Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- Barbara Kavovit is an American entrepreneur and successful businesswoman in the realm of construction.
- She is also a reality star, having appeared as a series regular in the eleventh season of The Real Housewives of New York, replacing previous cast member Carole Radziwill.
Personal Life, Parents and Family Details :
- Barbara was born on January 4, 1966, in Pelham Parkway, New York.
- She has a sister, Caryn, and grew up in the Bronx.
- At the age of nine, she helped her father put together bunk beds, which started her fascination with building.
- Barbara is divorced, and has a 26-year-old son Zachary (age as of 2024).
- Currently, Kavovit resides on the Upper East Side.
Education and First Business :
- Barbara attended the State University of New York at Oswego, from where she graduated with a degree in finance and economics.
- After graduating from college, Barbara started her first company, Stand-Ins, in 1990. Stand-Ins dealt with home improvement, though Barbara’s experience in the field hadn’t progressed past the bunk bed experience from her childhood.
- Barbara played the part, donning the attire and the tools of a construction professional. Inspired by a conversation between her mother and her friends, Barbara began frequenting the parking lots of malls and asking women if they needed help fixing anything around the house.
- Later, Kavovit even liaised with handymen in the area and became a mediator. She browsed local newspapers looking for services being offered in the area and then drove and supervised tradesmen to the sites involved.
- Stand-Ins quickly gained fame and was awarded a two-year contract by IBM to cover repairs at their headquarters in New York City.
- By 1995, Stand-Ins had transitioned into Anchor Construction, which was based in the coveted Midtown East area of Manhattan.
Career Growth, Salary and Net Worth :
- The demand for construction work decreased after the 9/11 attacks, and Barbara pursued new projects. One of these projects was her lifestyle company, Barbara K!.
- Under the umbrella of her new company, Barbara created DIYVA, a line of tool belts designed specifically for women.
- She also made how-to tutorials for YouTube, and event wrote two books, ‘Room for Improvement,’ and ‘Invest in your Nest.’
- Despite the constant hard work, the company did not achieve the results it needed, and Barbara declared bankruptcy, which made her decide to get back into the world of building.
- In 2015, she founded Evergreen Builders and Construction. The company has been steadily making profit every year since its inception.
Fun Facts, Height and Trivia :
- Barbara loves sushi and traveling, especially to Italy.
- She is also passionate about racing cars.
- Barbara has worked as a columnist for the New York Daily News.
- She has designed homes for the likes of celebrities like supermodels Linda Evangelista and Amber Valletta.
- Barbara has been very good friends for a long time with fellow Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps, and it is assumed she is joining the cast to support Luann.
- She is very passionate about empowering women in male-dominated businesses.
She attended New Rochelle High School