Big Skinny Bios

Big Skinny wallets were originally designed by Kiril Stefan Alexandrov because he loathed sitting on a thick, heavy leather wallet. He created one basic model [the Sport Wallet] in 2005 which quickly became a success. Dozens of wallet styles have since been added and more are on the way. Kiril’s entrepreneurial background includes founding multiple businesses in the Boston area.
Vices: addicted to researching stuff online ad nauseum[i.e., sports cars, computers, etc]

Catherine Brown Alexandrov… ditched the fun-yet-rocky world of retail-consulting to fuse her skills in marketing, PR, web design, and retail with Kiril’s entrepreneurial savvy. She adds a caffeinated boost to the wallet business [and dry humor to the website, eh?]. The duo have two mini-skinnies: Stefan, 4 & Jack, 6 mos. Her role? Cat-of-all-trades. A few vices: Dunkin Donuts iced coffee, correcting people’s grammar...

Stephanie McBride… also known as Stephaine McBridge, our in-house Videographer & Social Media Officer fares from the tobacco commonwealth of Virginia. Also an expert in customer relations, she creates and edits many of the fantastic videos seen on our website as well as runs our facebook, twitter, and events pages. Stephanie loves small furry critters and is full of factoids for anyone who will listen. Ask her about the bio-evolutionary usefulness of yawning; her answer won't put you to sleep...
BS: What is the most interesting place you’ve traveled to?
SMcB: Having lived on 3 continents and traveled to 8 countries, I would have to say Boston. The creative, intelligent, neurotic people of Boston have captured my heart.

Francesca Wright Syed… adds pep to our step and drives “le sale” in wholesale wallets. Big Skinny wallets don’t just wander into a store near you! Francesca hustles to get wallets in stores through hours of phone tag and wholesale shows. When not at her desk, Frenchie acts as office cosmetologist and will clean your desk for you, even if you didn’t ask her to.

Leah McHugh… swam all the way from Australia to work with Big Skinny as our Vendor Director [ok, she actually came here to study Gastronomy]. We benefit massively from efficiency and dry sense of humor. Leah loves to travel and gives us expert advice on what restaurants [in our own city!] are worth trying or not.

B. McTechy… enjoys battling with all manner of computer problems and SEO. We appreciate his ability to quickly resolve all frustrating office tech issues, like the perpetual wireless problem. More importantly, he is constantly working to create a more efficient user-experience for our website. B. enjoys skateboarding and bravely travels by scooter to the office each day.

Alex Wise… has spent many years in customer service in a variety of industry sectors. As Harvard Square native, Alex is a natural fit in this office. He gravitates toward outdoor sports like telemark skiing and mountain biking. Recently, Alex was honored as a one-time "celebrity" judge at the Lizard Lounge Open Mic Contest. A former chef he also has a lot to say about what is hot, and not, in Boston's regional culinary scene.

Nancy Hartl… started working with Big Skinny in 2008 as our very first Pop-up Vendor back when she bought a Big Skinny wallet for her husband Ray. This turned out to be a Big Skinny wallet she proceeded to wash 19 times which might be a record for a wallet. She is an artist based in Wisconsin and covers the upper-middle part of our country, meeting, greeting, and selling Big Skinny wallets to the fine folks of the mid-west.

Linda Powell… covers the balmy lower mid-Atlantic states and has Big Skinny Pop-up Shops at anything from seafood festivals to state fairs to motorcycle shows… she goes where the wind takes her. She loves Halloween shows and our taxicat wallet. Linda’s apprentice is a parrot named Wallet.

Bruce and Gail Gelb… are avid motorcyclists who bought their first Big Skinny several years ago and loved it. Everyone in their family bought one too, and they quickly signed up to become New England Pop-Up Vendors. You can reach them at gelb328@verizon.net, if you'd like them at your next festival or event.

Joel and Roz Ehrenpreis… bought a Big Skinny wallet when visiting their son up in Boston for his law school graduation. Seeing the wallets fly into the hands of customers encouraged them to grab a piece of the proverbial wallet-pie on the left coast of Florida. Their festivals are in keeping with the fun lifestyle associated with Floridians – Strawberry Festivals, boat shows, Art Festivals, and yes, the famous Garlic Festival too. (when is that Gator Wrestlin' Festival again?

Brendan Rice… had a booth at the New York Auto Show beside Big Skinny wallets and ended up listening to the wallet-spiel about 4,000 times. Long before the show ended, he was SOLD and decided to take our wallet product line back to his rainy but oh-so-mellow state of Washington. Brendan and his wife cover the northwest territories and have a very groovy collection of marbleized tee shirts they made in the 60s. (Kiril wears one of their marbleized tuxes all the time)

Mr. Sandy Butensky… opened our first holiday kiosk at the Jacksonville Mall in Florida after having owned a Big Skinny himself and thought it a good idea to join in the fun from the other side of the sales table. He said “so many people came up to the kiosk who already owned a Big Skinny wallet that I was afraid I wouldn’t make any sales!” The rest of the year you can find Sandy at anything from a Boat Show in Atlanta to Sport Fishing shows in the southeast. He favors the card holder wallet model.

Ms. Emily Cunetto… boarded the Big Skinny ship as staff in our headquarters [specializing in happy hour and clerical duties]. Her acceptance into art school in San Francisco took her to the west coast. When she isn’t working on projects for school, Emily sets up Big Skinny pop-ups throughout this fun and coasty city.

Ray Ramos… was first "knocked over" by our wallets when we did the Washington DC motorcycle show in January. He is now a "true believer" and features the Big Skinny every weekend in NYC at any street festival he can find [and in New York, that’s a lot!]. Ray is committed to filling every backpocket and purse with a Big Skinny in the Big Apple. Love those tourists!

Jesse Magdaleno… is our distributor in beautiful, sunny Southern California. He grew up in Tennessee where he excelled in baseball as a very dynamic catcher and played for Chattanooga State Technical Community College and Bryan College. “As an entrepreneur I look forward to taking Big Skinny all the way to the top!” Visit Jesse at the Kolbys Swap Meet in San Diego and the Farmers Market in La Jolla, Ca.

Rick Preston… an avid athlete, indulges himself in windsurfing, cycling, and hiking and has always tried to find the skinniest wallets to fit his lifestyle. The minute he saw Big Skinny, he was sold. Now he is selling them. Rick, claiming to not be much of a sales person, says “they almost sell themselves.” He’s our latest pop up vendor in the West, residing in the Sierra Foothills of California, next to Kings Canyon National Park.

Endicia Mohaan Strativarius... answers phones, goes on Dunkin Donuts runs, packs thin wallets, disentangles quadratic equations, speaks in iambic pentameter, and serves as Big Skinny Wallet Jester-in-residence. Her inflated sense of humor makes everyone laugh.
Phobias: needles, hot temperatures
Likes: friendly customers, long walks on the beach, skinny wallets