Consumer Product Tester and Technologist

Rachel Rothman is an engineer, media executive, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized authority on consumer products, product testing, and innovation. She is the co-founder of Best of the Year Media, an independent media company dedicated to bringing greater rigor, transparency, and trust to editorial reviews, recommendations, and awards, and the co-founder of Betteroo, a personalized AI platform helping parents navigate the complexities of raising children with confidence.

Previously, Rachel spent more than fifteen years at Hearst, where she served as Chief Technologist and Head of Testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute. There, she oversaw the scientific evaluation of tens of thousands of consumer products across categories including toys, baby gear, home, automotive, consumer technology, beauty, health, kitchen, cleaning, and home improvement. She also helped shape the future of media innovation as a founding scout for HearstLab, Hearst’s female-focused startup accelerator.

Rachel’s expertise extends well beyond the laboratory. She is a trusted on-air expert who has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, Fox Business, MSNBC, and the History Channel, helping millions of consumers make informed purchasing decisions. She has also been featured on podcasts from Hearst, Popular Mechanics, Norma Kamali, Dreamcatchers, and other leading media and industry voices, as well as hosting her own called Sensory Play Reimagined.

A sought-after keynote speaker, moderator, and industry advisor, Rachel regularly speaks on emerging technologies, consumer behavior, product innovation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and women in STEM. She has served as a judge for leading industry programs including the JPMA Innovation Awards, CES Best of Parenting Awards, CTA’s Accessibility Awards, among others.

Rachel is also passionate about making science and technology more accessible. She is the co-author of three children’s STEM books and has spoken at events including the Women in Innovation (WIN) Forum, the World Science Festival, the Women in STEM Summit, and the FemTech Innovation Summit. Her work has been profiled by numerous organizations and publications focused on innovation, education, and women’s leadership, including FemTech leaders, the Pennsylvania Gazette, math4science, and the daily edventures.

Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mechanics, and Mathematics. Before entering consumer media, she worked in entertainment marketing and public relations for Sony Pictures Entertainment and Allied Advertising.

She lives in New York with her husband and their three children.