1. Alex Mashinsky is the founder of eight startups and three unicorns, has raised more than $1.5B with over $3B+ in exits, 50+ patents, and now leads the Celsius team with over $25B in crypto assets.
2. Early proponent of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology. But, “it took about five years of struggling” to convince people his idea was right, before he was able to raise $130 million and take the company (Arbinet) public.
3. “Tenacity is just as important as inspiration.” As a Transit Wireless founder, he helped to bring wireless service to all 277 underground subway stations in NY.
4. He started a company called GroundLink in 2003, a profitable company, “and then Uber came and just ate our lunch.” Groundlink’s vision was that happy drivers = happy customers while Uber was subsidizing rides.
5. Raised in Ukraine, he migrated to Israel with his parents and was called to duty when he was 18. At some point in his young life, he decided to move to New York, with just a few dollars in his pocket and never left.
6. As a kid, he would skip school and run to the junkyards and buy all kinds of old equipment or military equipment. He accumulated a lot of technical skills which a lot of kids do these days just by programming and playing with computers.
7. With his wife Krissy Mashinsky, leading USA Strong, they are reintroducing Americans to USA-made products by making it easy to buy from American brands.
Alex with wife, Krissy Mashinsky. Credit: Adam Hills.
8. Steve Jobs said: People don’t know what they want until you show it to them”. Alex said in 2017: “Yield is the killer app for blockchain”.
9. His first book will be released this year and it’s called: The Mashinsky Method: Unbank Yourself and Earn Financial Freedom.
10. Alex loves kitesurfing.
In Texas, during SxSW, you (probably) won’t see Alex kitesurfing. But you will see some of the best programming at Grit Daily House, the media house that runs March 10-15. Day one, March 10, features Celsius Network, and top interviews with entrepreneurs from Austin along with the Celsius team and media from Axios, Insider, TechCrunch, Forbes, and of course, Grit Daily. Chef and Austinite Adrian Davila will be grilling, along with Ozzy Barajas, Austin bartender, with Austin EastCiders, Mondavi Wine, and thematic drinks on tap.
Tickets to Grit Daily House are gratis/free and available here.
