Mark Suster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Suster
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| Born | April 30, 1968 |
| Education | University of Chicago (M.B.A.) University of California at San Diego (B.A.) |
| Occupation | Businessman, investor |
| Spouse(s) | Tania Suster |
| Children | 2 |
Mark Suster, born on April 30, 1968, is an American businessman and investor. He is a top leader at Upfront Ventures. This is a big company in Los Angeles that invests money in new businesses. Besides his work, Suster also writes a popular blog. His blog is about new technology companies and how people invest in them.
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Mark Suster's Career
Starting New Businesses
In 1999, Mark Suster started his first company. It was called BuildOnline. This company helped people in construction work together using technology. He was the chief executive officer, which means he was in charge. In 2006, BuildOnline joined with another company called Citadon.
By September 2006, Suster had already started a second company. This one was named Koral. Koral helped people work together on digital content. In 2007, a larger company called Salesforce.com bought Koral. After the sale, Suster became a Vice President at Salesforce.com. He helped manage their products.
Investing in Companies
Suster joined Upfront Ventures in 2007. This company invests money in new and growing businesses. In 2009, Suster also started Launchpad LA. This program helps new companies get started.
At Upfront Ventures, Suster helped invest in many companies. Some of these include Ring, which makes smart doorbells, and Bird, which offers electric scooters. He also invested in Invoca, ThreadUp, MakeSpace, mitu, Nanit, Osmo, and Tact. Osmo makes fun learning games for kids.
Suster also helped fund Maker Studios. This company worked with online video creators. Disney later bought Maker Studios in 2014. He was also an early investor in TrueCar. This company helps people shop for cars online. TrueCar became a public company in 2014. Mark Suster has shared that he sometimes turned down investments in companies that later became very successful, like Uber.
Thoughts on the Business World
In early 2023, Suster talked about how much money was available for new companies. He said that this extra money was helping many startups stay in business. He also mentioned that about half of the 5,000 early-stage companies Upfront Ventures had funded since 2019 were at risk. They might go out of business.
Later in March 2023, Suster asked investors to stay calm. This was when people were worried about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. He suggested that a few investors were causing panic.
Upfront Summit
Suster and Upfront Ventures host a special event each year. It is called the Upfront Summit. This event is only for invited guests. It brings together more than 1,000 people who invest in new businesses. The summit has been held in famous places like Paramount Studios and the Dolby Theatre.
Upfront Ventures and Suster have been involved in lawsuits. These lawsuits were brought by companies like Loot Crate and Maker Studios.
About Mark Suster's Life
Mark Suster grew up in Northern California. He is a citizen of both the United Kingdom and the United States. His family has Romanian Jewish roots.
Suster went to the University of California, San Diego. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics there. Later, he received his MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
In 2014, Suster was diagnosed with ADHD. Since then, he has openly talked and written about it. He shares how he uses his business skills to help him manage his ADHD.
Mark Suster is married and has two children.
