Sam Yagan

Sam Yagan
Born April 10, 1977
Nationality American
Alma mater Harvard University
Stanford University
Occupation Co-founder of OkCupid
Co-founder of SparkNotes
CEO of Match.com
Years active 1999–present
Spouse(s) Jessica Droste Yagan (m. 2003)
Parent(s) Al Yagan
Dr. Haifa Yagan

Sam Yagan is an American Internet entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of OkCupid.[1] In 2013, he was named to TIME Magazine's '100 Most Influential People in the World' list[1] He is currently the CEO of the e-dating site Match.com.[2]

Early life and education

The son of Syrian immigrants, Al and Dr. Haifa Yagan,[3] [4] Sam was instilled with an entrepreneur trait at a young age. Growing up in Bourbonnais, Illinois Yagan studied at Illinois Math and Science Academy and eventually Harvard University. Yagan holds a Bachelors Degree in Applied Mathematics and Economic from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University.[5]

Career

SparkNotes

In 1999 during his senior year at Harvard, Yagan and two of his classmates, Chris Coyne and Max Krohn, started the online study guide SparkNotes.[6] Christian Rudder joined shortly after the founding. A year later they sold the company to Barnes and Nobles for $3.5 million.[7]

eDonkey, Inc.

By age 25 Yagan was the president of eDonkey (founded in 2002), a P2P file-sharing network. As the developer of eDonkey, Yagan testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee expressing a need for balance between innovation and intellectual property.[8]

OkCupid

In 2003 Yagan again teamed up with his Harvard classmates, Chris Coyne and Max Krohn and founded OkCupid.

Excelerate Labs

In 2009 Yagan and Troy Henikoff founded Excelerate Labs.[9]

IAC

In 2011 Yagan sold his dating website to IAC and in 2012 Yagan became the CEO of Match.com (a subsidiary of IAC[7] ).

Honors and Recognition

Time 100

In April 2013 Yagan was listed as one of TIME Magazine's '100 Most Influential People in the World'.[1]

Crain's "40 Under 40"

In 2011 Yagan was named to Crain's 40 under 40" in Chicago.[10]

Personal life

Sam Yagan is married to his high school sweetheart, Jessica Droste Yagan.[11][12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Time 100 - Sam Yagan". Time Magazine. April 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ Pletz, John (April 18, 2013). "Sam I am". Crain's Chicago Business.
  3. ↑ "Yagan's influence no illusion". The Daily Journal. December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Time magazine ranks Bourbonnais' Sam Yagan among 100 most influential people". The Daily Journal. April 2013.
  5. ↑ "Executive Profile: Sam Yagan". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg.
  6. ↑ Aucoin, Don (August 2007). "Digital Man". Boston Globe.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Confessions of a Former Entrepreneur". Inc. Magazine. July–August 2011.
  8. ↑ "Testimony of Sam Yagan". United States Senate Judiciary Committee. Retrieved September 2005.
  9. ↑ Casserly, Meghan. "Excelerate Labs". Forbes. Retrieved Jan 2012.
  10. ↑ " "40 under 40". Crain's Chicago Business. 2011.
  11. ↑ Kapos, Shia (February 11, 2013). "Married to their high school sweethearts". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Jessica Droste Yagan '95 and Sam Yagan '95 Step Up for IMSA". IMSA360. November 6, 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2014.

External links