CATEGORIES

How A Job Layoff Kickstarted A Company

No.56Russ LaytonSPARX HOCKEYThree-year growth 4,916.2% | 2018 revenue $8M Acton, Massachusetts | Founded in 2014

How The 9/11 Tragedy Pushed Her To Build Anew

No.374Keri MungoSABGThree-year growth 1,228.9% | 2018 revenue $21 .7M Arlington, Virginia | Founded in 2005

“A Very Unfortunate Growth Industry”

No.392Keith Walawender and Mike BillerTOMAHAWK STRATEGIC SOLUTIONSThree-year growth 1,168.3% 2018 revenue $2.8MNashville | Founded in 2014

How Did The Top-Ranked Company On This Year's Inc. 500 Make It There?

No.1Chris Stark and David FreedmanFREESTAR

Setting The Table

No.305Krystle MobayeniBENTOBOXThree-year growth 1,480.3% | 2018 revenue $4.4M New York City | Founded in 2013

When Is It Time To Outsource?

Happy customers are repeat customers. But they may be happier if someone else does customer service.

How Do You Cut A Work Perk Without Hurting Morale?

Advice from the founders of America’s fastest-growing companies. 

Ellen Pao On Social Media, Venture Capital, Leadership and #MeToo

Ellen Pao knows the startup world—and its skeletons—inside and out. The former venture capitalist and one-time CEO of Reddit is now the co-founder and CEO of Project Include, a nonprofit that advises tech companies on diversity and inclusion. Pao first rocked Silicon Valley in 2012 by suing her employer, legendary venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, for gender discrimination. Though she ultimately lost, her lawsuit sparked a long-overdue reckoning about how the tech industry treats women and people of color, and helped lay the groundwork for the ongoing #MeToo movement. In a wide-ranging interview, Pao explains why this is a critical moment for women in Silicon Valley, calls for greater regulation of the biggest internet companies, and warns entrepreneurs against the worst mistakes she sees founders make.

Inside the Vicious, Vicious Cheerleader Wars

Rebel Athletic is fighting a spangled, appliqued fashion-forward guerrilla war against an industry giant.

How To Handle Your Customers's Data With Care...Or Else

Jon Hyman has spent a lot of time thinking about privacy.

100 Boldest, Most Innovative Female Founders

The 100 pioneers, empire-builders, movement makers, innovators, creatives, serial entrepreneurs, and geeks building the most exciting businesses in America.

The Unlikely Business Of Being Brene`

The social worker’s research launched her into the ranks of leadership gurus. Running her own business has been a little more complicated.

The Benefits And Perks - Attracting America's Top Female Talent

Be flexible and creative and give the gift of time

How An Earthquake Led Me To A VR Startup

Bryn Mooser is the co-founder of Ryot Films, which produces media for immersive formats like virtual reality and 360-degree video. He started thinking about transformative technology while working as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, living on the edge of the Sahel in a region that had cell-phone towers–but had never had landlines. Ryot initially published news stories that enabled readers to take social actions, and then pivoted into immersive video. In 2016, Mooser and his co-founder, David Darg, sold Ryot to AOL

Sports Tech Jumps Ahead

A blown ulnar collateral ligament—the UCL, in the elbow—is among the worst injuries a pitcher can suffer. And it costs teams millions of dollars. Sparta Science, a leader in the growing sports-tech industry, has figured out the answer. It’s in the legs, not the arm. Founder Phil Wagner believes he’s uncovered other secrets for minimizing athletic injuries while maximizing performance. So do his growing list of competitors. Game on!

How To Fix Everything From Your iPhone To Your Toaster

The guys behind iFixit want to show you how to fix everything from your iPhone to your toaster—for free. By doing so, they’ve built a huge business. Even though Apple totally hates them.

Your Awkward Phase, And Why You Should Love It

All growing companies eventually reach an adolescence - a no man's land between scrappy startup and big, established company. It may make you feel like an overwhelmed teen again. Don't let it.

The Next Steve Jobs

Many entrepreneurs and their backers will tell you they're playing the long game. But no one's doing it quite like Theranos's Elizabeth Holmes.

Will The Next Steve Jobs Be A Woman?

Why a rising tide of female founders will finally bring us the next iconic entrepreneur.

Inside The Mind Of Sheryl Sandberg

Facebook's COO is arguably the most influential woman in business. Now, even after personal tragedy, she wants to spread that influence to small businesses - and get women into seats of power everywhere.

How A Terrible Day Spawned a $70 Million Business

Megan Tamte was living her lifelong dream of motherhood - and she was miserable. Launching a store for other mothers turned everything around.

How Creative Perks Strengthen Corporate Culture

When you cant swing egg freezing and baby cash bonuses, consider more modest options that employees will appreciate.

How I created E-commerce In China

Jack Ma built one of the world’s biggest internet companies without learning how to code. The lead founder and executive chairman of Alibaba taught himself English by offering tours to foreign visitors of his hometown, Hangzhou, in eastern China. That’s where, in 1999, Ma launched Alibaba, which took in nearly $23 billion last year. Now Ma is hoping to expand his U.S. business, especially by encouraging more American companies to sell their goods on Alibaba’s platforms.

How I learned To Focus

Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of the Huffington Post, surprised many when she announced last year that she would be stepping down. She is throwing her energy behind a second startup, Thrive Global. In just under six months, New York City-based Thrive has signed deals worth “multiple millions of dollars.” Clients include Uber (where she’s a board member), Accenture, and Airbnb. Thrive recently doubled its sales targets for 2017. The company generates revenue primarily by charging businesses for its workshops and seminars focused on health and wellness, and via branded content that runs on its platform, the Thrive Journal. It also sells some consumer products, such as a $100 iPhone bed. The biggest challenge, Huffington admits, has been learning how to focus.

Project Management: Not Just For The Big Guys Anymore

Affordable—even free—technology solutions give smaller businesses access to critical project management advantages.

Going Global The Art Of Knowing Where To Launch

Stasis Labs found its first market overseas. What’s its best next move?

The Smart Way to Pay Taxes on Retirement Savings

Don’t pay all at once— and use these tips to increase your nest egg BY KATHY KRISTOF

Anthony Casalena

Anthony Casalena In 2016, his company generated more than $200 million in revenue, but the founder of website-building platform Squarespace doesn’t spend a penny he doesn’t have to As told to KRIS FRIESWICK

Forget Stock Price

Look Closely To Find The Real Marks Of Post-Ipo Success.

Gabriel Flateman

Thanks to its focus on just a few products, the Casper co-founder has seen his company hit $200 million in revenue and take on the mattress industry’s giants.