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Co-founder and CEO | ShipSigma
Chase Flashman bet all his chips on, well, Chase Flashman. He emptied his 401(k) and maxed out his credit cards to launch a company whose software as a service helps cut small-parcel shipping costs. The building of ShipSigma’s proprietary technology for high-volume shippers started in 2018, and a year later the company realized annual revenue of about $2 million. ShipSigma now generates more than $10 million in revenue, has drawn millions of dollars in outside investment, and has assembled a board of advisers that includes executives from companies such as Home Depot and Chrysler. “On average,” Flashman said, “we reduce shipping costs for companies by 25.2%, which is great, but the impact it has on the people of those companies is everything,” he said. The money saved has helped companies hire more people, improve their technology and provide raises or bonuses. “That’s what I love about what we do,” he said, “the impact it has on the people of the businesses we’re helping.”
Getting here: In college, he knew he wanted to work in a financial role for a global company. UPS came to mind, so he cold-called the controller and talked his way into an internship. He was at UPS for nearly a decade before realizing he wasn’t using his financial and logistics expertise as much as he would in an entrepreneurial effort. “So,” he said, “I decided to create a technology platform that leverages data and analytics to help business shippers save money.”
First job: He mowed lawns when he was 14.
Influential moment: When he emptied his savings to launch ShipSigma. “It was at that point that I knew my only option was to succeed,” he said.
Givebacks: He volunteers at Damar Services, which provides services to children and adults with developmental, behavioral and intellectual disabilities. He also is a mentor and board member with TechPoint.
Advice: “Have an entrepreneurial mindset, so be positive, driven and authentic with a thirst for knowledge. There is so much that no one is going to teach you, so you have to have a natural desire to learn.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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