Levo (company)

Levo (formerly Levo League) was a network targeting millennials in the workplace. The company provided young professionals with resources to help them navigate and advance their careers. At one time, Levo claimed over 9 million users.

History
Launched in 2012, Levo was founded by Caroline Ghosn (daughter of auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn) and Amanda Pouchot, as well as two other women, Kathryn Minshew and Alex Cavoulacos (see Controversy). The founders met at their first corporate jobs working for the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company in New York where they brainstormed their idea.

The founders successfully raised over $8 million in funding, adding $7 million from its round of Angel funding in early 2014. Prominent U.S. investors in Levo include Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, Susan Lyne, Chairman of Gilt Groupe, and Gina Bianchini, CEO of Mightybell.

Services
Levo granted its members digital access to mentors, a community of professionals, job postings, and live chats with prominent business role models. In addition to its online community the group also operated 30 local chapters worldwide to help its users to connect to opportunities offline.

Controversy
Levo was founded as Pretty Young Professional by four women who worked in the NYC office of McKinsey & Company: Caroline Ghosn, Amanda Pouchot, Alex Cavoulacos, and Kathryn Minshew, with an equity structure that reflected ownership by all (Minshew 7.1%, Pouchot 5.5%, Cavoulacos 4.4%, Ghosn 1.5%). Minshew was the first full-time employee and Editor in Chief, and eventually CEO.

After a dispute between the founders, Ghosn and Pouchot secretly re-launched Pretty Young Professional as Levo League and ousted founders Cavoulacos and Mishew, who went on to found The Daily Muse.