J. Christopher Burch

These days, "retail startup" is generally synonymous with "new e-commerce site." Given the relative low costs of building an online shopping destination, combined with projections for online shopping growth across the globe, the notion of launching a retail brand through bricks-and-mortar seems a little misguided — if not downright foolish. Unless you're J. Christopher Burch. The billionaire venture capitalist, best known for co-founding fashion label Tory Burch with his ex-wife, is building his portfolio of brands through an aggressive — and innovative — physical retail strategy.