Greg Selkoe

Greg Selkoe
Born	Boston, MA
Residence	Boston, MA
Alma mater	Rollins College; Harvard University
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Organization	Karmaloop
Television	Karmaloop TV
Title	Founder
Spouse(s)	Dina Selkoe

Greg Selkoe (born June 4, 1975) is an American entrepreneur and the founder of Karmaloop.com.^[1] Since January 2010 he has been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post.^[2]

Early life and education

Selkoe was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.^[3] He went to The Winchendon School, a boarding school in Winchendon, Massachusetts. Selkoe received his undergraduate degree from Rollins College^[4] in Winter Park, Florida. After graduation from Rollins and before starting Karmaloop, Selkoe worked for the City of Boston for three years at the Boston Redevelopment Authority.^[5]

Career

Selkoe began Karmaloop from his parents' basement in 2000.^[6] After starting Karmaloop, he continued his education at The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and completed a Masters in Public Policy in 2005.^[5] Selkoe also suffers from ADHD, but cites the disorder as one of the reasons he's been successful.^[7]

Karmaloop.com is one of the world’s largest online retailers of streetwear (including footwear, apparel, accessories, housewares and more).^[8][9] The company targets and sells to the "Verge Culture” demographic, a multicultural group referred to as the first generation “raised on the internet" typically between the ages of 18 and 34 years.^[10]

Selkoe was interviewed and featured in articles regarding Karmaloop and Karmaloop TV including in USA Today,^[11] The New York Times,^[12] Business Week,^[1] Entrepreneur^[6] and The Boston Globe.^[4] He has been interviewed on TV networks including Fox Business,^[13] CNBC^[14] and Bloomberg Television.^[15]

Selkoe made a cameo as himself on the HBO scripted drama “How to Make it in America” in the first episode of Season 2.^[16]

Selkoe was featured in a chapter of the 2007 book Outside Innovation by Patty Seabold.^[17] He was a contributor to the 2010 book "Black Sheep: An unconventional look at good ol' family values" by Karyn A. Gray ^[18] He was featured in a chapter in the 2011 book 10 Who Mentor by Denise Korn.^[19]

Selkoe sits on the board of the Kanye West Foundation,^[20] contributes to and works with the Boston Public Health Commission on its youth anti-violence programs,^[21] and was a spokesperson for the Vote for Change campaign during the 2008 presidential election.^[22] He also filmed a public service announcement for the Vote for Change website, encouraging young people to vote for Barack Obama.^[23]

Selkoe founded the Future Boston Alliance in 2011^[24] – a group dedicated to improving cultural life in Boston and retaining local creative talent. He is involved with Pharrell Williams' Kidult Youth Conference,^[25] has contributed a significant portion of the money toward the restoration of the Brewer Fountain on the Boston Common,^[26] helped to create a partnership between the Boston Ballet and Karmaloop,^[27] and sits on the board of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy^[28] and the board of Youth Design, an organization that helps find paid summer design internships for inner city high school students.^[29]

Selkoe is also actively involved with the Institute of Contemporary Art,^[30] and UNICEF.^[31]

In 2009, Selkoe was selected as one of the top 25 most influential entrepreneurs under 35 in the United States^[32] and was invited to participate in a White House^[33] summit for young business leaders on economic policy, new media, and youth messaging.^[34]

In 2010, Selkoe signed on to be a blogger^[35] with popular liberal news site, The Huffington Post,^[36] where he comments on current events.

Selkoe received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Award in the e-commerce category in New England.^[37]

Personal life

Selke currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts with his wife and Creative Director at Karmaloop, Dina Selkoe.^[38]

References