# Mark Chrystal

> Dr. Mark Chrystal is the CEO and co-founder of Profitmind, a Pittsburgh-based agentic AI startup that gives retailers a team of AI analysts for pricing, inventory, assortment, forecasting and competitive intelligence. A 25-year retail operator who ran analytics, supply chain and e-commerce at rue21, David's Bridal, American Eagle, Disney Store and Victoria's Secret, he was recruited by AI pioneer Andrew Ng to build software 'for retailers by retailers.' The company, formerly known as Netail, has raised roughly $14 million to date, including a $9 million Series A backed by Accenture Ventures, with partnerships spanning Accenture and Microsoft.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at Profitmind (Netail, Inc.)
- **Organizations:** Profitmind, Netail, Inc., MachineCore, Inc., rue21, David's Bridal, American Eagle Outfitters, Disney Store, Victoria's Secret
- **Nationality:** United States
- **Education:** Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), University of Liverpool, MSc, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (Distinction), Liverpool John Moores University, Post Graduate Diploma, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, MBA, University of London, BA, Economics, The Ohio State University
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads Profitmind (formerly Netail), an agentic AI platform for retailers, Recruited by AI pioneer Andrew Ng to build a retail-focused AI company, Led a data-driven turnaround at rue21 as Chief Analytics Officer

## Career timeline

- **1990s-2000s** — Early retail leadership roles at Victoria's Secret, Disney Store and American Eagle Outfitters
- **2010s** — SVP eCommerce, Planning & Allocation at rue21
- **2010s** — Chief Supply Chain Officer at David's Bridal
- **2010s-2020s** — Chief Analytics (& Technology) Officer at rue21, leading a data-driven turnaround
- **2022** — Co-founds Netail, Inc. as part of Andrew Ng's Landing AI; becomes CEO
- **2022** — Netail closes seed funding to advance retail-focused AI development
- **2024** — Netail partners with Columbus Consulting to introduce an AI retail analyst
- **2025** — Company rebrands to Profitmind and launches with 5 AI agents
- **2026** — Profitmind raises $9M Series A backed by Accenture Ventures; partnerships with Accenture and Microsoft

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads Profitmind (formerly Netail), an agentic AI platform for retailers
- Recruited by AI pioneer Andrew Ng to build a retail-focused AI company
- Led a data-driven turnaround at rue21 as Chief Analytics Officer
- Helped shorten rue21's supply chain from 270-300 days to 90-120 days
- Drove margin improvements of up to 600 basis points on products run through the AI platform
- Raised approximately $14M in total funding, including a $9M Series A led by Accenture Ventures
- Earned five academic credentials, including a DBA and a distinction master's in machine learning and AI

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Profitmind raised a $9 million Series A round backed by Accenture Ventures, bringing total funding to roughly $14 million.
- **2026** — Profitmind featured by WWD for driving profit growth for retailers with AI-powered analytics.

## Links

- Website: https://www.profitmind.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markchrystal/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mark-chrystal
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-01