Amanda Bonnell has a lifelong understanding that ‘people’ grow businesses, being the third generation of an entrepreneurial family, launching her own luxury business on Oak Street in Chicago, followed by opening & simultaneously operating the first Vera Wang Bridal flagship store in Chicago, with a five-year license agreement. Amanda implemented best practices in finance, operations & training, sales & marketing and HR, which led to sustained growth for both businesses. She also identified opportunities and resolved issues across all teams and functions; including client services, HR, marketing, sales, finance, & operations. Under her leadership, both stores achieved a remarkable 400% revenue growth in their first year and sustained 200% annual growth. 

Amanda’s clients began asking her to advise them on their businesses, from start-up to scale, which became the catalyst for her transition into growth consulting. She founded RUNWAY 2 SCALE, Inc., a growth consulting firm, focused on leadership & talent assessment and alignment, communications, mission buy-in, and growth goal translation— all essential for achieving hyper-growth by recruiting & building teams that foster growth cultures and accelerate revenue. She has successfully advised CEOs of private companies with AUM over $5 billion, as well as small- and mid-cap PE firms and their portfolio companies, ranging from $5 million to $100 million. 

Amanda is also involved with and supports many organizations, including Saint Ignatius, Laurie Children's Board, and Catholic Charities in their community efforts, such as serving dinners to those in need. Also, Amanda promotes foundations she believes are proactively addressing youth mental health, such as the ORTUS Foundation, led by Sabrina Gracias. 

Amanda Bonnell was recently featured in Modern Luxury Spotlight Magazine as one of Chicago’s Most Dynamic Women of 2024! Click here to learn more.