10 Things You Didn’t Know About Jason Gardner
Jason Gardner is a businessman renowned for his role as the founder and CEO of Marqeta Gardner founded the company in January 2010 and has been dedicated to ensuring that it offers its customers quality services. His company, Marqeta, is an IT service management company that issues cards to clients instantly and processes card payments. Aside from being the CEO of Marqeta, Gardner has also worked in other organizations that focus on IT and finance.
10. He believes in Building on Past Experiences
Jason Garner believes that success is based on building on past experiences. When he launched Marqeta, payment processes had been conducted in the same manner for more than a decade. As an individual who had experience in fintech, he decided to build on his past experiences and create a company that would meet the demand for change in the market. His past experiences contributed to his understanding of the demand in the market and the approaches that could be taken to meet the customers’ needs.
9. Worked at Senator John McCain’s Office
Among some of the earlier jobs that Gardner took up was working as the staff assistant at the office of Senator John McCain. Gardner held this position for nine months between August 1991 and April 1992 before proceeding to other management based organizations. His time and roles at Senator McCain’s office offered him the opportunity to meet influential people that were part of his journey to success.
8. National Accounts Manager
Jason Gardner was the national accounts manager at NetManage Inc. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked as the accounts manager for the company for a year and nine months, between 1995 and 1996. NetManage Inc was a software company that was based in California and had been founded by an Israeli engineer. Working at the software company exposed Gardner to the processes associated with using information technology through its wide range of products, which included OnWeb services.
7. He Compares Entrepreneurship to Addiction
Although he is recognized as a serial entrepreneur, whose contribution to the global market has included his launch of Marqeta and some of the other companies that he founded in the past, Gardner believes that entrepreneurship is an addiction. In an interview published in “Founders Network,” he stated that there are days when entrepreneurs don’t understand how they got so lucky and some days when they seem to have been consumed by a hangover because of the exhaustion associated with the role. He also believes that individuals interested in working as entrepreneurs should also ensure that their teams understand and support their vision.
6. Co-founded PropertyBridge
Jason Garner was one of the founders of PropertyBridge, a company that focused on the multi-family housing industry. PropertyBridge is one of the leading electronic payment services that was created to ease payment processes for homes buyers and sellers. Gardner and his partners founded the company in 2004 and Garners was appointed the CEO. He worked as the CEO of the company from May 2004 to October 2007, which was approximately three years and six months. He resigned from the position when MoneyGram International and PropertyBridge formed an agreement meant to bring the services of PropertyBridge closer to MoneyGram International clients. It was later reported that MoneyGram had paid the company’s leaders $28 million to acquire PropertyBridge.
5. Worked at MoneyGram International
He worked at MoneyGram International as the vice president. Jason Gardner worked at this company from 2007 to 2009. He was initially hired as the vice president of business development of PropertyBridge and held that position for ten months before promoted to the overall role of vice president of PropertyBridge. He maintained the new position for about a year and five months before leaving the company.
4. Worked at 451 Research
Gardner worked at 451 Research as the director of sales for two years. He worked at the company between 2002 and 2004. The 451 Research Company is an information tech that provides insights into issues related to digital disruption. While working there as the director of sales, some of Gardner’s roles included overseeing technology vendors, service providers, and using proprietary market data to assess favorable investments.
3. He Invested #3 Million in BloomCredit
BloomCredit is a fintech company that offers clients a platform to improve their eligibility for loans, credit cards, and credit products. The company focuses on improving the financial eligibility of people who had initially been declined for different lending products. During its Series A fund drive, the company raised a total of $16.9 million from investors. One of the investors was Gardner who raised $3 million to support the startup. His interest in supporting BloomCredit could be linked to his history of working in the fintech industry and knowledge of the potential success of the company.
2. Invested $12 Million in Routable
Routable is a modern business to business bill payment company. It focuses on easing payouts and invoicing processes through the use of automated accounts that interested businesses can receive by signing up for the services offered by the company. On August 9, 2020, Gardner invested in the company with $12 million during its Series A funding round. His belief in the company is based on his understanding of the accounts management job and the use of IT in improving payment processes.
1. Holds the Board and Advisor Role in Two Companies
Aside from being the CEO of his company, Jason Gardner is also a member of the board of advisory in two organizations. He is a member of the board of advisors at Marqeta and LionBird. He works as the advisor founder at LionBird, a position that allows him to direct LionBird in making the right decisions as a startup company. His role as one of the board members at Marqeta entails making critical decisions about the company’s future, the investments that it should be considered, and the potential success of proposed products or services.
Conclusion
Jason Gardner has significantly influenced the IT industry through his role as the founder and CEO of Marqeta. His company has improved the accessibility of card services and significantly reduced the time spent in replacing old cards. His background in IT and finance formed the foundation for his success in building PropertyBridge and Marqeta. His work continues to influence the trends in the IT and property management business.