffington Post. Jump up ^ Tracey Samuelson ( 2015 - 04 - 23 ). `` Rhode Island, hard hit by recession, slow to recover ''. Marketplace.org. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 13. ^ Jump up to : Michelle Smith ( June 30, 2009 ). `` Interview : Carolyn Rafaelian of Alex and Ani ''. The Gloss. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Alex & Ani : A Vital Force in Rhode Island ''. Quad Angles. Spring 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Leigh Buchanan ( April 2013 ). `` The Disciplined and the Divine : An Unlikely Partnership ''. Inc. Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Alex and Ani Buys Rafealian 's Cinerama - May be Precursor to a Public Offering ''. GoLocalProv. 2016 - 02 - 06. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 19. Jump up ^ Jose Martinez ( February 15, 2010 ). `` One - of - a-kind Vancouver Olympic medals get mixed reviews ''. New York Daily News. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` New Bedford - native named Mass. Small Business Person of Year ''. South Coast Business Bulletin. March 23, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Rafaelian named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of Year ''. Providence Business News. June 25, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2013. Jump up ^ Amoratis, Pandora ( 2016 - 09 - 15 ). `` Alex and Ani unveils unique jewelry collection crafted with pieces of the Statue of Liberty Daily Mail Online ''. Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 19. Jump up ^ `` From Sheryl Sandberg To Beyonce : The 60 Richest, Most Successful Self - Made Women In America ''. Forbes.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 19. Jump up ^ JUDITH OHIKUARE ( May 31, 2013 ). `` Alex and Ani CEO : ' My Job Was to Discourage People ' ''. CEO Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ Philip Eil ( September 18, 2013 ). `` It 's Alex and Ani 's state... we only live in it. An in - depth look at the ' positive energy ' powerhouse ''. The Providence Phoenix. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013. Jump up ^ Phillip Silverstone ( August 3, 2013 ). `` Wining about the Good Life : The Genius of Wine ''. Montgomery News. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Sakonnet wines have won many awards ''. Jump up ^ `` Alex And Ani 's Sakonnet Vineyards Purchase Final ''. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 16. Jump up ^ Murphy, Linda. `` Alex and Ani founder making her mark at ' Carolyn 's ' Sakonnet Vineyards ''. The Herald News, Fall River, MA. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 16. Jump up ^ Aherne, Kevin. `` GoLocalProv Food Carolyn 's Sakonnet Vineyard Wins Big at Int'l Wine Competition ''. GoLocalProv. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 16. Jump up ^ Editor, Gail Ciampa Journal Food. `` R.I. wineries winners at international wine contest ''. providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 16. ^ Jump up to : Penelope Green ( September 19, 2013 ). `` Ghosts Be Gone : Belcourt Castle in Newport Gets a Face - Lift ''. New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2013. Jump up ^ Darrell Hofheinz ( January 25, 2013 ). `` Rafaelian 's new townhouse : Location was key ''. Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ Bill Tomison ( November 12, 2012 ). `` Alex and Ani owner buys Belcourt Castle ''. WPRI. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ M.E. REILLY - MCGREEN. `` Room at the Top : It takes more than a great idea to create a million - dollar business. You need passion, luck and drive, as these highly successful women have learned. Here are their secrets ''. Rhode Island Monthly. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Jump up ^ O'Connor, Clare ( 3 June 2016 ). `` Alex And Ani 's Carolyn Rafaelian Joins Self - Made List As Jewelry 's Richest Woman ''. Forbes. Jump up ^ Asher, Jane ( 2017 - 05 - 10 ). `` Gisele Bundchen Talks the Importance of Meditation ''. InStyle.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Carolyn Rafaelian ''. Forbes.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 19. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carolyn_Rafaelian&oldid=837108518 '' Categories : 1960s births American billionaires American people of Armenian descent Armenian businesspeople Female billionaires Living people University of Rhode Island alumni Hidden categories : Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Հայերեն Edit links This page was last edited on 18 April 2018, at 19 : 24. About Wikipedia

Question: who is the founder of alex and ani
Answer: Carolyn Rafaelian