Jesse Itzler | |
---|---|
Citizenship | American |
Alma mater | American University (B.A.) [1] [2] |
Occupation(s) | Founder of The 100 Mile Group, entrepreneur, author, rapper, singer, songwriter |
Spouse | |
Children | 4 |
Jesse Itzler 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] [5]
Jesse Itzler was born on August 22, 1968, to a Jewish family [6] and raised in Roslyn, New York, [7] on Long Island, the son of Daniel Itzler, an inventor, and Elese Itzler, [8] the president of the Roslyn Board of Education. Itzler earned his bachelor's degree in 1990 from American University. He later obtained a degree in justice, law, and society. [1] [2]
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. [3] 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 [9] and was featured in the soundtrack of the 2004 movie White Chicks. [10] In 1992, Itzler wrote and sang the New York Knicks theme song "Go NY Go" [11] 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. [12]
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]
In 1996, Itzler co-founded Alphabet City Sports Records with his friend Kenny Dichter. [13] 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. [14]
In 2001, Itzler co-founded Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world. [15] Itzler served as the company's Vice Chairman until the company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of NetJets, in 2009. [4] [16]
In 2009, Itzler created the 100 Mile Group, a brand incubator and accelerator. [17] [18] The company announced a partnership with ZICO Coconut Water and the Coca-Cola company in 2009. [19] In 2012, ZICO was acquired by Coca-Cola for an undisclosed sum. [15]
In November 2015, Itzler released his book Living With a SEAL: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet. [20] The book was a New York Times Best Seller and ranked first on the LA Times book list. [21] [22] He released Living With the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus in 2018. [23] Itzler is represented by literary agent Lisa Leshne of The Leshne Agency. [24]
Recently, he has begun to pursue keynote speaking. [25]
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 successfully purchased the Atlanta Hawks for $850 million [26] [27] [28] from Bruce Levenson. [29] [30] [31]
In 2006, Itzler competed in the USA National Ultra Marathon Championship in Grapevine, Texas, successfully completing a 100-mile run in under 24 hours. [32] Itzler finished 49th out of 80 in the SEA Paddle NYC 25 mile stand up paddle race around Manhattan in 2012. [33]
In 2008, Itzler married Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, at the Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande, Florida. [15] [34] The couple have four children and reside in Georgia. [35] [36]
Jesse Itzler | |
---|---|
Citizenship | American |
Alma mater | American University (B.A.) [1] [2] |
Occupation(s) | Founder of The 100 Mile Group, entrepreneur, author, rapper, singer, songwriter |
Spouse | |
Children | 4 |
Jesse Itzler 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] [5]
Jesse Itzler was born on August 22, 1968, to a Jewish family [6] and raised in Roslyn, New York, [7] on Long Island, the son of Daniel Itzler, an inventor, and Elese Itzler, [8] the president of the Roslyn Board of Education. Itzler earned his bachelor's degree in 1990 from American University. He later obtained a degree in justice, law, and society. [1] [2]
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. [3] 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 [9] and was featured in the soundtrack of the 2004 movie White Chicks. [10] In 1992, Itzler wrote and sang the New York Knicks theme song "Go NY Go" [11] 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. [12]
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]
In 1996, Itzler co-founded Alphabet City Sports Records with his friend Kenny Dichter. [13] 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. [14]
In 2001, Itzler co-founded Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world. [15] Itzler served as the company's Vice Chairman until the company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of NetJets, in 2009. [4] [16]
In 2009, Itzler created the 100 Mile Group, a brand incubator and accelerator. [17] [18] The company announced a partnership with ZICO Coconut Water and the Coca-Cola company in 2009. [19] In 2012, ZICO was acquired by Coca-Cola for an undisclosed sum. [15]
In November 2015, Itzler released his book Living With a SEAL: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet. [20] The book was a New York Times Best Seller and ranked first on the LA Times book list. [21] [22] He released Living With the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus in 2018. [23] Itzler is represented by literary agent Lisa Leshne of The Leshne Agency. [24]
Recently, he has begun to pursue keynote speaking. [25]
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 successfully purchased the Atlanta Hawks for $850 million [26] [27] [28] from Bruce Levenson. [29] [30] [31]
In 2006, Itzler competed in the USA National Ultra Marathon Championship in Grapevine, Texas, successfully completing a 100-mile run in under 24 hours. [32] Itzler finished 49th out of 80 in the SEA Paddle NYC 25 mile stand up paddle race around Manhattan in 2012. [33]
In 2008, Itzler married Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, at the Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande, Florida. [15] [34] The couple have four children and reside in Georgia. [35] [36]