Alyssa Rapp

General Info

About

As of January 2018, Alyssa was named the CEO of Surgical Solutions by private equity firm Sterling Partners. Within six months, she was named one of Crain’s Chicago’s “Notable Women in Health Care” (June 2018). Starting in 2014, Alyssa joined the ranks as a lecturer-in-management at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. As of June 2019, she was also named an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth Business School. From 2005-2015, Alyssa served as the founder & CEO of Bottlenotes, Inc., the leading interactive media company in the U.S. wine, craft beer, and artisanal spirit industries. Starting in 2015, Alyssa has also served as the Managing Partner at AJR Ventures, a strategic advisory firm for Fortune 500, $500MM+ privately-held companies, and private equity firms on their new business unit/new market development, digital and e-commerce strategies. Alyssa was named in Inc. Magazine's “30 Under 30” coolest entrepreneurs in America (September 2008)” and one of the wine industry’s top 25 of 100 most influential people by Intowine.com, from 2012 to present. Bottlenotes also received the “Best Advertising and Marketing Company” and the “People’s Choice Award” at the Empact 100 in September 2013 at the United Nations, honoring the top 100 companies with founders under 35. Alyssa earned a B.A. in Political Science and the History of Art from Yale University in 2000 and an M.B.A. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business in 2005. At Yale, she earned the Frank M. Patterson prize for the best essay on the American political system for her senior thesis on public housing reform in Chicago. Alyssa is thus honored to have been appointed by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to serve on the board of directors of the Illinois Housing Development Authority. She currently serves on the organization’s audit committee with $1B of assets and ~$80MM operating expenses. As of November 2019, Forbes Books will release Alyssa’s book entitled Leadership and Life Hacks: 100 Tips for Achieving Your Goals with Maximum Efficiency and Impact. When not immersed in business and civic life, Alyssa loves to run track, do yoga, ski fast, and try as hard as possible to decipher a slider from a curve ball from her husband, 1990 MLB World Series champion and partner at X10 Capital, Hal Morris. Alyssa and Hal are the proud parents of Audrey Margaret Morris and Henriette Daniella Morris.

Videos (2)

Life Hacks “Pivot vs. Quit”

Be Entrepreneurial in Mindset and Attitude

Company Spotlight in Tech