Ben Chestnut Explained
Ben Chestnut (born 1973/1974) is an American Internet entrepreneur. He is the co-founder (with Dan Kurzius) and former CEO of Mailchimp, an email marketing company.[1] [2] [3] As of November 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$4.1 billion.[4]
Early life
Ben Chestnut was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia[5] and attended high school in Hephzibah, Georgia. He studied physics at the University of Georgia and industrial design at the Georgia Institute of Technology.[6]
Career
He is the co-founder and former CEO of Rocket Science Group,[7] commonly known as Mailchimp[6] a CRM with 15 million users.[8] In 2016, he was recognized as Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year.[9] According to Atlanta Business Chronicle, in August 2017, Chestnut was awarded "Most Admired CEO".[10] In October 2018, Forbes noted that Chestnut was a billionaire.[11] In August 2022, Chestnut abruptly stepped down as CEO one month after sending a nearly 1,400-word email to a small group of employees identifying what he considered an alarming trend in his workforce: new hires introducing themselves in virtual meetings with their preferred pronouns.[12]
Compensatory policies
Chestnut has focused his company's resources in providing compensatory benefits for employees.[13] Chestnut's motivation for his corporate policy stems from his being raised by his military father who had few economic opportunities.[5]
Risks of social media
In an interview with Forbes Magazine, Chestnut countered arguments that social media would replace the need for email and email marketing.[14]
Personal life
Chestnut is married, with two children, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.[4]
Notes and References
- Web site: Mailchimp's About Us . 2012-10-05.
- Web site: Carney . Michael . Attention founders: Here's how you respond to an unfair post about your company . PandoDaily . 2012-11-30 . 2013-06-17 . 2013-06-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130605003823/http://pandodaily.com/2012/11/30/attention-founders-heres-how-you-respond-to-an-unfair-post-about-your-company/ . dead .
- Web site: Interview with Mailchimp co-founder and CEO Ben Chestnut . DoesWhat . 2012-09-26 . 2013-06-17 . 2013-06-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130625231048/http://doeswhat.com/2012/09/26/interview-with-ben-chestnut-mailchimp/ . dead .
- Web site: Forbes profile: Ben Chestnut . Forbes . 2 November 2022.
- http://bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2012/09/14/the-rocket-science-groupmailchimp.html?r=full Atlanta Biz Journals.
- Web site: 17 November 2012. Case Study: Co-Founder Ben Chestnut Talks About MailChimp – Worth Of Web Academy. worthofweb.com. 15 October 2018.
- Web site: Interview with ben chestnut (mailchimp) – Does What. 26 September 2012. doeswhat.com. 15 October 2018. 15 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181015152953/http://www.doeswhat.com/2012/09/26/interview-with-ben-chestnut-mailchimp. dead.
- Web site: About Mailchimp – Mailchimp. Mailchimp. 15 October 2018.
- Web site: Kim. Larry. 2019-04-10. 10 Fascinating Facts About Mailchimp CEO Ben Chestnut. 2020-05-19. Inc.com.
- Web site: www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/event/154022/2017/most-admired-ceo-awards-sold-out. www.bizjournals.com. 2017-10-11.
- Web site: The New Atlanta Billionaires Behind An Unlikely Tech Unicorn . Forbes . 2018-10-08 . 2019-02-19.
- Web site: Schiffer . Zoë . Did this email cost Mailchimp's billionaire CEO his job? . 2023-11-26 . www.platformer.news . 20 October 2022 . en.
- Web site: venture atlanta. ventureatlanta.org. 15 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20170219185148/http://ventureatlanta.org/2013/04/interview-with-mailchimp-ceo-ben-chestnut/. 19 February 2017. dead.
- Web site: MailChimp CEO On Email's Age Defying Resilience. Alex. Kantrowitz. forbes.com. 15 October 2018.
