Name Blaine Vess Role Internet Entrepreneur | Organizations founded StudyMode | |
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Occupation Co-Founder and CEO of StudyMode, Co-Founder of Four Henrys Productions People also search for Todd Clemens, Chris Nelson, Nick Sommer, Drew Rosas, Evan Murphy, Eric Gerber, Mark Wheaton | ||
Blaine Vess is an American internet entrepreneur and film and television producer.
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Career
Vess founded Student Brands in his college dorm room in 1999 and served as its CEO until 2015. Student Brands had no outside investors and was acquired by Barnes & Noble Education for $58.5 million in cash in August 2017. Vess co-founded and was the CEO of Solve, which was an airport services company that was a part of Y Combinator's Summer 2017 batch.
Vess worked at New Line Cinema as an interactive marketing consultant where he helped market films including Snakes on a Plane and Wedding Crashers. Vess co-created and produced the television series I'm Married to a... on VH1 and has produced films, including I Am Sun Mu, Trophy, and Gook.
Philanthropy
Vess serves as the chairman of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), which provides protection and aid to North Korean refugees hiding in China.
Vess' interest in human rights in North Korea was first sparked by an episode of National Geographic Explorer. He has since traveled to North Korea. In July 2013, Vess screened Liberty in North Korea's documentary, Danny From North Korea, as part of a fundraiser at his home. In 2014, he purchased a $64,000 dram of Macallan scotch at £10 (Ten Pound) in Beverly Hills, with all of the funds being donated to Liberty in North Korea.