As Zappos’ CEO, Tony Hsieh grew the company to $2 billion in annual revenue while cultivating a workplace that’s consistently ranked among the best in the country. Now he’s using his talents to revitalize downtown Las Vegas. His $50 million incubator, VegasTechFund, invests in companies that have the potential to help the area thrive. Here are nine of the projects he’s betting on and what they’re up to:
1. Mouth: The first online marketplace for artisanal, or “indie,” food.
2. Rolltech: Bowling with Big Data.
3. True & Co.: Perfect-fit bra shopping without measuring tape or fitting rooms.
4. Quarterly Co.: Subscribe to quarterly gift packages from people like the editors of Cool Hunting and Alexis Ohanian.
5. CrowdHall: A platform for virtual town hall discussions, with celebrities, politicians, or friend groups.
6. iDoneThis: A personal, daily productivity email check-in.
7. LaunchKey: Account security with biometrics, not passwords.
8. The S.P.I.R.I.T. Project: Applying technology to help at-risk youths and families in local communities.
9. NSFWCorp: Digital publishers of highly readable investigative journalism (recently acquired by Pando Daily.)