Jason Calacanis is an American entrepreneur, angel investor, and podcast host. He has founded several companies and is a well-known figure in Silicon Valley. Calacanis was born on November 28, 1970, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City.
Jason Calacanis started his career in the 1990s as a journalist, covering the technology industry. He worked for several publications, including The Industry Standard, a magazine that covered the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. He also founded Silicon Alley Reporter, a publication that focused on the emerging technology scene in New York City.
In 2003, Calacanis founded Weblogs, Inc., a network of blogs that covered a wide range of topics, including technology, sports, and politics. Weblogs, Inc. was one of the first successful blog networks, and it was eventually sold to AOL for a reported $25 million.
After selling Weblogs, Inc., Calacanis founded several other companies, including Mahalo, a human-powered search engine, and Inside.com, a news aggregator. He also became a prolific angel investor, investing in dozens of startups, including Uber, Robinhood, and Trello.
Calacanis is also a well-known podcast host. He hosts several popular podcasts, including This Week in Startups, a show that features interviews with entrepreneurs and investors, and The All-In Podcast, a show that covers news and trends in the technology industry.
Despite his success, Calacanis has also been a controversial figure. He is known for his outspoken opinions on a wide range of topics, and he has been involved in several public feuds with other entrepreneurs and investors.
In recent years, Calacanis has become increasingly involved in angel investing and startup mentoring. He has launched several programs to help aspiring entrepreneurs, including the Launch Accelerator, a program that provides seed funding and mentorship to early-stage startups.
Overall, Jason Calacanis is a significant figure in the technology industry. His contributions as an entrepreneur, investor, and podcast host have helped shape the industry, and his outspoken personality has made him a polarizing but respected figure.