Frank Gruber is a CEO, entrepreneur, new media journalist, speaker, startup advisor, and investor. He’s the author of Startup Mixology: Tech Cocktail’s Guide To Building, Growing, and Celebrating Startup Success published by Wiley. In 2006 he co-founded Tech.Co (formerly Tech Cocktail) which was acquired by MVF Global in January 2018.
Before his Tech.Co success, he launched products for the masses while at AOL and Tribune where he built and led product development efforts. In 2018, he co-founded Established, to assist organizations with strategy and innovation programs working with clients like NASA, USAF, Capital One, and more. Established also manages the Startup of the Year community and program which provides a unique opportunity for startups to build relationships, connect with mentors, and gain exposure.
Gruber invests in startups from the program through Established Ventures. He’s also a Venture Partner at NextGen VP. An early blogger and one of the first contributors to TechCrunch, Frank has interviewed some of the most noteworthy thought-leaders from some of the most successful businesses in history. He currently hosts two podcasts, Somewhat Frank and Startup of the Year Podcast. Frank has shared his startup lessons, and philosophies as a keynote speaker at SXSW, TEDx, CES, NASA, and more as well as an entertaining host, emcee, and interviewer at hundreds of events both online and off.
Frank was nominated for 2014 Entrepreneur of Year in Nevada, honored as a “Washingtonian Tech Titan” in Washington, DC in 2009, 2011, and 2013, and was named by Forbes as one of the most connected people in tech. His alma maters include Purdue and Northwestern respectively.
As a former collegiate athlete, Frank believes in hard work, but also knows the importance of work-life balance. He enjoys getting outside and being active, loves nature, swimming, strumming his guitar, taking photos, and watching live music and sports – especially the Chicago Cubs.
You can find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Clubhouse: @FrankGruber