#27 Dan Shapiro

Four-time Founder, CEO and investor, Dan Shapiro, shares the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial journey thus far. Though he humbly attributes much of his success to privilege, Dan has worked hard, taken risks and followed an unconventional career path that has led him to become a board game inventor, author and record holder for the most backed 30-day crowdfunding campaign. Today, Dan is focused on building Glowforge, the iconic 3D laser printer company founded in 2014. The idea originated while he was creating Robot Turtles, the board game that teaches programming to kids. Now, his company is nearing 100 employees and has grown 2.5X in the last nine months. Dan discusses his transition from Microsoft to the startup world, how he really appreciates feedback, and how they are intentionally creating a culture of diversity and inclusion at Glowforge. Dan’s enthusiasm for what customers are making with their product is something you won’t want to miss.