Paul Budnitz | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Citizenship | United States |
Education | Berkeley High School [2] |
Occupation(s) | Founder of Kidrobot and Ello Owner of Budnitz Bicycles Founder of Superplastic.co |
Spouse | Sabine "Sa" Budnitz |
Paul Budnitz (born September 14, 1967) is an American entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of global entertainment brand, Superplastic. [3] He is the founder of retailer Kidrobot, and the social network Ello. He also owns Budnitz Bicycles in Burlington, Vermont. [4]
Paul Budnitz grew up in Berkeley, California in a Jewish[ citation needed ] family. His father was a nuclear physicist, and his mother was a social worker. He graduated from Berkeley High School and eventually transferred to Yale University in Connecticut. [5] [2]
Budnitz is also a film director, and in 1996 he directed the film 93 Million Miles from the Sun. In 2001, he directed Ultraviolet, a 13-minute short film. [6]
Budnitz is the founder of Kidrobot, Ello, Budnitz Bicycles, and Superplastic. Superplastic is known for creating synthetic celebrities who appear in social media, music, gaming, high-end collectibles, fashion, animated entertainment, web3 and live experiences. The company sells real and virtual products, and has collaborated with Gucci, Fortnite, Mercedes-Benz, Tommy Hilfiger, Christie's, J. Balvin, Paris Hilton, and Vince Staples. [3]
Budnitz has lived in Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Montana; and Shelburne, Vermont. He is married to Sabine "Sa Budnitz" and the couple split their time between Vermont and New York City. [7] [8] [9]
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Kidrobot is a producer and retailer of designer toys, vinyl art toys, and collectibles founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Paul Budnitz. The company was one of the earliest creators of designer art toys in America.
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The Berkeley Forum, referred to simply as the Forum, is a prominent, non-partisan student organization at the University of California, Berkeley. Founded in 2012, the Forum hosts debates, panels, and talks with distinguished speakers on various topics; it is modeled after similar organizations at other prestigious universities, like the Oxford Union, Cambridge Union, and Yale Political Union.
Ello was an online social networking service created by Paul Budnitz and Todd Berger in March 2014. It was created as an ad-free alternative to existing social networks. It pivoted from its earlier Facebook-like incarnation toward a Pinterest-like website which showcased art, photography, fashion and web culture.
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He eventually went to Yale, where he'd study engineering while obsessing over art, and then pivoted, studying art while obsessing over computers and making films in his free time.