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User:BINK Robin/Draft:Ben Lerer

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Ben Lerer
Born1980 or 1981 (age 43–44)
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania
OccupationInvestor
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

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Lerer 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

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After 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

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Lerer 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

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Lerer 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

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Lerer 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

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Lerer lives with his wife and children in New York City.[1]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Pressler, Jessica (January 10, 2014). "Our Congenial Web Overlords". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  4. ^ Neves, Antonio (November 12, 2014). "Before He Built a Lifestyle Brand, Ben Lerer Bussed Tables". Inc. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  5. ^ Tate, Ryan (August 18, 2014). "The Newsletter That Became a $100M Business Selling Stuff to Dudes". Wired. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  6. ^ Lazar, Shira (August 21, 2012). "Thrillist's Ben Lerer on his Success as a Young Trep". Entrepreneur. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Spangler, Todd (October 14, 2016). "Can Ben Lerer Turn Discovery-Backed Digital Roll-Up Into the Next Vice?". Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ a b Hall, Christine (September 20, 2022). "Lerer Hippeau closes $230M across two new funds; Ben Lerer is back". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  10. ^ "The Daily Startup: Lerer Hippeau Ventures Has New Name, New Fund". The Wall Street Journal. June 25, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Delargy, Christine (October 22, 2015). "Meet Ben Lerer, co-founder of Thrillist Media Group". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Ben Lerer". Big Think. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  14. ^ Solomon, Benjamin (July 8, 2013). "Thrillist's Ben Lerer". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
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