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These days there seems to be an infinite set of attributes and qualifications one must possess to be granted the title of CEO. Let’s be real, these people are a breed of their own. Management is innate, they are constantly strategizing for the long haul, making innovative, game changing pivots and regularly keeping investors happy. No wonder why it’s been said that a handful of these individuals score high on the psychopathy test. There’s no way you’re totally sane with all that responsibility on your shoulders. So we know this role is no fit for the average Joe Schmo, but who are these geniuses, really? Here are 5 CEOs in LA’s tech community whose names you should know.
Alex Kelly
CEO, Playsino
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Formerly having commercial responsibility of GTI (the world’s largest producer of gaming machines and content), Alex Kelly joined Playsino in 2013 as CEO and has been killing it since. In June of this year Kelly announced Playsino’s Bingo World app release for Barnes & Noble e-readers, making it the “most realistic free-to-play poker experience” available at the time. He believes innovation is coming from startups and is becoming strongly involved in that community. Kelly has an MBA from Columbia University and BS in Entrepreneurial Studies and Finance from Babson College. He has become an influential member of LA’s startup scene and we are excited to see how the gaming industry will transform with Kelly’s modernizations.
Marc Mitchell
Co-Founder, Lootsie, Inc.
[ibimage==28864==Original==none==self==ibimage_align-left]Why not start young? That was Marc Mitchell’s game plan. A graduate of Stanford University and having received his law degree at NYU, Mitchell hit the ground running while working as COO of SRC/Universal Records and COO of UrbanDaddy. He went on to found Lootsie, Inc. in 2012 with Co-Founder Brandon Werber. The company’s model: win games and cash in your points to receive prizes and in-app achievements. Just like our childhood days of arcade playing where tickets = goodies. One thing the tech industry in LA can benefit from is creativity and understanding from it’s youth. Thanks to Mitchell and other young entrepreneurs, the startup scene is sure to keep up with what’s trending.
Brian Lee
CEO, Honest Company
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Once labeled as a ‘business partner to the stars’ by the LA Times (https://lat.ms/YjRQQb), Brian Lee is one of the most highly respected entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. Starting as a Manager at Deloitte, Lee moved up quickly from an Attorney position at Skadden Arps in 1999 to Co-Founder of Legalzoom in 2001. Lee then went on to become Co-Founder and CEO of Honest Company, who provides ecofriendly, non-toxic baby products (including skin care and cleaning supplies) to families. Holding onto his sense of humor Lee lists his major in undergrad as: Yonsei University, BA in ‘partying’. Who wouldn’t want to party with this guy?
Sophia Amoruso
CEO, NastyGal
[ibimage==28866==Original==none==self==ibimage_align-left]Coming from City College of San Francisco, this lady is currently the powerhouse of women in tech. As CEO of NastyGal, the company has become one of the #1 online stores for women in the past two years and is continuing to rise. The company “sells 93% of it’s inventory at full price in an industry that usually marks down a third of all styles” (https://onforb.es/SBdATh). Beat that, Asos. Amoruso was recently titled as ‘Fashion’s New Phenom’ by Forbes, and employees rave about how great it is to work alongside her. Sans college degree and having a moment as a “vintage re-seller” on ebay, Amoruso is an inspiration to women today who strive to rise to such senior positions. Sophia’s modesty and undeniable creativity make her an extremely valuable add to LA’s startup community.
CEO, Gobbler
[ibimage==28867==Original==none==self==ibimage_align-left]With a BA in Political Science from the University of Oregon who knew this guy would turn out to be such a mench? When Kantrowitz was 14 he founded his first company - a game testing business. It can be said that he was born to fall into the gaming industry as a serial entrepreneur. Kantrowitz founded 3D Groove in 1997 (amongst other companies) and moved on to bigger and better things in 2010 when he founded Gobbler, the Hollywood-based music storage, organization and backup platform. Their cloud platform serves as a space for all of the world’s musicians and producers to store their creative work. Well known for having outstanding energy and enthusiasm about his projects, we are eager to see what’s next for this commendable entrepreneur.
