14 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • APRIL 2021
COVER FEATURE
HOW AN OLD WESTBURY COUPLE BUILT
Leo and Jennifer Vartanov with their kids Jessica, Jonah, and Jayden.
Leo and Jennifer Vartanov are two
entrepreneurs. In 2001, they fell in
love. In the years since, they have built
an empire.
Leo and Jennifer’s story begins
around a blackjack table at the Atlantic
City casino formerly known as the
Trump Taj Mahal. Jennifer was trying
her luck when a young Leo struck up a
conversation. Little did they know at
the time that their gamble would pay
off in a much more interesting way.
They both had similar upbringings
and a mutual Georgian heritage. Leo
immigrated to the United States from
the Eastern European nation with
his family at age 9, while Jennifer is
a first-generation American. Their
families came to the U.S. in the 20th
century seeking a better life and the
opportunity of the American dream.
In so many ways, they became it.
While they did not walk away with a
jackpot from the Taj Mahal, what they
did leave with was something much
more valuable. Leo, who resided in
Brooklyn at the time, and Jennifer,
who lived on Long Island, kindled a
relationship. Both of college age, they
were able to keep in touch and see each
other between classes while attending
St. John’s University.
“I knew immediately that we had
something special,” said Jennifer. “I
saw something in Leo that I could tell
that we would have a bright future
together. Our relationship escalated
quickly and soon thereafter we became
engaged and started planning a
wedding. Even though we were very
young, and the odds were against us,
we came out on top in every single
way.”
They shared mutual interests, admired
each other›s drive, and knew
that together there was a foundation
for love and lifelong friendship. In
2002, after just over a year of dating,
Jennifer and Leo married, laying the
groundwork for not only a family but
for various business ventures that
would prove to be successful and
thrive.
“I consider myself very lucky to find
a life partner who shared mutual
interests and family values,” Leo said.
In a small Brooklyn kiosk, they first
found their entrepreneurial spirit.
The early 2000s were a time when
cellular technology was emerging and
began to change the world. The Vartanovs
decided to get in on the action at
Brooklyn’s iconic Fulton Mall.
In a booth next to a jeweler and a
clothing rack, they began to sell
mobile devices. As demand for their
products skyrocketed, they emerged
as a main provider of the products,
when mobile sales hit their peak and
prime.
“From our wedding, we took our gifts
and we invested them into our first
retail location for cell phones,” said
Jennifer. “It was only a few thousand
dollars, but it was enough to open the
doors and give us the jumpstart we
needed to be successful.”
And then, everyone was buying cell
phones. The Vartanovs wanted everyone
to be buying from them.
“What was so amazing is, around this business we
were building one big family,” said Jennifer Vartanov.
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