{{Short description|American entrepreneur}} {{Infobox person | name = Adam Lyons | image = Adam Lyons, Founder of The Zebra.jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|06|20|df=y}} | education = | occupation = Founder, The Zebra<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fortune.com/2015/01/09/9-extremely-clever-startup-funding-stories/ |title=9 extremely clever startup funding stories |date=9 January 2015 |website=fortune.com |publisher=Fortune |access-date=3 July 2015}}</ref> | years_active = 2012-present | employer = | organization = | known_for = }}
'''Adam Lyons'''<ref name="MOVE">{{cite web |url=http://www.siliconhillsnews.com/2012/10/10/why-i-moved-my-company-to-austin/ |title=Why I Moved My Company to Austin |last1=Lahey |first1=Susan |date=10 October 2012 |website=siliconhillsnews.com |publisher=Silicon Hills News | access-date=3 July 2015}}</ref> is an American entrepreneur. He founded The Zebra, an insurance comparison website and REALLY Wireless, a telecommunications company.
==Education== Lyons grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.popcitymedia.com/innovationnews/insurancezebra022912.aspx| title=InsuranceZebra wants to be the Kayak of the online insurance search| last=Smit| first=Deb| date=February 29, 2012| publisher=PopCity News| access-date=June 18, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618160232/http://www.popcitymedia.com/innovationnews/insurancezebra022912.aspx| archive-date=June 18, 2015| url-status=dead}}</ref> He dropped out of high school when he was 15 years old and had odd jobs until he became an insurance underwriter.<ref name=fortune16>{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2016/01/26/the-zebra-mark-cuban/|title=High School Dropout Raises $17 Million After Cold Emailing Mark Cuban|publisher=Fortune|author=Erin Griffith|date=January 26, 2016|access-date=February 15, 2016}}</ref> Lyons was taking classes at a local community college when he was recruited by the Risk Management & Insurance Department at Temple University.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://thrivewire.com/stories/compare-car-insurance-companies-quickly-and-easily-through-the-zebra| title=Compare Car Insurance Companies Quickly And Easily Through The Zebra| last=Cooke| first=Lacy| date=June 4, 2015| publisher=ThriveWire| access-date=June 18, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618151836/https://thrivewire.com/stories/compare-car-insurance-companies-quickly-and-easily-through-the-zebra| archive-date=2015-06-18| url-status=dead| df=}}</ref> He graduated from Temple University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Fox School of Business.<ref name="temple">{{cite journal| url=http://www.fox.temple.edu/cms/wp-content/themes/fox/pubs/fox_focus/11_14/index.html| title=Office Hours: Adam Lyons| journal=Fox Focus| publisher=Temple University| access-date=June 18, 2015}}</ref>
==Career== Lyons worked in the insurance industry, starting at Lloyd's of London as a broker and underwriter.<ref name=inc16>{{cite web|url=http://www.inc.com/zoe-henry/mark-cuban-invested-in-the-zebra-car-insurance.html|title=How Mark Cuban's Advice Led to One Startup's Major Growth, and $21 Million in Funding|publisher=Inc.|author=Zoe Henry|date=January 26, 2016|access-date=February 15, 2016}}</ref> Later, he worked as an underwriter for All Risks Insurance, one of the largest US insurance wholesalers.<ref name="states">{{cite web| url=http://www.statesman.com/news/business/insurance-zebra-raises-15-million-and-moves-headqu/nWCNY/| title=Insurance Zebra raises $1.5 million and moves headquarters from Pittsburgh to Austin| last=Hawkins| first=Lori| date=January 31, 2013| publisher=Austin Statesman| access-date=June 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/01/31/insurance-zebra-raises-1-5-million-from-mark-cuban-floodgate-silverton-birchmere-to-be-the-kayak-for-auto-insurance/| title=Insurance Zebra Raises $1.5 Million From Mark Cuban, Floodgate, Silverton & Birchmere To Be The Kayak For Auto Insurance| last=Perez| first=Sarah| date=January 31, 2013| publisher=TechCrunch| access-date=June 18, 2015}}</ref>
In 2012, Lyons founded The Zebra.<ref name="incmag">{{cite web| url=http://www.inc.com/issie-lapowsky/how-to-get-mark-cubans-money.html| title=How a 26-Year-Old Founder Landed Mark Cuban's Money| last=Lapowsky| first=Issie| date=December 10, 2013| publisher=Inc. Magazine| access-date=June 18, 2015}}</ref> Lyons began to look for investors for the new business venture and partnered with Mark Cuban, after pitching the startup over a cold email.<ref name=inc16/><ref name=fortune16/> Later, Cuban noted he liked the concept of The Zebra and commented on Lyons' succinct writing style.<ref name="incmag" /> Adam also partnered with Mike Maples, Jr., an early investor in Twitter and Lyft<ref name="tc13">{{cite web| url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/12/10/kayak-for-auto-insurance-site-the-zebra-grabs-another-3m-launches-nationwide/| title=Kayak For Auto Insurance Site The Zebra Grabs Another $3M, Launches Nationwide| last=Perez| first=Sarah| date=December 10, 2013| publisher=TechCrunch| access-date=June 18, 2015}}</ref> of Floodgate Fund, UK billionaire Simon Nixon of Moneysupermarket.com.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241022| title=9 Extremely Clever Startup Funding Stories| last=Patterson| first=Te-Erika| date=January 8, 2015| publisher=Entrepreneur magazine| access-date=June 18, 2015}}</ref> and Silverton Partners based in Austin, Texas.<ref name="incmag"/> After securing $4.5 million in seed funding in 2013, Lyons relocated the company to Austin, TX.<ref name="MOVE"/>
In 2015, Lyons was named to ''Inc. Magazine's'' 30 Under 30 list.<ref name="inc">{{cite web| url=http://www.inc.com/graham-winfrey/2015-30-under-30-the-zebra.html| title=How This Young Founder Landed Big Fish Investor Mark Cuban| last=Winfrey| first=Graham| date=April 22, 2015| publisher=Inc. Magazine| access-date=June 18, 2015}}</ref> He was recognized as a finalist for the 2016 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.ey.com/US/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/CT_article_finalists | title = Meet the 2016 finalists | website = EY.com | publisher = Ernst & Young | date = 2016}}</ref> and also made Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |title=Six Austin Entrepreneurs Make the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 List |url=http://www.siliconhillsnews.com/2017/01/05/six-austin-entrepreneurs-make-the-2017-forbes-30-under-30-list/ |accessdate=7 July 2018 |publisher=Silicon Hills |date=5 January 2017}}</ref>
In 2018, Lyons left The Zebra to explore other ventures including the development of a reality TV show with the Pilgrim Media Group in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2018/08/03/adam-lyons-leaves-the-zebra-hints-at-something-new.html |title=Adam Lyons leaves The Zebra, hints at something new up his sleeve |date=August 3, 2018 |website=Biz Journals |publisher=Biz Journals |access-date=January 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2019/03/10/how-adam-lyons-a-former-ceo-is-prepping-for-a.html |title=How Adam Lyons, a former CEO, is prepping for a career in TV; Coaching entrepreneurs is the goal |date=March 10, 2019 |website=Biz Journals |publisher=Biz Journals |access-date=January 16, 2020}}</ref>
In 2022, Lyons founded REALLY Wireless, a fully-encrypted and privacy focused wireless mobile network.<ref name=Fierce>{{cite web|url=https://www.fierce-network.com/tech/distributed-wireless-company-really-strikes-deal-t-mobile|title=Distributed wireless company REALLY strikes deal with T-Mobile|website=Fierce Network|date=September 21, 2023|author=Linda Hardesty|access-date=July 13, 2024}}</ref><ref name=INC>{{cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/sarah-lynch-/this-serial-entrepreneur-struck-a-key-deal-to-scale-up-here-are-his-tips-for-achieving-fast-growth.html|title=This Serial Entrepreneur Struck a Key Deal to Scale Up. Here Are His Tips for Achieving Fast Growth|website=Inc.|date=September 21, 2023|author=Sarah Lynch|access-date=July 13, 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyons, Adam}} Category:American company founders Category:American chief executives Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Austin, Texas Category:Year of birth missing (living people)