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My oldest relatives were great storytellers, perhaps because they were born pre-internet, pre-TV, even pre-radio. My great-grandmother Marie was one of them. She used to tell me how she and some other turn-of-the-last-century tweens caused a commotion midway through the first motion picture they’d ever seen. They had upended the chairs and tables in a saloon in a mad rush to the door because mounted bandits, she said, started charging toward the building. Another tale: how, during the Great Depression, with no central heating and drafty windows in her room, she’d wake up under a blanket of snow. The most interesting recollections, though, were about the Second World War. Those stories were amazing to a child like me. She described a time when American life seemed to be at once…
FOR MORE than 40 years, Inc. has been the trusted voice for founders and business builders, with its mission to help them take their companies to greatness. During this span, our September issues have offered powerful accounts of the hard work and perseverance required to grow companies at rates that most entrepreneurs only dream of. In 2020, we are witnessing new challenges to businesses, from an ongoing pandemic to a recession and renewed demands for much-needed social change. All of these will have a lasting effect on these fast-growth companies and the nation as a whole. While the Inc. 500 companies celebrated in this issue and the 4,500 additional companies on the Inc. 5000 list (which can be found on Inc.com) are included for their accomplishments through the end of…
AARON RILEY Co-founder and CEO, CannaSafe ANTONIO FRAZIER President, CannaSafe When asked about the greatest hiring decision he’s ever made, Aaron Riley says, “Hands down, Antonio Frazier. He’s brought us to another level from a quality perspective.” It’s high praise that’s well earned: Four years ago, when Riley started CannaSafe, he needed someone he could trust to help his Los Angeles-based cannabis testing lab meet California’s stringent standards. His old college football teammate, Antonio Frazier (right), checked all the boxes. Not only does Frazier have a degree in engineering and experience running an aerospace lab, but he was also one of the only people who stood by Riley when he was arrested for selling weed in college. It took 18 months, but Riley eventually persuaded his old friend to join…
Imagine receiving a mysterious box in the mail one day. You open it up, and inside you find a typed letter from an investigator, a century-old playbill, and some cryptic, creepy, handwritten notes. What do you do? Sit down with some roommates or family members and try to solve the crime, of course. Baltimore-based Hunt a Killer has been shipping its eponymous game across the country since 2016. Customers use the props in each box to try to crack a complex murder mystery. Co-founders and childhood friends Ryan Hogan and Derrick Smith got the idea after hosting a weekend-long mystery event at a campground, complete with clues and hired actors. “It wasn’t scalable,” Hogan says, “but it made us realize there was a market for experiences that allow you to…
In 1971, I founded a payroll-processing company—Paychex. I had only $3,000 and a credit card, and everyone told me I was making a mistake. But, by 1982, Paychex was No. 8 on the very first Inc. 500 list. We took the company public the following year, and now it has a $27 billion market cap. I still serve as director and chairman, and now run other organizations—like a fiber-optic internet service provider, and a charitable foundation. In my decades of doing business, I think I’ve learned a thing or two, so I decided to pass on some of my experience in Built, Not Born: A Self-Made Billionaire’s NoNonsense Guide for Entrepreneurs. The book is meant to be a road map and toolkit for founders— practical tips interwoven with my business…
Gopal Parvathaneni Chairman and CEO EPSoft Technologies (No. 664) I take a cold shower to wind down at the end of the day. That probably doesn’t sound relaxing to most, but it’s how I get my brain to shut down. This allows me to have a restful night of sleep. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking. Matthew Revich Co-founder and CEO Yedi Houseware Appliances (No. 105) I start every morning by solving a Rubik’s Cube and a Pyraminx. I end every day by playing a couple of online chess games on my phone and then practicing Spanish on Duolingo for 15 minutes. Stephen Trimble Founder and CEO Arctic Solar Ventures (No. 275) My favorite way to end the day? Blasting around smooth streets and trails on my electric…
