Adam Lyons
{{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}}
| nationality = American
| education =
| occupation = Founder, The Zebra{{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}}
| years_active = 2012-present
| employer =
| organization =
| known_for =
}}
Adam Lyons{{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}} 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.{{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}} He dropped out of high school when he was 15 years old and had odd jobs until he became an insurance underwriter.{{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}} Lyons was taking classes at a local community college when he was recruited by the Risk Management & Insurance Department at Temple University.{{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=}} He graduated from Temple University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Fox School of Business.{{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}}
Career
Lyons worked in the insurance industry, starting at Lloyd's of London as a broker and underwriter.{{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}} Later, he worked as an underwriter for All Risks Insurance, one of the largest US insurance wholesalers.{{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}}{{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}}
In 2012, Lyons founded The Zebra.{{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}} Lyons began to look for investors for the new business venture and partnered with Mark Cuban, after pitching the startup over a cold email. Later, Cuban noted he liked the concept of The Zebra and commented on Lyons' succinct writing style. Adam also partnered with Mike Maples, Jr., an early investor in Twitter and Lyft{{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}} of Floodgate Fund, UK billionaire Simon Nixon of Moneysupermarket.com.{{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}} and Silverton Partners based in Austin, Texas. After securing $4.5 million in seed funding in 2013, Lyons relocated the company to Austin, TX.
In 2015, Lyons was named to Inc. Magazine's 30 Under 30 list.{{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}} He was recognized as a finalist for the 2016 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award{{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}} and also made Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017.{{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}}
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.{{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}}{{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}}
In 2022, Lyons founded REALLY Wireless, a fully-encrypted and privacy focused wireless mobile network.{{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}}{{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}}