American entrepreneur and investor
| Joe Sanberg | |
|---|---|
 Sanberg speaking at the 2019 California Democratic Party State Convention | |
| Born | (1979-07-12) July 12, 1979 (age 45) Southern California, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard University (AB) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Website | Official website |
Joseph N. Sanberg (born July 12, 1979) is an American entrepreneur. He is co-founder of Aspiration, Inc., initially an online banking and investing firm, and an early investor in meal delivery service Blue Apron. He is also the founder of CalEITC4Me, a California outreach program that helps low-income families claim the state and federal earned income tax credits.
Life
Born and raised in Southern California, Sanberg went to Anaheim's Servite High School and studied at Harvard University. He is Jewish.
Career
Sanberg has described that, after college, he went to work on Wall Street and earned enough to feel monetarily secure. However, he has said he was uneasy working in an industry that he said "totally divorced service from profit", and shifted to investing in start-ups, including the meal delivery outfit Blue Apron and Aspiration.com.
Sanberg co-founded Aspiration, Inc., an online financial company, with Andrei Cherny in 2013. Aspiration enables customers to choose their own fee levels on checking and investment accounts, and offers managed funds that are 100% fossil-fuel free. Sanberg is a founding investor in Blue Apron, a home meal delivery service and IVY.com, a "social university".
Sanberg serves on the Board of Governors at the Jefferson Awards Foundation, an organization that engages over a million youth in volunteer programs and public service annually.
Sanberg was called "the spark" for his leadership in 2015 toward California launching an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). To support the California EITC, he founded a statewide outreach program called CalEITC4Me that is administered by Golden State Opportunity Foundation, which conducts research, analysis, public information and education programs with the aim of creating economic security for Californians. CalEITC4Me helps working families claim the state and federal earned income tax credits (EITC) and helps families get free tax preparation services.
Political speculation
It was reported in 2018 that Sanberg was considering a run for president in 2020 on an anti-poverty platform. Sanberg stated that he would support whoever the Democratic nominee is if he did not run. Sanberg began traveling to Ohio in April 2019 to test the possibility of a presidential run. Ultimately, on June 1, 2019, at the California Democrats State Convention, Sanberg announced that he would not campaign for the presidency.
With the possibility rising of a 2021 recall election to remove Governor Gavin Newsom, Sanberg attacked the recall as "anti-democratic" but prompted speculation that he might run in such an election.
Sanberg is leading an initiative in the 2024 California elections to raise the minimum wage to $18/hour, and organizers have purportedly received more than 1 million signatures. Sanberg has said that the idea is "wildly popular," with over 60% support.
References
- "Occasional author for". The Nation.
- ^ "Most Influential 2016: Joseph Sanberg connects the working poor to California's earned income tax credit – Orange County Register". December 24, 2016.
- Fouriezos, Nick. "The Democratic Party's Next Move: Making Friends with Big Business". OZY. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- "Two Harvard Friends Aspire to Do Well by Doing Good - Stories - Harvard Alumni".
- Chernikoff, Helen (February 19, 2021). "Meet Joe Sanberg, a 'progressive entrepreneur' who believes in God". ejewishphilanthropy.com.
I became obsessed with money, and lost touch with my core Jewish values, and that bar mitzvah boy reading Shoftim.
- "He made millions as an L.A. investor. Now, he may run for president to fight poverty". Los Angeles Times. May 28, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- Henry, Zoë (June 15, 2017). "This Founder Grew Up on Food Stamps. Now He Runs a Digital Money Manager for the Middle Class". Inc.com. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
- "Aspiration - Do Well. Do Good". Aspiration. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
- "About me – Joe Sanberg". joesanberg.com.
- "Jefferson Awards Foundation - About Us". Jefferson Awards Foundation. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
- "POLITICO California Playbook, presented by Chevron: HORROR IN SAN BERNARDINO -- NURSES for Newsom -- NEW PPIC poll". POLITICO.
- "Creating a Current for Change: Joe Sanberg's Golden State Opportunity | VOICE". VOICE. January 7, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
- "First-time state tax credit aids thousands of O.C. families". Orange County Register. August 29, 2016.
- "Is This Blue Apron Investor Aiming for the White House on a Poverty Platform". OZY. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- "Taking on Trump: Democrats lining up early for 2020". San Francisco Chronicle. December 13, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- Sanberg, Joe (February 8, 2019). "I will support whoever is the Democratic nominee for President in 2020!". Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- "California entrepreneur Joe Sanberg tests the Ohio waters for Democratic presidential run". Cleveland. April 12, 2019.
- Mark Z. Barabak and Melanie Mason (June 1, 2019). "At California convention, Democratic candidates unite in bashing Trump but squabble over issues". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- Marinucci, Carla (February 18, 2021). "California Democrats scramble to fight Newsom recall, close ranks". Politico. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- "Supporters gather 1 million signatures to put $18 minimum wage on November ballot". FOX40. May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
- "'Big News': Over 1 Million Signatures Gathered to Put $18 Min. Wage on California Ballot". Common Dreams. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
- McLean, Caitlin (February 12, 2022). "Sanberg: California $18 minimum wage is 'widely' supported". The Hill. Retrieved May 13, 2022.