Famed Designer Elaine Culotti to Star on Undercover Billionaire

December 30, 2020  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly   

This season, the successful entrepreneur, bets $1 million that she can go undercover in a random U.S. city, start her own business with just $100 and top the million-dollar mark in just 90 days.

In an 'art imitating life' experience, Culotti's own mother was an orphan who was put out on the streets at the age of 18 with only $100 to survive. Culotti harnesses her mother's resilience and moves forward in the challenge with her own intense determination, no visible fear of failure, and an uncanny ability to get her way.

A serial entrepreneur since the age of 14, Culotti broke into the male-dominated construction business and bulldozed her way into becoming one of the industry's biggest players. She doesn't let anyone or anything stop her from achieving her goals. Culotti has developed and built everything from luxury homes to casinos and hospitals.

Culotti grew up a military brat, traveling throughout Europe with her English-born mother and Irish-American father. She attributes her sense of style and drama to those younger years in German castles, English farmhouses, and the wonderful towns of Renaissance Italy. She opened her own business importing antiques, collectibles, textiles and architectural elements then branched out to begin her own design firm, retail store and manufacturing facility over 15 years ago. Culotti's experience in design has given her the ability to manage projects from start to finish for her clients. One of the projects she is most well-known for is the iconic House of Rock in Santa Monica, which she designed and organized into a pop-up designer showcase and luxury event space before she sold it. 

Culotti also owns the 40-acre Big Z Ranch in Fallbrook, where she grows everything from palm trees to fruits and vegetables. Deeply passionate about the food we put in our bodies and the local farmworkers who grow it, Culotti has partnered with local farmers to make it easier for fresh food to be sold directly to consumers without the middle men of big box stores. Each week she puts together packages of fruits and vegetables grown on the ranch and delivers them directly to consumer's doorsteps. In a time where American farmers are desperately struggling, her vision is to build permanent farmer's markets across the nation where local farmers and the community can meet and do business.