Ben Lerer | |
---|---|
Born | 1980 or 1981 (age 43–44) |
Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
Occupation | Investor |
Board member of |
Ben Lerer (born 1980 or 1981) is an American venture capitalist, investor, and former media executive. He co-founded Thrillist in 2004 and founded and was chief executive officer of Group Nine Media. He is a managing partner at early-stage venture capital firm Lerer Hippeau.
Early life and education
editLerer is the son of Kenneth Lerer. He attended the Dalton School as a teen and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 with a degree in political science.[1][2] He has a sister, Isabel.[3]
Career
editAfter graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Lerer worked for André Balazs.[1][4] He and Adam Rich co-founded men's lifestyle website Thrillist in 2005.[5] Thrillist began as a newsletter with 600 subscribers; by 2012, it had more than 3 million.[6]
In 2016, Lerer became the chief executive officer of Group Nine Media following the merger of Thrillist, NowThis Media, Seeker, and The Dodo.[7] He stepped down as CEO in 2021 following the sale of Group Nine to Vox Media. He retained a position on the Vox board of directors.[8]
Lerer Hippeau
editLerer and his father founded Lerer Ventures, a venture capital firm, in 2010.[9] Lerer led investments in Warby Parker and Everlane.[1] The firm changed its name to Lerer Hippeau in 2014.[10] By 2022, it had invested in 400 companies. Lerer is a managing partner with the firm.[9]
Other work
editLerer is the chairman of Urban Upbound, an associate member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and is a mentor with Techstars, NYC Venture Fellows, and Enstitute.[11][12][13]
Recognition
editLerer has been featured on multiple lists, including Vanity Fair's "Next Establishment", Forbes' "Most Powerful CEOs Under 40", Crain's New York Business's 40 Under 40, Entrepreneur's "Top 5 Entrepreneurs of the Year", and AdWeek's "Young Influentials".[11] Ernst & Young named Lerer Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013.[14]
Personal life
editLerer lives with his wife and children in New York City.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Williams, Alex (October 1, 2015). "JackThreads Offers E-Clothes for Guys and Bros". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Mazarakis, Anna; Shontell, Alyson (September 5, 2017). "Ben Lerer spent his 20s building an email startup for 'civilized bros' — here's how he turned that into a $580 million media company". Business Insider. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Pressler, Jessica (January 10, 2014). "Our Congenial Web Overlords". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Neves, Antonio (November 12, 2014). "Before He Built a Lifestyle Brand, Ben Lerer Bussed Tables". Inc. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Tate, Ryan (August 18, 2014). "The Newsletter That Became a $100M Business Selling Stuff to Dudes". Wired. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Lazar, Shira (August 21, 2012). "Thrillist's Ben Lerer on his Success as a Young Trep". Entrepreneur. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (October 14, 2016). "Can Ben Lerer Turn Discovery-Backed Digital Roll-Up Into the Next Vice?". Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ Sharma, Amol; Mullin, Benjamin (December 14, 2021). "Vox Media Agrees to Buy Group Nine Media, Creating Big Digital Publisher". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Hall, Christine (September 20, 2022). "Lerer Hippeau closes $230M across two new funds; Ben Lerer is back". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ "The Daily Startup: Lerer Hippeau Ventures Has New Name, New Fund". The Wall Street Journal. June 25, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Delargy, Christine (October 22, 2015). "Meet Ben Lerer, co-founder of Thrillist Media Group". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Tanzer, Myles (October 17, 2012). "Startup News: Braintree Gets a $35 M. Boost, TED Gets Trippy, and Real Estate Gets Gamified". Observer. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Ben Lerer". Big Think. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Solomon, Benjamin (July 8, 2013). "Thrillist's Ben Lerer". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 20, 2024.