Baruch Shemtov | |
---|---|
Born | |
Education | Ramaz School |
Alma mater | Harvard College B.A. (Psychology) |
Occupations | |
Website | www |
Baruch Shemtov was a reporter, journalist, fashion designer and entrepreneur. He was the entertainment Anchor on Good Day New York on Fox 5 NY WNYW from 2017 to 2019. He was the New York correspondent for Young Hollywood, a special correspondent for Extra. Shemtov founded a line of ties that currently sell in Japan at Journal Standard's TRISECT, and online at Zozotown.[1]
Baruch Yehudah Shemtov was born in Philadelphia on September 22, 1987 to Chantzie Annette Meth (née Waldman) and Dr. Menachem Mendel Shemtov, a urologist (son of Abraham Shemtov).[2][3] His family moved to Manhattan when he was a year old.
Growing up, Shemtov enjoyed spending time in art galleries and antique shops,[4] and at eight years old he was designing his own fashion lines with magic markers and construction paper.[5] For a history paper in grade eight, he researched Ralph Lauren as having had a significant impact on American history.[2][3][6][7][8] Shemtov attended the Ramaz School, and by his senior year he had completed classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology[9][10] and interned with Jonathan Adler[7][9][11] and Ralph Lauren Corporation.[8]
When Shemtov was fifteen years old and "fed up with his school dress code",[12] he turned a "very typical powder-blue cowboy bandana" into a necktie and wore it the next day.[8] "People loved it and wanted me to make it for them," he shared with CNN in 2005.[12] Shemtov also came up with a new concept which he named the "double tie," a necktie with a second tie stitched on its top half.[3][12][13]
Aside from fashion and design, Shemtov made his on-camera debut as the narrator for Chabad.org's "Chanukah Play" when he was five years old.[14]
He graduated from high school in 2005 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Harvard College in 2009. Shemtov attended Harvard Business School from 2013 to 2014, but took a leave of absence to pursue his media career.
In 2003, at age fifteen, Shemtov pitched his hand-stitched prototype neckties to retailers and began working with a New York manufacturer to produce them.[12] His ties debuted at Jelly in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn,[2] and were then sold at Cantaloup and Takashimaya[3] where his first collection, consisting of his signature “double tie,” a kimono tie, and a bold metallic mesh tie,[15] sold out.[2][7] His ties were modeled at New York Fashion Week in Bryant Park later that year.[12]
Shemtov's story garnered press around the world, and he was featured in The New York Times,[3] New York,[7] The Times,[10] Toro,[8] GQ (Japanese edition), and other publications.[12] He also made appearances with his designs on CNN,[12] E!, PBS, and NBC, including a special story on The Today Show.[16] In a few early press interviews, Shemtov shared that he hosts all his business meetings at The Carlyle[2][3] and that he got some of his best business advice from Donald Trump, who told Shemtov, "Sell a lot of ties."[7][17]
In 2005, Shemtov began designing women's T-shirts. He launched a limited edition collection that premiered alongside his neckties at Kaje on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles.[15] They were later sold at Fivestory on New York's Madison Avenue.[18]
Shemtov was a finalist in Russell Simmons' Race to BE entrepreneurship competition, and opened the New York Stock Exchange with Simmons in November 2008.[19] Shemtov was also featured in an episode of PBS's Biz Kid$ and closed the NASDAQ with the show in April 2009.[20][21]
Today, Shemtov's ties are sold in Japan; at Journal Standard's TRISECT, and online at Zozotown.[1]
After graduating from Harvard College in 2009, Shemtov worked at CNN,[22] and hosted a series of video interviews called "Baruch.tv" on The Huffington Post.[23] Shemtov began working with genConnect (a media website designed to "connect audiences with world-class experts")[24] in December 2011. Shemtov first joined Young Hollywood in 2012. He soon became the official New York correspondent for the network, and worked there through 2015.[25] In 2012 Shemtov also began working at Waywire[26] as well as Extra where he is a special correspondent.[27]
In June 2014, Shemtov began making appearances on WNYW- FOX 5 on Friday Night Live,[28] the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts.[29] and other segments as a freelance reporter.[30]