Mark Gainey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mark Gainey is an American entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and Kana Software, an enterprise software company, and Strava, a fitness tracking and social networking platform.
Gainey grew up in Reno, Nevada.[1] He attended Harvard University, where he joined the varsity lightweight rowing crew after a running injury in his freshman year, and graduated in 1990 with an AB in Fine Arts.[2]
Career
After graduating, Gainey worked at TA Associates, a private equity firm in San Francisco, from 1991 to 1995.[3] In 1996, he co-founded Kana Communications with Michael Horvath, an enterprise email management software company.[4] Gainey served as CEO until June 1999, when Kana went public on the NASDAQ. The company reached a peak market capitalization of approximately $10 billion.[5]
In 2009, Gainey co-founded Strava with Michael Horvath, along with the founding team of Davis Kitchel, Chris Donahue, Mark Shaw and Pelle Sommansson.[6] He served as the company's first CEO before passing the role to Horvath in 2010. Gainey resumed the position in 2013, serving until 2017, when he was succeeded by James Quarles.[7] He has since remained with the company as executive chairman.[8]
References
- ↑ "Antler Early Days—Episode 1: Strava with Mark Gainey". www.antler.co. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ↑ "Strava Comes Full Circle | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ↑ "Report: Strava Business Breakdown & Founding Story | Contrary Research". research.contrary.com. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ↑ "History of Kana Software, Inc". FundingUniverse. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ↑ George, Rose (2020-01-14). "Kudos, leaderboards, QOMs: how fitness app Strava became a religion". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ↑ "A letter from Michael Horvath, Strava co-founder & CEO". press.strava.com. 2017-10-30. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ↑ Sawers, Paul (2023-12-11). "After year-long search, Strava appoints YouTube exec Michael Martin as new CEO". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ↑ Sawers, Paul (2023-02-13). "Strava searches for new CEO with co-founder Michael Horvath departing for a second time". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-04-19.