Cohort: 8
Flashpoint Company: SKU-it

Marisa Whittaker Humphrey is a serial entrepreneur and founder and CEO of SKU-it, a tech company that automates the creation of SKUs for importers, wholesalers, and retailers. Marisa worked as a television news reporter and anchor for five years before starting her first business, Big Byte Productions. Big Byte created software in the multi-media training and automation arena for clients such as Bell South and Hewlett Packard. In 2003, Marisa co-founded “Real Deals on Furniture,” a 2-acre furniture store in a 100-year-old Cotton Mill in Jefferson, Georgia, with her husband Jeff. In 2006, Marisa co-founded the Real Deals on Home Décor franchise. Today there are 60+ stores in the US and Canada. Marisa imported furniture and home décor for ten years before co-founding a home décor factory in Shanghai, China. In 2014 Marisa opened a chic apparel and accessory shoppe “Marisa Jill’s Boutique,” and soon after launched the online “$10 Fashion Attic” selling fashion apparel boutique closeouts. In 2016, Marisa co-founded The Mill Event Venue, a wedding and event facility, in the same cotton mill where their furniture store is. Having travelled to 23 countries, Marisa finds her inspiration in the rich cultures and colors of the world. Marisa studied at Moscow State University in Russia. She also studied Spanish in Chihuahua, Mexico. She received her degree from the College of Fine Arts & Communications at Brigham Young University in Utah. Marisa is a graduate of Flashpoint Cohort 8.