David Rusenko
David Rusenko
David Rusenko is an American entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Weebly, a popular website building platform. Born in 1985, Rusenko has made significant contributions to the field of technology-based entrepreneurship and has been involved in various philanthropic activities.
Early Life and Education
David Rusenko was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He attended Penn State University, where he pursued a degree in Information Sciences and Technology. During his time at Penn State, Rusenko developed a keen interest in web development and entrepreneurship.
Founding of Weebly
In 2006, while still a student, Rusenko co-founded Weebly along with his classmates Chris Fanini and Dan Veltri. The idea for Weebly stemmed from Rusenko's experience in designing websites for friends and colleagues. The platform aimed to provide an easy-to-use tool for creating professional websites, blogs, and online stores.
In 2007, the trio received $650,000 in initial funding from investors they met through Y Combinator. Rusenko decided to drop out of college and move to San Francisco to focus on building the startup. The company quickly gained traction and, by 2015, Weebly was hosting over 20 million websites.
Growth and Acquisition
Weebly's success attracted significant investment from major venture capital firms, including Sequoia Capital and Tencent Holdings. In 2018, Weebly was acquired by Square, Inc. for $365 million. Following the acquisition, Rusenko took on the role of Head of eCommerce at Square.
Philanthropy
David Rusenko has been actively involved in philanthropic activities, particularly in the field of education and entrepreneurship. In 2014, he donated $400,000 to Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology to create the David Rusenko Scholarship for Entrepreneurship. This scholarship aims to help students launch their own companies while still in school.
Angel Investing
Apart from his work with Weebly, Rusenko is also an angel investor. He has invested in several startups, including Cue, Parse, Exec, Incident Technologies, Adioso, and Zenefits. His investments reflect his interest in supporting innovative technology-based ventures.
Personal Life
David Rusenko resides in California. Known for his conservative financial strategy in the early years of his career, he has recently indulged in high-ticket items, such as a $250,000 ticket to the moon with Virgin Galactic.