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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
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| name = Jason Wolfe
| name = Jason Wolfe
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| residence = [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]]
| residence = [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]]
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| ethnicity = <!-- Ethnicity should be supported with a citation from a reliable source -->
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| education = [[Bachelor of Science]] in [[Marketing]]
| education = [[Bachelor of Science]] in [[Marketing]]
| alma_mater = [[Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania|Bloomsburg University]] <small>('92)</small>
| alma_mater = [[Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania|Bloomsburg University]] <small>('92)</small>
| occupation = [[Entrepreneurship|Entrepreneur]]
| occupation = [[Entrepreneurship|Entrepreneur]]
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| employer =
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| agent =
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| known_for = Founder of [[GiftCards.com]]
| known_for = Founder, [[GiftCards.com]], Gift Card Granny, Direct Response Technologies, [[MyCoupons]]
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| website = [http://www.wolfe.com/ Official Website]
| website = [http://www.wolfe.com/ Official Website]
| footnotes =
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}}
}}

'''Jason Wolfe''' is an [[United States|American]] [[businessman]] and [[Entrepreneurship|entrepreneur]] who is the founder and [[CEO]] of several companies, including [[GiftCards.com]].<ref name="Entre">{{cite news | last=Weiss| first=Geoff| title =Orphaned and Homeless, How This Self-Taught Techie Founded a Multi-Million Dollar Empire | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = ''[[Entrepreneur (magazine)|Entrepreneur]]''| date =14 July 2014 | url =http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235585| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite news | last=Gittleson| first=Kim| title =GiftCards.com boss: From orphanage to entrepreneur| newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = [[BBC]]| date =23 July 2014 | url =http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28409603| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> The company is considered the largest online retailer of gift cards<ref name="BBC"/><ref name="Joe">{{cite video |people=[[Mika Brzezinski]] (host), [[Joe Scarborough]] (host), [[Thomas Roberts (television journalist)|Thomas Roberts]] (host), Jason Wolfe (interviewee) |date=28 July 2014 |title=Overcoming the Odds |url=http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/from-orphanage-to-entrepreneur-312894019935 |format= |medium= |language= |publisher=''[[Morning Joe]]'' |location= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate=14 October 2015|time= |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= |ref= }}</ref><ref name="PTRNiche">{{cite news | last=Fleisher| first=Chris| title =GiftCards.com of Green Tree carves out niche online| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =9 March 2015 | url =http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7933175-74/cards-com-gift| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> and has appeared on the [[Inc. (magazine)#Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000|''Inc.'' 5000]] list on several occasions.<ref name="Inc">{{cite web |url=http://www.inc.com/inc5000/ |title=Inc. 5000 2015: The Fastest-Growing Private U.S. Companies, At a Glance|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=www.Inc.com |publisher=[[Inc. (magazine)|''Inc.'']] |accessdate=14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="CNBC">{{cite news | last=Firer| first=Oleg| title =Which Company Racked Up a Growth Rate of 23,646 Percent?| newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = [[CNBC]]| date =24 August 2012 | url =http://www.cnbc.com/id/48782069| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> Wolfe has appeared on the [[MSNBC]] program, ''[[Morning Joe]]''<ref name="Joe"/> and has been profiled in ''[[Entrepreneur (magazine)|Entrepreneur]]''<ref name="Entre"/> and ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]''<ref name="Fortune">{{cite news | last=Wally| first=Maxine| title =Pittsburgh's comeback kid | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]''| date =7 November 2014 | url =http://fortune.com/2014/11/07/tech-star-jason-wolfe-giftcardscom/| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> (among other publications).<ref name="BBC"/> In 2015, Wolfe was awarded a Diamond Award from the ''[[Pittsburgh Business Times]]''<ref name="PBTDiamond">{{cite news | last=Kindler| first=D.H.| title =2015 Diamond Awards: Jason Wolfe| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Business Times]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =24 April 2015 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/print-edition/2015/04/24/2015-diamond-awards-jason-wolfe.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> and named Tech CEO of the Year by the ''Pittsburgh Tech Council''.<ref name="CEOofYear">{{cite news|last1=Nixon|first1=Alex|title=Entrepreneur Wolfe of GiftCards.com named Tech 50 CEO of the Year|url=http://triblive.com/business/headlines/9327748-74/wolfe-com-gift|accessdate=2 March 2016|publisher=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review|date=30 October 2015}}</ref>
'''Jason Wolfe''' is an [[United States|American]] [[businessman]] and [[Entrepreneurship|entrepreneur]] who is the founder and [[CEO]] of several companies, including Gift Card Granny and [[GiftCards.com]],<ref name="Entre">{{cite news | last=Weiss| first=Geoff| title =Orphaned and Homeless, How This Self-Taught Techie Founded a Multi-Million Dollar Empire | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = ''[[Entrepreneur (magazine)|Entrepreneur]]''| date =14 July 2014 | url =http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235585| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite news | last=Gittleson| first=Kim| title =GiftCards.com boss: From orphanage to entrepreneur| newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = [[BBC]]| date =23 July 2014 | url =http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28409603| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> largest online retailer of gift cards.<ref name="BBC"/><ref name="Joe">{{cite video |people=[[Mika Brzezinski]] (host), [[Joe Scarborough]] (host), [[Thomas Roberts (television journalist)|Thomas Roberts]] (host), Jason Wolfe (interviewee) |date=28 July 2014 |title=Overcoming the Odds |url=http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/from-orphanage-to-entrepreneur-312894019935 |format= |medium= |language= |publisher=''[[Morning Joe]]'' |location= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate=14 October 2015|time= |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= |ref= }}</ref><ref name="PTRNiche">{{cite news | last=Fleisher| first=Chris| title =GiftCards.com of Green Tree carves out niche online| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =9 March 2015 | url =http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7933175-74/cards-com-gift| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="Inc">{{cite web |url=http://www.inc.com/inc5000/ |title=Inc. 5000 2015: The Fastest-Growing Private U.S. Companies, At a Glance|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=www.Inc.com |publisher=[[Inc. (magazine)|''Inc.'']] |accessdate=14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="CNBC">{{cite news | last=Firer| first=Oleg| title =Which Company Racked Up a Growth Rate of 23,646 Percent?| newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = [[CNBC]]| date =24 August 2012 | url =http://www.cnbc.com/id/48782069| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref>
Wolfe has appeared on the [[MSNBC]] program, ''[[Morning Joe]]''<ref name="Joe"/> and has been profiled in ''[[Entrepreneur (magazine)|Entrepreneur]]''<ref name="Entre"/> and ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]''<ref name="Fortune">{{cite news | last=Wally| first=Maxine| title =Pittsburgh's comeback kid | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]''| date =7 November 2014 | url =http://fortune.com/2014/11/07/tech-star-jason-wolfe-giftcardscom/| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> (among other publications).<ref name="BBC"/> In 2015, Wolfe was awarded a Diamond Award from the ''[[Pittsburgh Business Times]]''<ref name="PBTDiamond">{{cite news | last=Kindler| first=D.H.| title =2015 Diamond Awards: Jason Wolfe| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Business Times]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =24 April 2015 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/print-edition/2015/04/24/2015-diamond-awards-jason-wolfe.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> and named Tech CEO of the Year by the ''Pittsburgh Tech Council''.<ref name="CEOofYear">{{cite news|last1=Nixon|first1=Alex|title=Entrepreneur Wolfe of GiftCards.com named Tech 50 CEO of the Year|url=http://triblive.com/business/headlines/9327748-74/wolfe-com-gift|accessdate=2 March 2016|publisher=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review|date=30 October 2015}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==

Wolfe grew up in a family of three children.<ref name="Entre"/> His father left the family when Wolfe was 4 years old, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings alone.<ref name="Joe"/> Wolfe's mother was disabled and on [[welfare]].<ref name="BBC"/> In 1980 when Wolfe was 10 years old, his mother sent him to the [[Milton Hershey School]], a [[boarding school]] for disadvantaged children in [[Hershey, Pennsylvania|Hershey]], [[Pennsylvania]].<ref name="Joe"/><ref name="PBTDiamond"/> Wolfe graduated from the school in 1987.<ref name="TeamPA">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =Entrepreneur rises above adversity to create three companies | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = Team Pennsylvania Foundation| date =5 November 2013 | url =http://teampa.com/2013/11/entrepreneur-rises-above-adversity-to-create-three-companies/| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> He attributes much of his later business success to the principles he learned at the Hershey School.<ref name="Joe"/>
Wolfe grew up in a family of three children.<ref name="Entre"/> His father left the family when Wolfe was six years old, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings alone.<ref name="Joe"/> Wolfe's mother was disabled and on [[welfare]].<ref name="BBC"/> In 1980 when Wolfe was 10 years old, his mother sent him to the [[Milton Hershey School]], a [[boarding school]] for disadvantaged children in [[Hershey, Pennsylvania|Hershey]], [[Pennsylvania]].<ref name="Joe"/><ref name="PBTDiamond"/> Wolfe graduated from the school in 1987.<ref name="TeamPA">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =Entrepreneur rises above adversity to create three companies | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = Team Pennsylvania Foundation| date =5 November 2013 | url =http://teampa.com/2013/11/entrepreneur-rises-above-adversity-to-create-three-companies/| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> He attributes much of his later business success to the principles he learned at the Hershey School.<ref name="Joe"/>

After graduating from the Hershey School, Wolfe attended [[Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania]].<ref name="Fortune"/> He graduated with a [[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] in [[Marketing]] in 1992.<ref name="PBTDiamond"/><ref name="TeamPA"/> Wolfe spent two years as a whitewater [[rafting]] guide in [[West Virginia]] before deciding to move to [[Pittsburgh]]. Soon after his move in 1994, he was involved in an accident that required him to undergo two spinal surgeries.<ref name="Fortune"/> While recovering, he wound up living out of his car. He taught himself how to code by using books at the local library<ref name="Entre"/> and [[CompUSA]]'s ''Building the Perfect Web'' among others.<ref name="Fortune"/>
After graduating from the Hershey School, Wolfe attended [[Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania]].<ref name="Fortune"/> He graduated with a [[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] in [[Marketing]] in 1992.<ref name="PBTDiamond"/><ref name="TeamPA"/> Wolfe spent two years as a whitewater [[rafting]] guide in [[West Virginia]] before deciding to move to [[Pittsburgh]]. Soon after his move in 1994, he was involved in an accident that required him to undergo two spinal surgeries.<ref name="Fortune"/> While recovering, he wound up living out of his car. He taught himself how to code by using books at the local library<ref name="Entre"/> and [[CompUSA]]'s ''Building the Perfect Web'' among others.<ref name="Fortune"/>

==Career==
==Career==

In 1995, Wolfe founded the first online coupon site, known initially as CouponsDirect.com.<ref name="Fortune"/> The site would eventually be renamed MyCoupons.com. The business provided [[coupons]] for companies. In the first year of operation, MyCoupons only earned around $1,000.<ref name="BBC"/> By 1999, however, the business was garnering over $1 million in annual sales<ref name="Fortune"/> and 20 million page views per month.<ref name="BBC"/> The company also had around 3 million registered members.<ref name="PBTCoupon">{{cite news | last=Spencer| first=Malia| title =MyCoupons.com finds success by tapping into extreme couponing trend| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Business Times]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =26 August 2011 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/print-edition/2011/08/26/mycouponscom-success-extreme-couponing.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> The company was sold to a competitor, Save.com,<ref name="Fortune"/> for roughly $23 million in 2000.<ref name="ClickzCoupon">{{cite news | last=Parker| first=Pamela| title =Save.com Buys Coupon Sites in $23 Million Deal | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = [[ClickZ]]| date =16 May 2000 | url =http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/1700813/savecom-buys-coupon-sites-usd23-million-deal| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="BloomCoupon">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =Save.com Acquires MyCoupons.com and DirectCoupons.com | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = [[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]| date =15 May 2000 | url =http://www.bloomberg.com/article/2000-05-15/atY.yRs0CLr4.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> Because this occurred around the time of the [[dot-com bust]], Wolfe only received about $2 million total from the sale.<ref name="BBC"/> He reacquired MyCoupons.com in 2002.<ref name="PBTCoupon"/>
In 1995, Wolfe founded the first online coupon site, known initially as CouponsDirect.com.<ref name="Fortune"/> The site would eventually be renamed MyCoupons.com. The business provided [[coupons]] for companies. In the first year of operation, MyCoupons only earned around $1,000.<ref name="BBC"/> By 1999, however, the business was garnering over $1 million in annual sales<ref name="Fortune"/> and 20 million page views per month.<ref name="BBC"/> The company also had around 3 million registered members.<ref name="PBTCoupon">{{cite news | last=Spencer| first=Malia| title =MyCoupons.com finds success by tapping into extreme couponing trend| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Business Times]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =26 August 2011 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/print-edition/2011/08/26/mycouponscom-success-extreme-couponing.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> The company was sold to a competitor, Save.com,<ref name="Fortune"/> for roughly $23 million in 2000.<ref name="ClickzCoupon">{{cite news | last=Parker| first=Pamela| title =Save.com Buys Coupon Sites in $23 Million Deal | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = [[ClickZ]]| date =16 May 2000 | url =http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/1700813/savecom-buys-coupon-sites-usd23-million-deal| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="BloomCoupon">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =Save.com Acquires MyCoupons.com and DirectCoupons.com | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = [[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]| date =15 May 2000 | url =http://www.bloomberg.com/article/2000-05-15/atY.yRs0CLr4.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> Because this occurred around the time of the [[dot-com bust]], Wolfe only received about $2 million total from the sale.<ref name="BBC"/> He reacquired MyCoupons.com in 2002.<ref name="PBTCoupon"/>

After selling and reacquiring MyCoupons, Wolfe began to build Direct Response Technologies. He also launched DirectTrack, an affiliate tracking technology and platform. By 2006, DirectTrack had tracked tens of billions of impressions and tens of millions of clicks. Wolfe sold Direct Response Technologies, DirectTrack, and DirectCertificate.com to [[Digital River]] in 2006. He repurchased the GiftCards.com domain and rebranded and relaunched the site in 2008.<ref name="PPGGreen">{{cite news | last=Todd| first=Deborah M.| title =Green Tree tech firm planning campaign for gift cards| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =29 May 2014 | url =http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2014/05/30/green-tree-tech-firm-planning-campaign-for-gift-cards/201405280150| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="TeamPA"/><ref name="BW">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =Digital River Acquires Direct Response Technologies; Expands Affiliate and E-Marketing Capabilities | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher =[[Business Wire]]| date =25 January 2006 | url =http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060125005692/en/Digital-River-Acquires-Direct-Response-Technologies-Expands#.Vg9Hg5c97fY| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="PRTrack">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =The PrimaryAds Network, Powered by DirectTrack, Signs Letter of Intent to be Acquired by CGI Holdings Corporation - Now Known as the Think Partnership, Inc. | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher =[[PR Newswire]]| date =10 March 2005 | url =http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-primaryads-network-powered-by-directtrack-signs-letter-of-intent-to-be-acquired-by-cgi-holdings-corporation---now-known-as-the-think-partnership-inc-54207257.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> He also relaunched MyCoupons.com in 2007. Both companies became subsidiaries of Wolfe, LLC, a [[holding company]] that Wolfe founded in 2007. Other subsidiaries that are part of Wolfe, LLC include Omni Prepaid and Swapagift.com.<ref name="PBTCoupon"/><ref name="BloomWolfe">{{cite web |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=109276163 |title=Company Overview of Wolfe, LLC|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=www.Bloomberg.com |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |accessdate=14 October 2015}}</ref>
After selling and reacquiring MyCoupons, Wolfe began to build Direct Response Technologies. Its flagship product was DirectTrack, an affiliate tracking technology and platform. By 2006, DirectTrack had tracked billions of impressions and tens of millions of clicks per month. Wolfe sold Direct Response Technologies and DirectTrack to [[Digital River]] in 2006. He repurchased the GiftCards.com domain and rebranded and relaunched the site in 2008.<ref name="PPGGreen">{{cite news | last=Todd| first=Deborah M.| title =Green Tree tech firm planning campaign for gift cards| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =29 May 2014 | url =http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2014/05/30/green-tree-tech-firm-planning-campaign-for-gift-cards/201405280150| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="TeamPA"/><ref name="BW">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =Digital River Acquires Direct Response Technologies; Expands Affiliate and E-Marketing Capabilities | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher =[[Business Wire]]| date =25 January 2006 | url =http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060125005692/en/Digital-River-Acquires-Direct-Response-Technologies-Expands#.Vg9Hg5c97fY| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="PRTrack">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =The PrimaryAds Network, Powered by DirectTrack, Signs Letter of Intent to be Acquired by CGI Holdings Corporation - Now Known as the Think Partnership, Inc. | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher =[[PR Newswire]]| date =10 March 2005 | url =http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-primaryads-network-powered-by-directtrack-signs-letter-of-intent-to-be-acquired-by-cgi-holdings-corporation---now-known-as-the-think-partnership-inc-54207257.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> He also relaunched MyCoupons.com in 2007. Both companies became subsidiaries of Wolfe, LLC, a [[holding company]] that Wolfe founded in 2007. Other subsidiaries that are part of Wolfe, LLC include Omni Prepaid and Swapagift.com.<ref name="PBTCoupon"/><ref name="BloomWolfe">{{cite web |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=109276163 |title=Company Overview of Wolfe, LLC|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=www.Bloomberg.com |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |accessdate=14 October 2015}}</ref>

In 2009, GiftCards.com recorded $44 million in sales.<ref name="PTRNiche">{{cite news | last=Fleisher| first=Chris| title =GiftCards.com of Green Tree carves out niche online| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =9 March 2015 | url =http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7933175-74/cards-com-gift| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> In 2011, MyCoupons was earning 2 million page views per month and maintained a network of 6,000 to 8,000 retailers across the United States.<ref name="PBTCoupon"/> In 2015, GiftCards.com sold its 6 millionth gift card.<ref name="PBT6Mil">{{cite news | last=Tascarella| first=Patty| title =GiftCards.com sells 6 millionth gift card| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Business Times]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =10 February 2015 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/morning-edition/2015/02/giftcards-com-sells-6-millionth-gift-card.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> The company is currently owned by [[Blackhawk Network Holdings]] after its purchase of the retailer in 2016.<ref name="SIndiserPurchase">{{cite news|title=Blackhawk Network (HAWK) Announces Acquisition of GiftCards.com|url=http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Blackhawk+Network+%28HAWK%29+Announces+Acquisition+of+GiftCards.com/11199166.html|accessdate=31 March 2016|publisher=Street Insider|date=6 January 2016}}</ref>
In 2009, GiftCards.com recorded $44 million in sales.<ref name="PTRNiche">{{cite news | last=Fleisher| first=Chris| title =GiftCards.com of Green Tree carves out niche online| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =9 March 2015 | url =http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7933175-74/cards-com-gift| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> In 2011, MyCoupons was earning 2 million page views per month and maintained a network of 6,000 to 8,000 retailers across the United States.<ref name="PBTCoupon"/> In 2013, Wolfe purchased the website Gift Card Granny<ref name="DC">{{cite news | last=Carman| first=Lindsey| title =Gift Card Granny: A Trusted Marketplace for Discount Gift Cards That Makes Consumers and Retailers Happy | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher =Deal Crunch| date =24 June 2016 | url =http://www.dealcrunch.com/blog/gift-card-grannys-trusted-marketplace-makes-consumers-and-retailers-happy/| accessdate =31 January 2017}}</ref> and after GiftCards.com was acquired in early 2016 by [[Blackhawk Network Holdings]], Wolfe became Gift Card Granny's [[CEO]].<ref name="PPG01">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =Business briefs: Good results for O’Hara firm’s concussion-testing device | newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher =| date =16 December 2016 | url =http://www.post-gazette.com/business/news-briefs/2016/12/16/Business-briefs-Good-results-for-O-Hara-firm-s-concussion-testing-device.html| accessdate =31 January 2017}}</ref> In December 2016, Wolfe moved the company to [[Green Tree, Pennsylvania]] (a Pittsburgh suburb) to the same facility that had earlier housed GiftCards.com.<ref name="PPG01"/><ref name="CU">{{cite news | last=| first=| title =Gift Card Granny Moves into Green Tree Building as Pittsburgh’s Newest Startup | newspaper =| location = | pages = | language = | publisher =''[[Computer User]]''| date =17 December 2016 | url =http://www.computeruser.com/gift-card-granny-moves-into-green-tree-building-as-pittsburghs-newest-startup.html| accessdate =31 January 2017}}</ref>

==Recognition and awards==
==Recognition and awards==

Wolfe has been nominated for and won numerous awards throughout his career. [[Ernst & Young]] named him the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia region.<ref name="PennLive">{{cite news | last=Kiner| first=Deb| title =Milton Hershey School names 1987 grad as alumnus of the year| newspaper =[[The Patriot-News]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =28 April 2014 | url =http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/04/milton_hershey_school_1987_gra.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> In 2013, he was given the Pennsylvania Governor's ImPAct Award in the Entrepreneur category.<ref name="TeamPA"/> In 2014, he was named the Milton Hershey School's "Alumnus of the Year."<ref name="PennLive"/> In 2015, the ''Pittsburgh Business Times'' honored Wolfe with a Diamond award.<ref name="PBTDiamond"/> In 2015, Wolfe was named Tech CEO of the Year by the Pittsburgh Tech Council.<ref name="PPGTech">{{cite news | last=Todd| first=Deborah M.| title =Pittsburgh Tech Council announces Tech 50 finalists| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =10 August 2015 | url =http://www.post-gazette.com/business/tech-news/2015/08/10/Pittsburgh-Tech-Council-announces-Tech-50-finalists-of-2015/stories/201508100125| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="CEOofYear"/>
Wolfe has been nominated for and won numerous awards throughout his career. [[Ernst & Young]] named him the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia region.<ref name="PennLive">{{cite news | last=Kiner| first=Deb| title =Milton Hershey School names 1987 grad as alumnus of the year| newspaper =[[The Patriot-News]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =28 April 2014 | url =http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/04/milton_hershey_school_1987_gra.html| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref> In 2013, he was given the Pennsylvania Governor's ImPAct Award in the Entrepreneur category.<ref name="TeamPA"/> In 2014, he was named the Milton Hershey School's "Alumnus of the Year."<ref name="PennLive"/> In 2015, the ''Pittsburgh Business Times'' honored Wolfe with a Diamond award.<ref name="PBTDiamond"/> In 2015, Wolfe was named Tech CEO of the Year by the Pittsburgh Tech Council.<ref name="PPGTech">{{cite news | last=Todd| first=Deborah M.| title =Pittsburgh Tech Council announces Tech 50 finalists| newspaper =[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =10 August 2015 | url =http://www.post-gazette.com/business/tech-news/2015/08/10/Pittsburgh-Tech-Council-announces-Tech-50-finalists-of-2015/stories/201508100125| accessdate =14 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="CEOofYear"/>

==References==
==References==

{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.wolfe.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.wolfe.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.giftcards.com/ GiftCards.com Official Website]
* [http://www.giftcards.com/ GiftCards.com Official Website]
* [https://www.mycoupons.com/ MyCoupons Official Website]
* [https://www.mycoupons.com/ MyCoupons Official Website]

[[Category:Businesspeople from Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:People from Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:American business executives]]
[[Category:American business executives]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Revision as of 06:06, 1 February 2017

Jason Wolfe
EducationBachelor of Science in Marketing
Alma materBloomsburg University ('92)
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forFounder, GiftCards.com, Gift Card Granny, Direct Response Technologies, MyCoupons
WebsiteOfficial Website

Jason Wolfe is an American businessman and entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of several companies, including Gift Card Granny and GiftCards.com,[1][2] largest online retailer of gift cards.[2][3][4][5][6]

Wolfe has appeared on the MSNBC program, Morning Joe[3] and has been profiled in Entrepreneur[1] and Fortune[7] (among other publications).[2] In 2015, Wolfe was awarded a Diamond Award from the Pittsburgh Business Times[8] and named Tech CEO of the Year by the Pittsburgh Tech Council.[9]

Early life and education

Wolfe grew up in a family of three children.[1] His father left the family when Wolfe was six years old, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings alone.[3] Wolfe's mother was disabled and on welfare.[2] In 1980 when Wolfe was 10 years old, his mother sent him to the Milton Hershey School, a boarding school for disadvantaged children in Hershey, Pennsylvania.[3][8] Wolfe graduated from the school in 1987.[10] He attributes much of his later business success to the principles he learned at the Hershey School.[3]

After graduating from the Hershey School, Wolfe attended Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.[7] He graduated with a B.S. in Marketing in 1992.[8][10] Wolfe spent two years as a whitewater rafting guide in West Virginia before deciding to move to Pittsburgh. Soon after his move in 1994, he was involved in an accident that required him to undergo two spinal surgeries.[7] While recovering, he wound up living out of his car. He taught himself how to code by using books at the local library[1] and CompUSA's Building the Perfect Web among others.[7]

Career

In 1995, Wolfe founded the first online coupon site, known initially as CouponsDirect.com.[7] The site would eventually be renamed MyCoupons.com. The business provided coupons for companies. In the first year of operation, MyCoupons only earned around $1,000.[2] By 1999, however, the business was garnering over $1 million in annual sales[7] and 20 million page views per month.[2] The company also had around 3 million registered members.[11] The company was sold to a competitor, Save.com,[7] for roughly $23 million in 2000.[12][13] Because this occurred around the time of the dot-com bust, Wolfe only received about $2 million total from the sale.[2] He reacquired MyCoupons.com in 2002.[11]

After selling and reacquiring MyCoupons, Wolfe began to build Direct Response Technologies. Its flagship product was DirectTrack, an affiliate tracking technology and platform. By 2006, DirectTrack had tracked billions of impressions and tens of millions of clicks per month. Wolfe sold Direct Response Technologies and DirectTrack to Digital River in 2006. He repurchased the GiftCards.com domain and rebranded and relaunched the site in 2008.[14][10][15][16] He also relaunched MyCoupons.com in 2007. Both companies became subsidiaries of Wolfe, LLC, a holding company that Wolfe founded in 2007. Other subsidiaries that are part of Wolfe, LLC include Omni Prepaid and Swapagift.com.[11][17]

In 2009, GiftCards.com recorded $44 million in sales.[4] In 2011, MyCoupons was earning 2 million page views per month and maintained a network of 6,000 to 8,000 retailers across the United States.[11] In 2013, Wolfe purchased the website Gift Card Granny[18] and after GiftCards.com was acquired in early 2016 by Blackhawk Network Holdings, Wolfe became Gift Card Granny's CEO.[19] In December 2016, Wolfe moved the company to Green Tree, Pennsylvania (a Pittsburgh suburb) to the same facility that had earlier housed GiftCards.com.[19][20]

Recognition and awards

Wolfe has been nominated for and won numerous awards throughout his career. Ernst & Young named him the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia region.[21] In 2013, he was given the Pennsylvania Governor's ImPAct Award in the Entrepreneur category.[10] In 2014, he was named the Milton Hershey School's "Alumnus of the Year."[21] In 2015, the Pittsburgh Business Times honored Wolfe with a Diamond award.[8] In 2015, Wolfe was named Tech CEO of the Year by the Pittsburgh Tech Council.[22][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Weiss, Geoff (14 July 2014). "Orphaned and Homeless, How This Self-Taught Techie Founded a Multi-Million Dollar Empire". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 14 October 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Gittleson, Kim (23 July 2014). "GiftCards.com boss: From orphanage to entrepreneur". BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e Mika Brzezinski (host), Joe Scarborough (host), Thomas Roberts (host), Jason Wolfe (interviewee) (28 July 2014). Overcoming the Odds. Morning Joe. Retrieved 14 October 2015. {{cite AV media}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b Fleisher, Chris (9 March 2015). "GiftCards.com of Green Tree carves out niche online". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Inc. 5000 2015: The Fastest-Growing Private U.S. Companies, At a Glance". www.Inc.com. Inc. Retrieved 14 October 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Firer, Oleg (24 August 2012). "Which Company Racked Up a Growth Rate of 23,646 Percent?". CNBC. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Wally, Maxine (7 November 2014). "Pittsburgh's comeback kid". Fortune. Retrieved 14 October 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ a b c d Kindler, D.H. (24 April 2015). "2015 Diamond Awards: Jason Wolfe". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  9. ^ a b Nixon, Alex (30 October 2015). "Entrepreneur Wolfe of GiftCards.com named Tech 50 CEO of the Year". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d "Entrepreneur rises above adversity to create three companies". Team Pennsylvania Foundation. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d Spencer, Malia (26 August 2011). "MyCoupons.com finds success by tapping into extreme couponing trend". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  12. ^ Parker, Pamela (16 May 2000). "Save.com Buys Coupon Sites in $23 Million Deal". ClickZ. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Save.com Acquires MyCoupons.com and DirectCoupons.com". Bloomberg. 15 May 2000. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  14. ^ Todd, Deborah M. (29 May 2014). "Green Tree tech firm planning campaign for gift cards". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Digital River Acquires Direct Response Technologies; Expands Affiliate and E-Marketing Capabilities". Business Wire. 25 January 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  16. ^ "The PrimaryAds Network, Powered by DirectTrack, Signs Letter of Intent to be Acquired by CGI Holdings Corporation - Now Known as the Think Partnership, Inc". PR Newswire. 10 March 2005. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Company Overview of Wolfe, LLC". www.Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  18. ^ Carman, Lindsey (24 June 2016). "Gift Card Granny: A Trusted Marketplace for Discount Gift Cards That Makes Consumers and Retailers Happy". Deal Crunch. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  19. ^ a b "Business briefs: Good results for O'Hara firm's concussion-testing device". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  20. ^ "Gift Card Granny Moves into Green Tree Building as Pittsburgh's Newest Startup". Computer User. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2017. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ a b Kiner, Deb (28 April 2014). "Milton Hershey School names 1987 grad as alumnus of the year". The Patriot-News. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  22. ^ Todd, Deborah M. (10 August 2015). "Pittsburgh Tech Council announces Tech 50 finalists". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
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