Venture for America Company Spotlight with Benzinga, located in Detroit, Michigan:
Benzinga is an innovative news and analysis service that focuses on global markets. Benzinga prides itself on providing original, accurate and timely global financial content every day. The service features content from industry experts and experienced analysts while also covering the news of the day.
Managing Director of Marketing at Benzinga, Sarah Knapp, tells us more:
1. Tell us about Benzinga.
Benzinga is a financial media company based out of Metro Detroit that currently serves over 3 million readers in over 125 countries every month. We provide actionable trading and produce real-time tools to give traders and readers an edge that was once only available to the very elite.
Jason Raznick, a passionate entrepreneur, is the founder of Benzinga. After working at Merrill Lynch, Jim Cramers TheStreet.com, and Tricap Holdings, Jason discovered a niche in providing actionable trading ideas. In the first five months, Benzinga grew to over 50k active members. Since then, Benzinga has accepted a 1.5M investment from Lightbank, the founders of Groupon and have been growing rapidly.
Jason and Benzinga have been featured on Fox Business, CNBC the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.
2. Name a fun fact about Benzinga.
Benzinga is made up of energetic, fun-loving people who are looking to disrupt the norm. Our culture fosters creativity with a one-for-all, all-for-one attitude. The offices are a place where entrepreneurs can thrive in a fast-paced environment.
Starting the week with Monday morning meetings, the Benzinga team comes together to establish weekly goals and pass the zinger of the week football. This tradition allows the employee who was previously awarded the football to spotlight another team member who deserves to be recognized.
Each Friday we conclude the week by coming together and sharing the successes of individuals as well as the company as a whole. Other than the meetings, our staff shares successes by striking our Benzinga gong, serenading employees on their birthdays, and even partaking in some pretty competitive bake-offs.
3. What does your ideal Venture Fellow look like?
Our ideal Fellow has an insatiable crave to improve this world for the better. They see everything around them as an opportunity to change rather than just accepting things at face value. As a startup company were looking for someone who can contribute to the team in a big way by presenting their ideas, taking a project from start to finish and who is driven to succeed. We dont want someone who wants to go to work, we want someone who wants to build, create and contribute to a company from the ground up.
Strong candidates should be familiar with the financial industry, have excellent writing abilities, be able to strike up a conversation with just about anyone and have a wicked ping pong serve.
4. What does the daily office routine look like?
Our team is made up of early risers, afternoon superstars and night owls. Starting things off with a strong pot of coffee, each day we strive to keep building.
Every day we are working to push the most unique content possible while creating relationships with new partners and customers. Our office is fun, yet busy and aggressive. Although we work hard every day, we always find time to bounce ideas off of each other and have a good time.
Additional thoughts and comments:
Life is too short to work at a boring company. Building at Benzinga is not for everyone. But if it is a good fit for you there is no place better to be. Carpe Diem!
If youre ready for a challenge, have a real thirst to succeed and are up to a challenge, youre someone we want to hear from.
To find out more about Benzinga:
Web: http://www.benzinga.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/Benzinga
Twitter: @Benzinga