Bennett Greenspan

Last updated

Bennett Greenspan
Bennett Greenspan - CEO FTDNA & Managing Partner Gene by Gene.jpg
Born1952 (age 71–72) [1]
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Alma mater University of Texas
Occupation(s)Managing partner of Gene by Gene, president and CEO of Family Tree DNA
Known forFounder of Family Tree DNA

Bennett C. Greenspan (born 1952) is an American businessman. His business ventures have covered industries from real estate to the .com boom. Though he has mainly worked in the fields of photography and genetic testing, [2] [3] [4] he is best known for his pioneering work in genetic genealogy. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Contents

Greenspan founded Family Tree DNA which was the first American company to offer genealogical DNA testing directly to the general public. [10] [11] [12] He is currently the president and chief executive officer (CEO) [13] [14] [15] and also the managing partner of Family Tree DNA's parent company Gene by Gene. [16]

Greenspan is also the project administrator of several surname DNA projects, [17] and regularly lectures on the use of genetics in genealogy and on genomics. [4] [18] [19]

Personal life

A Jewish American, Greenspan was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Maurice and Rosalie Greenspan. [1] [20] [21] He and his brother were raised there. [20] [22] As a young child, Greenspan had a love of family history and would interview the oldest members of his family during gatherings. He drew his first family tree when he was 11 or 12. [3] [21]

Nancy Summer and Bennett Greenspan qualified as quarter finalists in the South High Novice Debate Tournament in October. Both divisions attended the OU Debate Tournament in November.

Tournaments Spell Success As Debaters Earn Honors – The Shield 1968 [23]

Greenspan attended Westside High School and was part of the graduating class of 1970. [24] In high school, he was involved with the debate team. There, he gained valuable speaking skills. [23] Outside school, he was part of the Omaha Chaim Weizmann AZA chapter, a Jewish youth group. As part of that group, he originated the idea for brightly colored Civil Rights Movement seals in 1969. These were marketed both locally, and in The National Jewish Monthly, to raise funds for the group, as well as human rights awareness. [25]

Upon graduation, Greenspan moved south to Texas, and studied political science at the University of Texas. He graduated with a BA. [4] [26] After graduating, he took additional courses in business and entrepreneurship at SMU in Dallas between 1975 and 1976. He did not, however, complete the program. [26]

After college, business interests took Greenspan away from Texas. However, he returned in 1980 and has since remained there. While he married his wife near family in Los Angeles County, California, [27] [28] their two children were born and raised in Texas. [20] [29] [30]

Early business ventures

Greenspan's first two businesses involved photographic supplies. [4] The second of these was Industrial Photographic Supply. Based in Texas, from 1980 to 1996, it sold industrial grade goods to advertising agencies, art studios, newspapers, and printing companies. In its first four years, its profit grew by over 600 percent. [31] [32] This company was sold to Bell Industries, Inc in 1996. Greenspan remained as an employee of the new owners for roughly a year. [3] [9] [10]

In 1997, Greenspan founded GoCollege.com with Max Blankfeld. GoCollege.com is an online college-search website. While there, he was the chief executive officer. [2] [26] [33]

Family Tree DNA

We all have a storybook within ourselves. The real challenge is figuring out how to read it. We really don't know where this is going but I’m convinced because of the scientific teams we work with, that wherever this leads, we will be at the forefront of the next cutting-edge revolution.

Bennett Greenspan quoted in April 2006 [34]

After leaving GoCollege.com, Greenspan became semi-retired and returned to working on his family history. In 1999, he began work on his mother's Nitz lineage. [3] [10] [21] When faced with an unsurmountable obstacle using standard genealogical methods in his work, he remembered two cases of genetics being used to prove ancestry that had recently been covered by the media. One was a study by University of Arizona researchers showing that many Cohen men from both Ashkenazic and Sephardic groups share the same Y-Chromosome pattern of markers, the Cohen Modal Haplotype. [35] The other was a DNA study showing that male descendants of US President Thomas Jefferson with the Jefferson surname, and male descendants of his freed slave Sally Hemings, shared the same Y-Chromosome markers and a recent common ancestry. [36]

Greenspan had Nitz cousins in California, and he had discovered someone in Argentina with the same ancestral surname and the same ancestral location in Eastern Europe. Wishing to use the same method of DNA comparison for his own genealogy, he contacted Dr. Michael Hammer at the University of Arizona. Their conversation inspired Greenspan to start a company dedicated to using genetics to solve genealogy problems, Family Tree DNA. [3] [9] [11] [22] [34]

As personal genetic ancestry and genealogy industries grew, [5] [6] and so did Family Tree DNA. [7] [26] In 2004, Greenspan and Blankfeld hosted the first conference for advocates in the field. [3] However, the industry faced ethics and infrastructure challenges. [3] [8] [14] [12]

Gene by Gene

We believe the first step to unearthing your personal and family history is to better understand your DNA. That's why we are continuously investing in new technology and experienced scientists at our Genomics Research Center, enabling us to conduct tests more accurately and efficiently.

Bennett Greenspan quoted in April 2013 [18]

Though Family Tree DNA originally partnered with the University of Arizona for testing, [3] [17] Greenspan, and his now longtime business partner Max Blankfeld, eventually started their own testing laboratory in Houston, Texas under the Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd. parent company. [26] This is the Genomics Research Center (GRC) laboratory in Houston, Texas. [37] [38] With the opening of the GRC, Greenspan and Blankfeld formed additional business units under the Genealogy by Genetics company, between 2008 and 2012, to sell non-genealogical genetics tests. [39] [40]

In September 2012, Greenspan and Blankfeld restructured Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd. This included renaming it Gene by Gene, Ltd. [38] [41] After restructuring, the business comprises four divisions. These are DNA DTC, DNA Findings, DNA Traits, and Family Tree DNA. [16] [41]

Publications

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic testing</span> Medical test

Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or through biochemical analysis to measure specific protein output. In a medical setting, genetic testing can be used to diagnose or rule out suspected genetic disorders, predict risks for specific conditions, or gain information that can be used to customize medical treatments based on an individual's genetic makeup. Genetic testing can also be used to determine biological relatives, such as a child's biological parentage through DNA paternity testing, or be used to broadly predict an individual's ancestry. Genetic testing of plants and animals can be used for similar reasons as in humans, to gain information used for selective breeding, or for efforts to boost genetic diversity in endangered populations.

In biology and genetic genealogy, the most recent common ancestor (MRCA), also known as the last common ancestor (LCA), of a set of organisms is the most recent individual from which all the organisms of the set are descended. The term is also used in reference to the ancestry of groups of genes (haplotypes) rather than organisms.

Genetic genealogy is the use of genealogical DNA tests, i.e., DNA profiling and DNA testing, in combination with traditional genealogical methods, to infer genetic relationships between individuals. This application of genetics came to be used by family historians in the 21st century, as DNA tests became affordable. The tests have been promoted by amateur groups, such as surname study groups or regional genealogical groups, as well as research projects such as the Genographic Project.

The Genographic Project, launched on 13 April 2005 by the National Geographic Society and IBM, was a genetic anthropological study that aimed to map historical human migrations patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA samples. The final phase of the project was Geno 2.0 Next Generation. Upon retirement of the site, 1,006,542 participants in over 140 countries had joined the project.

A genealogical DNA test is a DNA-based genetic test used in genetic genealogy that looks at specific locations of a person's genome in order to find or verify ancestral genealogical relationships, or to estimate the ethnic mixture of an individual. Since different testing companies use different ethnic reference groups and different matching algorithms, ethnicity estimates for an individual vary between tests, sometimes dramatically.

Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. It is owned by The Blackstone Group, which acquired the company on December 4, 2020, in a deal valued at $4.7 billion.

Genetic discrimination occurs when people treat others differently because they have or are perceived to have a gene mutation(s) that causes or increases the risk of an inherited disorder. It may also refer to any and all discrimination based on the genotype of a person rather than their individual merits, including that related to race, although the latter would be more appropriately included under racial discrimination. Some legal scholars have argued for a more precise and broader definition of genetic discrimination: "Genetic discrimination should be defined as when an individual is subjected to negative treatment, not as a result of the individual's physical manifestation of disease or disability, but solely because of the individual's genetic composition." Genetic Discrimination is considered to have its foundations in genetic determinism and genetic essentialism, and is based on the concept of genism, i.e. distinctive human characteristics and capacities are determined by genes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myriad Genetics</span> American biotechnology company

Myriad Genetics, Inc. is an American genetic testing and precision medicine company based in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Myriad employs a number of proprietary technologies that permit doctors and patients to understand the genetic basis of human disease and the role that genes play in the onset, progression and treatment of disease. This information is used to guide the development of new products that assess an individual's risk for developing disease later in life, identify a patient's likelihood of responding to a particular drug therapy, assess a patient's risk of disease progression and disease recurrence, and measure disease activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Tree DNA</span> Commercial genetic testing company

FamilyTreeDNA is a division of Gene by Gene, a commercial genetic testing company based in Houston, Texas. FamilyTreeDNA offers analysis of autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA to individuals for genealogical purpose. With a database of more than two million records, it is the most popular company worldwide for Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA, and the fourth most popular for autosomal DNA. In Europe, it is the most common also for autosomal DNA. FamilyTreeDNA as a division of Gene by Gene were acquired by MYDNA, Inc., an Australian company, in January 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">23andMe</span> American personal genomics company

23andMe Holding Co. is an American personal genomics and biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California. It is best known for providing a direct-to-consumer genetic testing service in which customers provide a saliva sample that is laboratory analysed, using single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping, to generate reports relating to the customer's ancestry and genetic predispositions to health-related topics. The company's name is derived from the 23 pairs of chromosomes in a diploid human cell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DNAPrint Genomics</span>

DNAPrint Genomics was a genetics company with a wide range of products related to genetic profiling. They were the first company to introduce forensic and consumer genomics products, which were developed immediately upon the publication of the first complete draft of the human genome in the early 2000s. They researched, developed, and marketed the first ever consumer genomics product, based on "Ancestry Informative Markers" which they used to correctly identify the BioGeographical Ancestry (BGA) of a human based on a sample of their DNA. They also researched, developed and marketed the first ever forensic genomics product - DNAWITNESS - which was used to create a physical profile of donors of crime scene DNA. The company reached a peak of roughly $3M/year revenues but ceased operations in February 2009.

Personal genomics or consumer genetics is the branch of genomics concerned with the sequencing, analysis and interpretation of the genome of an individual. The genotyping stage employs different techniques, including single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis chips, or partial or full genome sequencing. Once the genotypes are known, the individual's variations can be compared with the published literature to determine likelihood of trait expression, ancestry inference and disease risk.

MyHeritage is an online genealogy platform with web, mobile, and software products and services, introduced by the Israeli company MyHeritage in 2003. Users of the platform can obtain their family trees, upload and browse through photos, and search through over 19.9 billion historical records, among other features.

Genetic studies of Jews are part of the population genetics discipline and are used to analyze the ancestry of Jewish populations, complementing research in other fields such as history, linguistics, archaeology, and paleontology. These studies investigate the origins of various Jewish ethnic divisions. In particular, they examine whether there is a common genetic heritage among them. The medical genetics of Jews are studied for population-specific diseases.

GeneTree was a family history website focused on using DNA testing to trace ancestry. A website account was free, and within their account users could order DNA tests, enter results from other testing companies, search the DNA database, create an online family tree, and correspond with family members – including sharing pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene by Gene</span> Commercial genetic testing company

Gene by Gene is a commercial genetic testing company based in Houston, Texas. The company was owned by Bennett Greenspan and Max Blankfeld, and was the parent company of Family Tree DNA. In January 2021, Gene by Gene was acquired by US based parent company myDNA Inc. Gene by Gene and Australia company myDNA Life Private Ltd. are both subsidiaries of parent company, myDNA Inc. The current Chief Executive Officer of myDNA Inc. is, Dr Lior Rauchberger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Society of Genetic Genealogy</span>

The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) is an independent non-commercial nonprofit organization of genetic genealogists run by volunteers. It was founded by a group of surname DNA project administrators in 2005 to promote DNA testing for genealogy. It advocates the use of genetics in genealogical research, provides educational resources for genealogists interested in DNA testing, and facilitates networking among genetic genealogists. As of June 2013, it comprises over 8,000 members in 70 countries. As of July 2013, regional meetings are coordinated by 20 volunteer regional coordinators located in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Egypt, Ireland and Russia.

Genetic privacy involves the concept of personal privacy concerning the storing, repurposing, provision to third parties, and displaying of information pertaining to one's genetic information. This concept also encompasses privacy regarding the ability to identify specific individuals by their genetic sequence, and the potential to gain information on specific characteristics about that person via portions of their genetic information, such as their propensity for specific diseases or their immediate or distant ancestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Investigative genetic genealogy</span> Application of genealogy in a legal setting

Investigative genetic genealogy, also known as forensic genetic genealogy, is the emerging practice of utilizing genetic information from direct-to-consumer companies for identifying suspects or victims in criminal cases. As of December 2023, the use of this technology has solved a total of 651 criminal cases, including 318 individual perpetrators who were brought to light. There have also been 464 decedents identified, as well as 4 living Does. The investigative power of genetic genealogy revolves around the use of publicly accessible genealogy databases such as GEDMatch and FamilyTreeDNA. On GEDMatch, users are able to upload their genetic data from any direct-to-consumer company in an effort to identify relatives that have tested at companies other than their own.

References

  1. 1 2 Ancestry.com (2010), U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1 [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
  2. 1 2 Clayton, Mark (November 17, 1998). "Seeking the perfect school". The Christian Science Monitor.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lomax, John Nova (April 14, 2005). "Who's Your Daddy?". Houston Press. Houston Press, LP.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Library Issues Forum: Bennett Greenspan". George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. May 23, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Harmon, Amy (July 25, 2005). "Blacks Pin Hope on DNA to Fill Slavery's Gaps in Family Trees". The New York Times.
  6. 1 2 Remero, Simon (October 29, 2005). "Hispanics Uncovering Roots as Inquisition's 'Hidden' Jews". The New York Times.
  7. 1 2 Alsevr, Jennifer (February 5, 2006). "DNA Kits Aim to Link You to the Here and Then". The New York Times.
  8. 1 2 Wade, Nicholas (June 21, 2006). "Back to Earth After Taking Fall From Genghis's Family Tree". The New York Times.
  9. 1 2 3 Belli, Anne (January 18, 2005). "Moneymakers: Bennett Greenspan". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications, Inc.
  10. 1 2 3 Capper, Russ (November 15, 2008). "Bennett Greenspan of FamilyTreeDNA.com". The BusinessMakers Radio Show. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Nixon, Ron (November 25, 2007). "DNA Tests Find Branches but Few Roots". The New York Times.
  12. 1 2 Wagner, Jennifer K.; Cooper, Jill D.; Sterling, Rene; Royal, Charmaine D. (March 1, 2012). "Tilting at windmills no longer: a data-driven discussion of DTC DNA ancestry tests". Genetics in Medicine. 14 (6): 586–593. doi: 10.1038/gim.2011.77 . PMC   8339991 . PMID   22382803. Family Tree DNA offered the first DTC genetic ancestry test in 2000
  13. ↑ Wade, Nicholas (February 28, 2007). "Study Raises Possibility of Jewish Tie For Jefferson". The New York Times.
  14. 1 2 Harmon, Amy (April 2, 2007). "Stalking Strangers' DNA to Fill in the Family Tree". The New York Times.
  15. ↑ Nixon, Ron (November 25, 2007). "DNA Tests Find Branches but Few Roots". The New York Times.
  16. 1 2 "Supreme Court Ruling Today Allows DNATraits to Offer Low Cost BRCA Breast and Ovarian Cancer Gene Testing in U.S." The Wall Street Journal.
  17. 1 2 "Interview with Bennett Greenspan". Journal of Genetic Genealogy. 5 (2): v–vii. 2009.
  18. 1 2 "Bennett Greenspan Discusses Using DNA to Track Genealogy @ The Breman Museum, Atlanta GA". Eventbrite. April 28, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013. Mr. Greenspan will be speaking on 'Using DNA to settle family disputes, connect to long-lost relatives and to garner an appreciation for where your ancestors came from and where they journeyed since our departure from Africa.'
  19. ↑ "CSE Distinguished Lecture Series: Bennett Greenspan". Georgia Tech College of Computing. April 29, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013. Title of Talk: The Genomic Revolution Thirteen Years Later: Genetic Genealogy and Beyond
  20. 1 2 3 "Obituary: Maurice I. "Bud" Greenspan". Omaha World-Herald . July 17, 2009.
  21. 1 2 3 Dardashti, Schelly Talalay (March 30, 2008). "When oral history meets genetics". The Jerusalem Post.
  22. 1 2 Greenspan, Bennett (November 2010). "An Insider's Look at the Genealogy DNA Field" (PDF). Texas Jewish Historical Society: 1–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  23. 1 2 "The Shield". 1968. 1968: 219.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. ↑ "Bennett Greenspan – Class of 1970, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, United States". The NamesDatabase. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  25. ↑ B'nai B'rith (1969). "The National Jewish Monthly". 84. Washington [etc.] B'nai B'rith: 54.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Bradford, Nicole (February 24, 2008). "Riding the 'genetic revolution'". Houston Business Journal. American City Business Journals.
  27. ↑ State of California. "California Marriage Index, 1960–1985" (Microfiche). Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  28. ↑ Greenspan, Bennett (2007). Opening Talk. Genetic Genealogy Conference for Family Tree DNA Group Administrators. Houston, Texas.
  29. ↑ Texas: Texas Department of State Health Services. "Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997" (Microfiche).{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  30. ↑ "Archive of the Jewish Herald-Voice Houston, Texas: 1908–2007". JewishGen.org.
  31. ↑ Inc.com. "Industrial Photographic Supply" . Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  32. ↑ Stewart A. Feldman & Associates, L.L.P., Appellant v. Industrial Photographic Supply, Inc, Bell Industries, Inc., and Bennett Greenspan, Appellees(November 30, 2000).
  33. ↑ "About GoCollege.com". GoCollege.com. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  34. 1 2 Gibbens, Pam (April 2006). "Talk of The Town – At Familytree DNA, it's all Relative". Greater Houston Weekly / Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications, Inc. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  35. ↑ Skorecki, Karl; Selig, Sara; Blazer, Shraga; Bradman, Robert; Bradman, Neil; Waburton, P. J.; Ismajlowicz, Monica; Hammer, Michael F. (January 1, 1997). "Y chromosomes of Jewish priests". Nature. 385 (6611): 32. Bibcode:1997Natur.385...32S. doi: 10.1038/385032a0 . PMID   8985243. S2CID   5344425.
  36. ↑ "National Genealogical Society Quarterly". 93 (1–4). National Genealogical Society. 2005: 248.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  37. ↑ Moore, CeCe (February 9, 2013). "A Visit to Family Tree DNA's State-of-the-Art Lab". Your Genetic Genealogist. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  38. 1 2 Moore, Charles (April 24, 2013). "Houston-Based Gene By Gene To Provide Student Clinical Phase Instruction, Training, And Supervision at MD Anderson Cancer Center". BioNews Texas.
  39. ↑ Bettinger, Blaine (May 28, 2008). "Interview Series I – Bennett Greenspan of Family Tree DNA". The Genetic Genealogist. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  40. ↑ Bettinger, Blaine (February 20, 2008). "Family Tree DNA Launches DNATraits, A New DNA Testing Company". The Genetic Genealogist. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  41. 1 2 Estes, Roberta (November 13, 2012). "Family Tree DNA Conference 2012 – Nits and Grits". dna-explained.com. Retrieved November 28, 2012.

Further reading

Blogs

Past Lectures

Press Releases

Company Information Pages

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.