Nate Martin
Nate Martin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nathan Burk Martin |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | CEO |
| Website | http://www.puzzlebreak.com |
Nate Martin (born 13 January 1983) is an American entrepreneur, game designer, and software executive. He graduated from the DigiPen Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Real-Time Interactive Simulation and Computer Science.[1] He is most well known as the Co-Founder & CEO of Puzzle Break, the first American room escape company[2] and has been called the founding father of escape rooms in the United States.[3]
Career
Software
In 2006, Martin started at Microsoft in the Windows team. Before leaving in 2013, he worked as a software engineer and program manager on dozens of products including Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows 8.1. [4]
Martin joined Electronic Arts as a Senior Product Manager in 2013 to help run the Global Online Services organization. During his time at EA, he worked on several critically acclaimed games including Battlefield 4[5], Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, and Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Puzzle Break
In August of 2013, Martin and Dr. Lindsay Morse co-founded Puzzle Break, the first escape room company headquartered in the United States. Based in Seattle, Puzzle Break was started with an initial self-investment from Martin of just $7,000.[6] Under Martin’s leadership, Puzzle Break has opened locations in Seattle, San Francisco, Long Island, and on several Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Puzzle Break’s revenue in 2016 was over $1,000,000.[7]
Media
Martin is a frequent lecturer and podcast guest on the topics of escape rooms, interactive entertainment, and entrepreneurship. His interviews have appeared in the New York Times[8], Entrepreneur Magazine[9], MarketWatch, and countless other periodicals. He appeared on MSNBC’s Your Business where he was referred to as the founding father of escape rooms. In 2017, he spoke on the future of experiential storytelling at the Sundance Film Festival.[10]
References
- ^ "Graduate Entrepreneur Brings People and Puzzles Together - News & Events - DigiPen Institute of Technology". News & Events - DigiPen Institute of Technology. 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ "Thoughts and lessons 1 year after co-founding Puzzle Break, a live-action escape-the-room game in Seattle and San Francisco. • r/Entrepreneur". reddit. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ "How Novelty Businesses Can Succeed | OPEN Forum". www.americanexpress.com. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ "IAmA Nate Martin, Co-Founder & CEO of Puzzle Break, the first American-based Escape Room company. Let's talk about locking strangers in rooms & video games IRL. • r/IAmA". reddit. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ "Nate Martin Video Game Credits and Biography - MobyGames". MobyGames. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ Shaw, Sally French, Jessica Marmor. "The unbelievably lucrative business of escape rooms". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "From working at Microsoft & EA to leaving and building Puzzle Break". Escape The 9 to 5 Grind. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ Glusac, Elaine (2016-08-05). "When 'Get Out!' Is Just a Game". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ Halpern, Ashlea (2016-12-05). "How To Make Money In Trendy Businesses-And Survive When The Trend Ends". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ "How escape rooms and live theater are paving the way for VR". The Verge. 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2017-03-17.