Brian Wong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian Wong
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Brian Wong c. 2012
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| Born | April 14, 1991 |
| Occupation | Founder and former CEO of Kiip |
Brian Wong, born on April 14, 1991, is a Canadian entrepreneur who works with the internet. In 2010, he helped start a company called Kiip (say "keep"). Kiip created a way for people playing mobile games to earn real-world rewards. These rewards came from different brands and companies when players achieved something in a game.
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Brian Wong's Early Life and Education
Brian Wong grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His parents were from Hong Kong. His dad was an accountant, and his mom was a nurse.
He finished high school very early, at just 14 years old. He skipped several grades at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He then earned his college degree from UBC when he was 18. While in college, Brian started his first company, FollowFormation. This company helped people easily find and follow popular users on Twitter based on different topics.
In 2010, Wong worked for a news website called Digg. He helped create and launch their Android mobile app. After a few months, Digg had some changes and layoffs. Wong left the company, and this experience inspired him to start his own business.
Kiip: Rewards for Gamers
Brian Wong got the idea for Kiip when he was 19 years old. He was on an airplane and saw many people playing games on their iPads. He noticed that the ads in these games often took up space without being very useful.
Wong thought that games were special because they involved "achievements." He wanted to use those moments when players achieved something, like leveling up or getting a high score. His idea was to offer players real rewards at these exact moments. This way, companies could reach people when they were most excited and engaged.
Starting Kiip
In July 2010, Wong teamed up with two friends, Courtney Guertin and Amadeus Demarzi. They had all worked together at Digg. Together, they founded Kiip.
By 2017, Kiip was sending rewards, like coupons, to 100 million people every month. The company had raised over $32 million from different investors. These investors included Relay Ventures, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, True Ventures, Verizon Ventures, and Crosslink Capital.
Kiip's Global Reach
Kiip had offices in many cities around the world. These included San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tokyo, and London.
The company also partnered with more than 40 big brands. Some of these well-known partners included 1-800-Flowers, Amazon.com, American Apparel, Best Buy, Carl's Jr., Disney, Dr. Pepper, GNC, Pepsi, Popchips, Sephora, Victoria's Secret, and Vitamin Water. In 2017, Kiip was expected to make more than $20 million in revenue.
In March 2019, Brian Wong was replaced as CEO of Kiip. Bill Alena, who was Kiip's CRO (Chief Revenue Officer), became the interim CEO.
Brian Wong's Recognitions and Achievements
In 2010, Brian Wong became one of the youngest company leaders to receive funding from a venture capital firm. These firms invest money in new businesses. By the time he was 20 years old, he was called a self-made millionaire.
By 2012, he had spoken at several popular conferences. These included TEDx and South by Southwest. Wong and his company, Kiip, were featured in many global magazines and newspapers. Some of these included Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Inc. Magazine.
In September 2014, Brian Wong was on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine. He was featured as one of the young millionaires who were changing the world. In 2011, Forbes magazine also named him to their "30 Under 30" list for Social/Mobile. This list highlights successful young people in technology.
