OUR TEAM
Meet the people behind Arize.
Leah Wahba
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
Leah Wahba is Co-Founder and CEO of ARIZE, bringing more than two decades of experience shaping globally recognized brands and driving strategic growth across international markets. Renowned for her expertise at the intersection of brand, business, and cultural relevance, she has led transformative strategies, business development, marketing, and communications initiatives for some of the world’s most influential companies.
Prior to ARIZE, Leah served as Chief Communications and Strategic Development Officer at Camuto Group, where she oversaw strategy, marketing, and business development across a portfolio of more than 50 national, celebrity, and proprietary brands. Her leadership helped guide the evolution and expansion of one of the industry’s most prominent brand portfolios.
At ARIZE, Leah defines the firm’s strategic vision and works closely with partners to navigate growth, transformation, and long-term market positioning through a highly tailored and relationship-driven approach.
CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
Evan Berkley
Evan Berkley is Co-Founder and President of ARIZE, bringing more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across consumer goods, retail, licensing, and brand strategy. Known for his expertise in growth acceleration, operational transformation, and strategic brand development, Evan has advised and led initiatives for some of the industry’s most recognized companies and consumer brands.
Most recently, as CEO of Mr. Christmas, he led a comprehensive business turnaround that culminated in a successful private equity transaction. Prior to that, he served as Executive Vice President at Jacmel, directing strategy across sales, licensing, and brand development for a portfolio of more than 30 national, celebrity, and proprietary brands.
At ARIZE, Evan collaborates closely with clients to drive strategic growth, market positioning, and long-term business performance.
Paige Gill
MANAGING DIRECTOR | FASHION & RETAIL
Paige Gill is a seasoned retail executive with over three decades of experience as a retailer with responsibilities spanning women’s, men’s, and children’s apparel, accessories, and beauty. Throughout her career, she has held senior merchandising and leadership roles at Big Lots, Stage Stores, and Francesca's, where she consistently drove year-over-year growth through customer-focused merchandising strategies and multi-channel retail planning.
Recognized for her expertise across department stores, specialty, and off-price retail, Paige brings a sophisticated understanding of both private and national brand development. At ARIZE, she partners closely with clients to navigate evolving consumer landscapes, refine retail strategies, and identify opportunities for sustainable growth and market expansion.
Jason Zuckerman
Colin Hagen
MANAGING DIRECTOR | LICENSING & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Colin Hagen brings more than 35 years of experience in brand management, licensing, and intellectual property strategy, with a distinguished track record of driving revenue growth and expanding global market presence. Recognized for his deep expertise in strategic partnerships and brand commercialization, Colin has led high-impact licensing initiatives across some of the world’s most recognized consumer and sports brands.
As Senior Vice President at Marquee Brands, he secured licensing agreements that generated more than $500 million in new revenue across brands including Martha Stewart, BCBGMAXAZRIA, and Body Glove. Earlier in his career, he held senior licensing roles with Major League Baseball and the National Football League.
At ARIZE, Colin leads licensing strategy and brand partnership development across the firm’s client portfolio.
Bill Hackett
MANAGING DIRECTOR | SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Bill Hackett brings more than 30 years of experience across retail, wholesale, licensing, and brand development within sporting goods, athletic apparel, outdoor lifestyle, and workwear categories. His career spans leadership roles driving commercial growth and market expansion for globally recognized brands.
He has led sales organizations for Nautica, Sean John, and Everlast, and held senior licensing positions at Iconix Brand Group, overseeing brand portfolios including Umbro, Starter, and Ed Hardy.
Most recently, he built the HI-TEC outdoor apparel business from the ground up, securing distribution across leading retail channels including Macy’s, Kohl’s, Costco, and Amazon. At ARIZE, Bill advises clients on retail strategy, brand development, and market expansion across the global sports and outdoor landscape.
Greg Morel
MANAGING DIRECTOR | INTERNATIONAL
Greg Morel is an international executive with over two decades of experience helping fashion and lifestyle brands scale across global retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels. A French national who has spent most of his career in the United States, he operates at the intersection of American brand building and international market execution.
He has held senior leadership roles at Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger, Sam Edelman, and Vince Camuto, leading retail and distribution launches in more than 30 countries across EMEA, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. His expertise lies in translating domestic brand equity into international commercial success across diverse consumer, channel, and competitive landscapes.
As Managing Director of International Strategy at Arize, Greg advises brands on market entry, partner selection, commercial structuring, and omnichannel expansion. His deep operational experience and global network enable scalable, sustainable international growth.
Jason Zuckerman is a seasoned apparel industry executive with over 25 years of experience driving revenue growth, market expansion, and operational transformation for leading global fashion brands. He served as Senior Vice President of Adult Apparel at United Legwear & Apparel Co., overseeing a $400M+ portfolio that included Hurley, Van Heusen, Scotch & Soda, Ted Baker, and Puma, with full P&L responsibility across wholesale channels and multi-category apparel businesses.
Previously at Perry Ellis International, he managed a $350M portfolio and delivered a 25% EBITDA improvement through strategic repositioning, cost optimization, and strengthened key retail partnerships during the COVID-19 period. Earlier at PVH Corporation, he held senior leadership roles across Calvin Klein, Speedo, and Izod, leading businesses exceeding $1B in scale, consistently outperforming revenue and margin targets while advancing digital-first and omnichannel strategies.
Zuckerman specializes in P&L leadership, brand positioning, and multi-channel growth, supported by deep relationships across major retail partners.
MANAGING DIRECTOR | WHOLESALE
Danielle Sullivan
DIRECTOR | LICENSING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Larry Promisel
MANAGING DIRECTOR | DIGITAL STRATEGY
Larry Promisel is a seasoned digital commerce executive with more than 20 years of experience leading e-commerce, retail, and omnichannel strategy for prominent fashion and lifestyle brands. As Senior Vice President of Digital Commerce at Vince Camuto, he oversaw end-to-end e-commerce and omnichannel operations. Earlier, he built Barneys New York’s e-commerce division from the ground up, scaling it to hundreds of millions in revenue, and launched Coach.com, Bluefly.com and Beekman1802.com among others.
At ARIZE, Larry supports brands ranging from emerging startups to established enterprises, helping them accelerate growth through global e-commerce strategy, digital marketing, and integrated omnichannel development. He specializes in translating brand vision into scalable digital infrastructure and performance-driven customer acquisition strategies across international markets.
Danielle Sullivan brings extensive experience across retail, wholesale footwear, and institutional client services, with a particular focus on licensing and strategic brand partnerships. At Camuto Group, she led the Vince Camuto licensing division across men’s, women’s, and kids’ categories, driving international category expansion and cultivating high-value global partnerships.
Prior to joining ARIZE, she worked at Bridgewater Associates, where she managed relationships with leading institutional clients across North America and Europe, honing a disciplined, client-centric approach to complex stakeholder engagement.
At ARIZE, Danielle specializes in identifying and executing licensing opportunities and broader strategic growth initiatives across the firm’s portfolio, helping brands unlock incremental value through structured partnerships and scalable commercial frameworks.
Aditi Varma
DIRECTOR | STRATEGIC PLANNING
Aditi Varma brings a distinctive blend of strategy consulting, investment banking, and operating experience to her work with clients. She spent four years at Houlihan Lokey advising on middle-market M&A transactions across the consumer, retail, and health and wellness sectors, executing deals ranging from $200M to $1.5B, including the sales of Qunol to Sanofi and Nuun to Nestlé Health Science.
Most recently, she led enterprise portfolio strategy at PepsiCo, partnering directly with senior leadership on long-term growth initiatives and cross-functional strategic priorities.
At ARIZE, Aditi works closely with founders and leadership teams on strategic planning, go-to-market design, and M&A advisory, helping translate complex business challenges into clear, executable growth and value-creation strategies.