Ben Casnocha startup story

[David Sandusky]

Listen to the podcast here. Ben is on after the half-hour break.
Ben Casnocha is the author of the bestselling book My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley (Jossey-Bass, May '07). He started his first company when he was 12 years-old and is currently on the board of Comcate, Inc., an e-government software company he founded at age 14. Ben's work has been featured in dozens of international media including CNN and The New York Times. At a conference in Paris PoliticsOnline named him one of the "25 most influential people in the world of internet and politics". He graduated from high school June '06 where he was two-year captain of the varsity basketball team, editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, and founder of a failed campus radio station. He writes prolifically on his blog which the San Jose Business Journal recently called one of the "Top 25 Blogs in Silicon Valley." BusinessWeek recently named Ben "one of America's top young entrepreneurs." Ben has given speeches at more than a dozen universities including Duke University, The Wharton School, and Boston University. He also co-runs the Silicon Valley Junto, an intellectual discussion society for business and technology executives. In his free time Ben enjoys playing chess, ping-pong, reading, and writing.

Ben intrigues me for other reasons. He is not cute and does not leave you with the impression he is a kid. He acts like a CEO and entrepreneur. His story is inspiring for kids of all ages. Ask the folks at TechStars. He saw a need, filled it and is doing a great job building his companies, personal brand, networking, giving back and surrounding himself with amazing people. Most people never figure this out - he is 19 right now.