Working at GoPuff
Gopuff co-founders Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola are both first-generation Americans who grew up in entrepreneurial families. So, when they realized that Yakir - the only friend of theirs at Drexel University with a car - was spending too much time running errands for his friends, they drafted mock-ups of a delivery app on the back of their Intro to Business notes. Just a few months later, during their sophomore year, they were delivering necessities from the back of a Plymouth Voyager and flipping office furniture on Craigslist and eBay, bringing in more than $50,000, the jump-start they needed to fund their early business.
Today, Gopuff operates over 500 micro-fulfillment centers, BevMo! and Liquor Barn stores and has become one of the fastest growing tech companies in the country. As the company’s customer base evolves, matures and grows, Gopuff continually expands to offer new product categories, including baby products, grocery and baking ingredients, beauty products and local favorites, and hot and fresh prepared food via Gopuff Kitchen, leveraging its vertically integrated model and customer insights to adapt quickly to changing consumer trends. As the company also continues rapid geographic expansion, Gopuff acquired BevMo!, the leading alcoholic beverage specialty retailer on the West Coast, and Liquor Barn, one of Kentucky's leading independent chains of beer, wine, and liquor stores, accelerating the company’s entry into California and its expansion in Kentucky. In 2021, Gopuff announced its acquisition of UK- based Fancy and Dija, last-mile delivery platforms that get consumers their groceries and daily essentials in minutes, marking the company’s entrance into the UK, France and Spain.