Randall Kaplan

Randall Kaplan is an American entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of Akamai Technologies.^[1][2] Kaplan is the managing partner of JUMP Investors, a Los Angeles–based venture capital and private equity firm.^[3]

Randall Kaplan
Education	University of Michigan Northwestern University
Occupation(s)	Venture Capitalist, entrepreneur
Spouse	Madison Kaplan
Children	5
Website	https://www.randallkaplan.com

Early life and education

Kaplan grew up in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan.^[4] After graduation, Kaplan received a J.D. from the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.^[5] Kaplan is on the Northwestern Law Board.^[6] He received the school's first Distinguished Entrepreneur Award in 2006.^[7]

Career

In 1996, Kaplan was hired as a chairman assistant at SunAmerica, working with Eli Broad.^[8]

In August 1998, Kaplan left SunAmerica to start Akamai Technologies with Tom Leighton, Daniel Lewin, and Jonathan Seelig.^[9] After leaving Akamai, Kaplan started JUMP Investors, a Los Angeles–based venture capital and private equity firm.

Kaplan, also known as "Mr. Beach," is currently the CEO and founder of Sandee, a travel start-up. Mr. Beach is known for his annual Top 50 Beaches in the United States list that features the best beaches that the United States has to offer.^[10][11][12] Sandee has been recognized by outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, Entrepreneur (magazine), Maxim (magazine), Coveteur, Skift, InsideHook, The Malaysian Reserve, and the San Diego Union Tribune. ^{[13][14][15][16][17][18]} Kaplan is also the owner and CEO of CollarCard, LLC, a promotional products company.^[19]

Philanthropy

In 1996, Kaplan started The Justice Ball,^[20][21] whose beneficiary is Bet Tzedek Legal Services.^[22]

Kaplan is also the co-founder and current co-chair of The Imagine Ball,^[23][24] an annual charity concert whose proceeds benefit Imagine LA, a non-profit specializing in homelessness and poverty in LA.^[25] Kaplan established the Julia Eder Dean's Scholarship at the University of Michigan in honor of his grandmother.^[26][27] Kaplan has also endowed a permanent full-tuition, need-based scholarship at the University of Michigan.^[28]

Assault case against Gimelstob

In November 2018, Kaplan was publicly assaulted by Justin Gimelstob in the presence of the former's wife and two-year-old daughter.^{[29][30][31][32][33][34][35]} Gilmelstob later pleaded "no contest" to a felony battery charge, and was sentenced to three years’ probation and 60 days of community labor.^[36] Kaplan's wife attributed the miscarriage of her unborn child to the stress of witnessing the attack.^[37]