Jesse Itzler Explained

Jesse Itzler
Alma Mater:American University (BA) [1] [2]
Occupation:Founder of The 100 Mile Group, entrepreneur, author, rapper, singer, songwriter
Children:4
Citizenship:American

Jesse Itzler (born August 22, 1968) is an American entrepreneur, author, and rapper.[3] He is the co-founder of Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world, a partner in Zico Coconut Water, the founder of The 100 Mile Group and one of the owners of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.[4]

Early life and education

Jesse Itzler was born on August 22, 1968, to a Jewish family[5] and raised in Roslyn, New York,[6] on Long Island, the son of Daniel Itzler, an inventor, and Elese Itzler,[7] the president of the Roslyn Board of Education. He was the youngest of three or four children, depending on the source.[8] [9] Three generations of his father's family were raised in Brooklyn.[10]

Itzler earned his bachelor's degree in 1990 from American University. He later obtained a degree in justice, law, and society.[1] [2]

Career

Music career

After graduating from college, Itzler signed with Delicious Vinyl records as a songwriter/artist. He released his debut album Thirty Footer in Your Face using the pseudonym Jesse Jaymes in 1991. He co-wrote songs for various artists including Tone Lōc. His first released single, "College Girls (Are Easy)", while not ranking on the Billboard Hot 100 chart did become a club anthem. This was followed by his second single "Shake It Like A White Girl", which did reach 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1991[11] and was featured in the soundtrack of the 2004 movie White Chicks.[12] In 1992, Itzler wrote and sang the New York Knicks theme song "Go NY Go"[13] as well as original songs for more than 50 other professional teams. Itzler wrote and sang the Emmy Award-winning song "I Love This Game" and also produced the theme song for Inside the NBA. Itzler is credited with campaigns for Foot Locker and Coca-Cola.[14]

Itzler's music partner was Dana Mozie, whom he met in 1987, a man described as being from a "strikingly different background... raised in the southeast section of Washington... as streetwise as Itzler was suburban," with whom he collaborated on several musical projects in his period as Jesse Jaymes.[2]

Entrepreneurship

In 1996, Itzler co-founded Alphabet City Sports Records with his friend Kenny Dichter.[15] The record company is known for mixing classic arena songs with highlights of historical play-by-play calls for professional sports teams including the Wizards, the Mavericks, and the Lakers. In 1998, the company was sold to SFX.[16]

In 2001, Itzler co-founded Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world.[17] Itzler served as the company's Vice Chairman until the company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of NetJets, in 2009.[18] [19]

In 2009, Itzler created the 100 Mile Group, a brand incubator and accelerator.[20] [21] The company announced a partnership with ZICO Coconut Water and the Coca-Cola company in 2009.[22] In 2012, ZICO was acquired by Coca-Cola for an undisclosed sum.[17]

In November 2015, Itzler released his book Living With a SEAL: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet.[23] The book was a New York Times Best Seller and ranked first on the LA Times book list.[24] [25] He released Living With the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus in 2018.[26] Itzler is represented by literary agent Lisa Leshne of The Leshne Agency.[27]

Recently, he has begun to pursue keynote speaking.[28]

Atlanta Hawks

In 2015, Itzler and his wife, Sara Blakely were part of a group led by Tony Ressler along with Grant Hill, Steven Price, and Rick Schnall, that purchased the Atlanta Hawks for $850 million[29] [30] [31] from Bruce Levenson.[32] [33] [34]

Personal life

In 2006, Itzler competed in the USA National Ultra Marathon Championship in Grapevine, Texas, successfully completing a 100-mile run in under 24 hours.[35] Itzler finished 49th out of 80 in the SEA Paddle NYC 25 mile stand up paddle race around Manhattan in 2012.[36]

In 2008, Itzler married Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, at the Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande, Florida.[17] [37] The couple have four children and reside in Georgia.[38] [39]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Reichley, Melissa, "Alumni Success Story: Go-Getter Itzler on Third Career: Marquis Jet", Alumni News, American University
  2. Rhoden, William C. . February 18, 1995 . Sports of The Times; Hip-Hop In Orange And Blue . . February 25, 2017 .
  3. Web site: Janes. Erika Rasmusson. NBA Idol: An Entrepreneur Raps His Way Into The Big Leagues. money.cnn.com. November 1, 2004. October 8, 2012.
  4. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/hawks/2015/04/22/hawks-sold-to-grant-hill-tony-ressler-jese-itzler-steven-starker-group/26189333/ Atlanta Hawks Agree to Sell Team to Antony Ressler-Grant Hill Group
  5. http://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/jewish-investor-buying-hawks/ Atlanta Jewish Times: "Jewish Investor Buying Hawks" by David R. Cohen
  6. News: He wrote the Knicks' 'Go New York' anthem of the mid-1990s. Now, Long Island's Jesse Itzler co-owns the Hawks. Neil. Best. May 25, 2021. Newsday.
  7. Web site: Kroll . Chana. Jewish News: '100-Mile Man' Funds Educational Center for Underprivileged Children. Chabad.org. July 20, 2009.
  8. Web site: Sports of The Times; Hip-Hop In Orange And Blue. subscription. . The New York Times. Rhoden, William C. A.29. May 18, 2024. February 18, 1995.
  9. Web site: Hawks co-owner Jesse Itzler, who wrote Knicks anthem, will see his NBA worlds collide again in Game 5. subscription. . USA Today. Scooby Axson. May 19, 2024. June 2, 2021.
  10. Web site: Episode Transcript. May 18, 2024. June 17, 2021. iHeartMedia. Just B. Frankel, Bethenny.
  11. Billboard Hot 100 http://www.billboard.com/charts/1991-07-06/hot-100?order=gainer Original: Week of February 01, 1992, Referenced: February 22, 2011
  12. Web site: White Chicks Soundtrack. IMDB. February 22, 2011.
  13. Web site: NBA Idol: An entrepreneur raps his way into the big leagues. CNN Money. Erika Rasmusson Janes. November 1, 2004. February 22, 2011.
  14. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2001/11/Issue-36/Sports-Industrialists/Executive-Transactions.aspx?hl=Itzler%20foot%20locker&sc=0 Executive Transactions
  15. Billboard Magazine May 17, 1997 https://books.google.com/books?id=pA8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=jesse+jaymes+billboard+1992&pg=PA51 By Gina Van Der Viliet via Google Books accessed February 22, 2011
  16. http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2002/12/20021209/SFX-A-Sports-Business-Epic/Alphabet-City-Alums-Soar-After-Selling-Firm-To-SFX.aspx Alphabet City Alums Soar After Selling Firm to SFX
  17. Web site: This Rapper From The Nineties Has A Sick New Startup. . November 11, 2013. March 31, 2015.
  18. Web site: How To Pitch Successfully From Rapper-Turned-Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler. January 14, 2014. Natalie Robehmed. . March 31, 2015.
  19. Web site: Good music, great grub? Vowch it to friends, says Jesse Itzler. October 31, 2013. Teresa Novellino. March 31, 2015.
  20. https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2012/0326/billionaires-12-feature-spanx-sara-blakely-retail-american-booty.html American Booty
  21. https://web.archive.org/web/20151213024727/http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS85897+20-Sep-2012+HUG20120920 Following A Winner:Tracking The Investment Profile of Super Investor Isaac Blech
  22. http://www.bevnet.com/news/2012/coca-cola-finishes-purchase-of-majority-zico-stake Coca-Cola Finishes Purchase of Majority ZICO Stake
  23. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/entrepreneur-jesse-itzler-retired-navy-seal-david-goggins-new-book/ What You Learn Living One Month With a Navy SEAL
  24. News: Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous. The New York Times. November 20, 2016. February 17, 2017.
  25. News: Paperback Nonfiction. Los Angeles Times. November 20, 2016. February 17, 2017.
  26. Book: Living with the Monks: What Turning off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus . 29 May 2018 . Center Street .
  27. Web site: Jesse Itzler – the Leshne Agency .
  28. Web site: Jesse Itzler.
  29. NBA unanimously approves sale of Atlanta Hawks. National Basketball Association. June 24, 2015. June 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150627155508/http://www.nba.com/2015/news/06/24/sale-of-hawks-unanimously-approved/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpts. June 27, 2015. dead.
  30. News: Hawks finalizing sale with billionaire Antony Ressler. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 23 April 2015. 24 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150424192042/http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/hawks-finalizing-sale-with-billionaire-antony-res/nkzxP/. dead.
  31. http://www.nba.com/hawks/group-led-tony-ressler-completes-purchase-atlanta-hawks/ NBA: "Group Led By Tony Ressler Completes Purchase of Atlanta Hawks"
  32. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/nba-governors-approve-730-million-hawks-sale-to-ressler-s-group Bloomberg: "NBA Governors Approve $730 Million Hawks Sale to Ressler's Group" By Scott Soshnick and Zeke Faux
  33. News: Atlanta Hawks Sold to Ares' Ressler for $850 million, Group Includes Sara Blakely and Grant Hill. Atlanta Business Chronicle . April 24, 2015. January 27, 2016.
  34. https://www.wsj.com/articles/atlanta-hawks-selling-for-850-million-1429732095 Atlanta Hawks Selling for $850 Million
  35. News: Nothing's Impossible, Not Even 100 Miles in 24 Hours. Newsday. Mitch. Abramson. January 6, 2007. May 5, 2016.
  36. Web site: [RESULTS] Rojas, Anderson Win The 2012 SEA Paddle NYC]. SUP Racer. Christopher . Parker . August 17, 2012 . May 5, 2016.
  37. http://www.the-gasparilla-inn.com/press_pdfs/atlantawed_ss2009.pdf Atlanta Weddings (Atlanta Magazine): Spanx inventor Sarah Blakely on her wedding day" by Vikki Locke
  38. https://online.wsj.com/articles/a-day-in-the-life-of-spanxs-founder-sara-blakely-1408032515 The Wall Street Journal (New York): "A Day in the Life of Spanx's Founder Sara Blakely" by Christopher Ross
  39. https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2012/mar/11/observer-profile-sara-blakely-spanx The Observer (London): "Sara Blakely: a woman with a great grasp of figures" by Zoe Wood

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