Grubhub Founder Mike Evans: A Startup Journey and What Came Next

During the depths of the pandemic, one of the most important companies in America was Grubhub. The online food delivery service was a lifesaver for residents sheltering in place and for restaurants struggling to make revenue. But where did this company come from? The story of how Grubhub was founded and what its founder, Mike Evans, learned along the way is a story important for anyone who cares about our new tech economy, particularly in the Bay Area, and what it is doing to those who start these companies.

In his new memoir, Hangry: A Startup Journey, Evans reveals the inside story of how a pizza craving turned into a hobby, and then became a business that ultimately grew into a multi-billion dollar behemoth that changed the way we eat across the country. Evans story is an interesting one with lessons for entrepreneurs of all kinds. He learned on the fly as he grew a massive business from his apartment. Along the way, he worked 80-hour weeks, almost lost his marriage, raised hundreds of millions of dollars, and even merged with another company.Then Evans surprised everyone by walking away from it all to bike across the country in search of life balance.

Please join us as Evans takes us on a funny journey about starting and growing a company that changed the fabric of our lives and what he learned about business, himself and the world along the way. 

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Mike Evans

Founder, Grubhub; Author, Hangry: A Startup Journey

Vikrum Aiyer

Member, Inforum Advisory Board; Former Vice President of Public Policy, Postmates—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 2nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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