Robert Reffkin facts for kids

Robert L. Reffkin is an American entrepreneur. He is best known for co-founding Compass, Inc., a company that uses technology to help people buy and sell homes. He also serves as the CEO of Compass.

Robert Reffkin's Early Life and Education

Robert Reffkin was born in 1979 and grew up in Berkeley, California. His mother, Ruth Reffkin, moved to the United States from Israel when she was seven. She raised Robert, giving him her last name from her first marriage. Robert's father, a jazz musician, passed away when Robert was 11 years old.

Starting a Business Young

When Robert was 15, he started his first business. It was a DJ company, and he used money he had saved from his bar mitzva and from babysitting. He also got involved with the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship, which helps young people learn about starting businesses.

College and Early Career

Robert went to Columbia University. He earned his bachelor's degree in less than two years, graduating in 2000. After college, he worked for a company called McKinsey & Company from 2000 to 2002. He was the youngest analyst they had hired at that time.

He then went back to school at Columbia Business School and earned his MBA in 2003. After that, he worked in investment banking for two years at a company called Lazard.

Public Service and Helping Others

From 2005 to 2006, Robert was a White House Fellow. This is a special program where talented young Americans get to work with top government leaders. Robert worked for the Secretary of the Treasury, John W. Snow.

After his time in government, he returned to investment banking. He worked at Goldman Sachs as a vice president and became chief of staff for the company's president, Gary Cohn.

Founding a Nonprofit

In 2007, Robert started a nonprofit organization called New York Needs You. It's now known as America Needs You. This group helps college students from low-income backgrounds get mentors and support. To raise money for this cause, Robert ran a marathon in each of the 50 states in the United States. He raised $1 million and officially launched the nonprofit in 2009.

Founding Compass, Inc.

In 2012, Robert Reffkin co-founded Compass, Inc. with Ori Allon. He was inspired to start the company by his mother, who worked as a real estate agent. He saw how technology could make the job easier and more successful for agents.

Compass uses technology to help real estate agents. It helps them build their brand, understand market data, and do research. This makes their business more efficient and profitable.

In April 2021, Compass, Inc. became a public company. This means its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. After this, Robert Reffkin was expected to become one of America's youngest Black billionaires. His net worth was about $500 million after the company's public offering.

Writing a Book

In 2021, Robert Reffkin co-wrote a book called No One Succeeds Alone: Learn Everything You Can from Everyone You Can. He worked with Peter Koechley, who helped start the website Upworthy.