Blaine Vess

Blaine Vess

Y Combinator Logo Batch: S17

Achievements

  • Founded Student Brands in college, grew it to $100M+ revenue
  • Sold Student Brands to Barnes & Noble Education for $58.5M in 2017
  • Founded Solve, an airport concierge, part of Y Combinator Summer 2017, acquired by Blacklane in the same year
  • Created Immeasurable, a family office investing in early-stage startups for impact
  • Produced docs 'Beyond Utopia' and 'XY Chelsea', supporting philanthropy efforts
  • Active in philanthropy, supporting Liberty in North Korea and helping defectors

Vibing with Blaine Vess

Here’s why you should know about Blaine Vess. This guy’s the real deal. Started all the way back in his college dorm (no cap, 1999) with Student Brands, originally OPPapers.com. Dude basically built it from nothing into a giant network of educational sites that pulled in over a hundred mil in revenue. Then, Barnes & Noble Education snatched it up for like 58.5 million in 2017. That’s some serious hustle right there.

But he didn’t stop. Blaine jumped into other ventures, founded Solve, an airport concierge service, which was part of YC’s Summer 2017 batch. And boom, that got acquired by Blacklane in the same year. The guy clearly knows how to build and sell companies fast. He’s not just chasing fame, he’s all about creating real value.

What’s wild is his next move, he started Immeasurable, a family office that’s all about investing in early-stage startups and helping founders make a positive impact. So, it’s like he’s taking all that startup grit and turning it toward something bigger, using money and influence to do good, not just make bank.

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And he’s super involved in philanthropy too. He supports Liberty in North Korea, helping defectors get a fresh start, and has served as an executive producer on docs like ‘Beyond Utopia’ and ‘XY Chelsea’. The dude’s all about making a difference globally, not just playing in the tech sandbox.

Plus, he’s a member of Founders Pledge, pushing entrepreneurs and investors to give back. His career started in media and web dev at places like New Line Cinema and Technotribe, so he’s got that media and digital background that obviously fuels his ventures.

Bottom line? Blaine Vess is someone who’s crushed it in startup land, sold big, and now uses his experience to invest and give back. He’s the embodiment of building for impact, not just for the bag. The kind of guy who’s still hungry to do more, and you can tell he genuinely cares about leaving a mark. That’s why he’s so important, he’s proof that with hustle and purpose, you can build something huge and actually make the world better.

Founder ID: 106566

Industries

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