Borchardt leaves Women’s Wear Daily, now freelancing

Women’s Wear Daily financial reporter Debra Borchardt has left the news organization and is now freelancing.

Borchardt had joining the publication in July 2015.

Before Women’s Wear Daily, she had been a TheStreet.com senior producer and markets analyst. She left The Street in 2014 to do research for Stansberry & Associates. She worked at The Street for eight years after getting her master’s in journalism from New York University.

“I am freelancing full time covering the cannabis industry and retail topics,” said Borchardt in an email to talking Biz News. “I am currently writing for Forbes as a contributor, but am open to other freelance opportunities. I’m excited about this move and have plans to start a podcast in the new year. Next week, I’ll be moderating a panel at the NYSSCPAs Symposium on the Business, Tax and Legal Implications of the Burgeoning Marijuana Industry in New York City.”

Before entering business journalism, Borchardt spent 15 years at Bear Stearns. Borchardt’s work experience covered such diverse areas as equities, fixed income and mutual funds with her last position in the clearing side of the business vetting money managers.

During her Wall Street years, she also worked as an actress appearing regularly in the soap opera “As The World Turns” and working as an extra on “Saturday Night Live.”

As senior producer, Borchardt was responsible for the quality and content of the videos at TheStreet, which produces 500 video reports a month. She was a frequent guest on “The Today Show,” CNBC, “Nightly Business Report” and “ABC News Now.”