An international fashion leader known globally as the Joan of Joan and David, Joan Helpern founded Joan and David in 1968 and led the company as President, CEO and Creative Director until its sale in 2000.

A native New Yorker, Helpern has lived all over the world. Commuting for 30 years between the U.S., her Italian factory partners, and the Joan and David boutiques in Europe, Asia, Canada, North Africa, and South America, she describes herself as a global citizen.

Helpern has a B.A. from Hunter College, a master of social psychology from Columbia University and a doctorate in social psychology from Harvard University. She has served on the New York City Board of Education and currently sits on Harvard's JFK Women's Leadership Board. At Columbia's Graduate School of Business, she is a member of the Mentoring Board of the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Program and a member of the Advisory Board of the Denning Center for Advanced Commerce Research. She is the recipient of over three dozen awards for her design excellence and for her personal achievements, and is a co-founder of the Committee of 200, a forum designed to encourage and support women entrepreneurs and corporate executives.

In September 2002, Helpern was appointed adjunct professor and executive-in-residence at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).