Ariel Kaye

Ariel Kaye is an American entrepreneur and author who founded Parachute Home in 2014, transforming a direct-to-consumer bedding startup into a $150 million lifestyle brand known for its "perfectly undone" aesthetic.^[1][3] The company achieved 58% year-over-year growth in 2021 and recently reached profitability while expanding from online-only to retail partnerships with Target and Nordstrom.^[4][5]

Before founding Parachute, Kaye spent a decade in advertising at Digitas in New York, working on strategic planning for brands including American Express, Burger King, and Samsung.^[2] Her background in consumer behavior research and brand building informed her approach to creating what she identified as a missing category in the home goods market: high-quality, affordable bedding that was easy to purchase.^[3]

Kaye holds degrees from New York University and The New School, where she studied media and communications.^[2] She has authored a home design book and serves on the board of fertility platform Lushi.^[10] Based in Venice Beach, California, she continues to lead Parachute as it navigates the transition from rapid expansion to sustainable profitability.^[7]

Kaye was born and raised in Los Angeles to entrepreneurial parents who demonstrated that "climbing the corporate ladder was not the only way to achieve success."^[3] This early exposure to entrepreneurship would later influence her decision to leave the corporate world and start her own company.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media, Power, and Persuasion from New York University before pursuing a Master's degree in Media Studies at The New School.^[2] Her graduate program combined theoretical and practical elements, including filmmaking, and was influenced by Marshall McLuhan's "The Medium is the Message," which shaped her understanding of how brands communicate with consumers.^[2]

Advertising career (2004–2014)

After completing her master's degree, Kaye began her career in New York's advertising industry, working in PR, advertising, and marketing before settling at Digitas, where she spent approximately ten years.^[2] As a strategic planner, she focused on consumer behavior research and brand development rather than creative execution, working on accounts for major brands including American Express, Burger King, and Samsung.^[2]

Her role involved new business pitches and deep consumer insights work, experience that would prove crucial in identifying market gaps and understanding purchase behavior.^[2] However, Kaye found the "big agency world" exhausting and felt it wasn't the right long-term fit for her career aspirations.^[3]

Founding Parachute Home (2014–present)

The inspiration for Parachute came during a trip to Italy, where Kaye stayed at a hotel on the Amalfi Coast and experienced exceptionally soft, luxurious sheets.^[2] Upon returning home, she struggled to find similar quality bedding that was both affordable and easily accessible. "I was a super consumer of home goods, and when it came to bedding, I couldn't find a single brand that was high quality, affordable or easy to buy. I realized there was a huge gap in the market," she explained.^[3]

Kaye launched Parachute in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer bedding brand, starting with a tight assortment of sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases.^[1] "I always knew that we wanted to be a multi-category brand. We started with bedding — sheets and duvet covers and pillowcases. It was a very small, tight assortment. We wanted to make sure that we built trust in the early days," she said.^[1]

The company's early customer response validated the market opportunity. "The response that we got from the customer was the indicator for me that we were onto something... It was just this, 'I see you,' moment," Kaye recalled.^[3] Within two years of launch, Forbes recognized Parachute for winning over millennials tired of chain store bedding.^[2]

Under Kaye's leadership, Parachute expanded from online-only to physical retail, reaching 26 stores at its peak while growing into a multi-category lifestyle brand encompassing bedding, bath linens, loungewear, and home decor.^[9] The company achieved $150 million in revenue in 2021 with 58% year-over-year growth.^[1][4]

In 2025, Kaye made the strategic decision to close 19 stores and refocus on wholesale partnerships with retailers like Target and Nordstrom, acknowledging that the company had "overreached" in its retail expansion.^[9] The company has raised $47 million in total funding and recently achieved profitability.^[5][9]

Other ventures

Kaye authored "How to Make a House a Home," published by Clarkson Potter, which reflects her philosophy on intentional design and purposeful living developed through building Parachute.^[10] She also serves on the board of Lushi, a modern fertility and tech platform.^[10]

Kaye and Parachute have received recognition from major business publications, including Forbes' acknowledgment of the brand's success in capturing millennial consumers within two years of launch.^[2] Business Insider named Parachute one of "25 Hot Los Angeles Startups to Watch," highlighting the company's growth in the competitive home goods market.^[2]

She has been featured as a speaker and interview subject across various media platforms, discussing entrepreneurship, brand building, and the direct-to-consumer retail landscape.^[3][8] Her insights on building customer relationships and creating lifestyle brands have made her a sought-after voice in the retail and e-commerce community.^[1]

Kaye returned to her native Los Angeles after her decade in New York, settling in Venice Beach where she lives in an 800-square-foot bungalow that she designed with Orlando Soria.^[7] The home reflects her design philosophy and serves as a gathering place for friends and family.^[7]

She is the mother of two young daughters and maintains interests outside of business including yoga instruction and surfing.^[7] Kaye has a dog named Lox and is known for wearing a "Lox" necklace daily.^[7] Her design aesthetic is influenced by Southern California landscapes and Scandinavian design principles.^[7]