Jason E. Klein
Founder and CEO
Jason E. Klein is an experienced media CEO, successful business builder and turnaround leader. He is currently founder and CEO of On Grid Ventures LLC, an investment and advisory firm for high growth ventures in media, marketing, commerce and information, with a focus on early stage ventures with leading-edge location technologies. On Grid Venture’s portfolio includes over 20 companies including RapidSOS, NY Shipping Exchange, TireAgent, Seamless Documents, Shoppable, and Four Mine.
Mr. Klein is Chairman of Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of Greater New York. Under his leadership, HBSAANY has grown three-fold to be the largest angel investment network in the northeast, with 350+ members investing $2-3+ million per year. He is also President of the Harvard Business School Angels Alumni Association, with 14 chapters across 4 continents and $60+ million invested.
Mr. Klein was previously CEO of Times Mirror Magazines, a leading magazine publisher with $300 million in revenue and 25 titles including Golf Magazine, Popular Science, Transworld Skateboarding, and Skiing. Mr. Klein joined the company as Group President of Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines, and led their turnaround from losses to the most profitable magazines in the company. Mr. Klein ran Times Mirror Magazines when its parent was sold to Tribune in 2000, oversaw the divestiture of Times Mirror Magazines to Time Inc. for $475 million, and ran the integration into Time Inc. While at Times Mirror, Mr. Klein negotiated the launch of the Outdoor Life as a cable TV network, and launched Today’s Homeowner into TV syndication.
Mr. Klein was President and CEO of Newspaper National Network LP, the leading national network for local media, and a limited partnership of 25 of the largest U.S. local media companies including Tribune, Gannett, Hearst, Advance Newhouse, New York Times, and the Washington Post. Mr. Klein led its expansion from a focus on daily print to a full line provider of scalable marketing solutions encompassing video, sponsored content, hyperlocal, and multi-cultural. Under Mr. Klein’s leadership, NNN delivered record results and pioneered media effectiveness metrics.
Mr. Klein a founder of MDconsult, an information aggregator for medical professionals, rebranded as ClinicalKey and owned by Elsevier. He also founded Healthy Living Media, a private-equity backed venture, with North Castle Partners. Mr. Klein ran strategic development for Times Mirror’s $1B professional division where he completed the acquisition of 15 companies in two years, including building a consumer health information sector. Mr. Klein is a former management consultant with McKinsey where he developed growth and turnaround strategies for consumer packaged goods companies, retailers, and media companies, including leading a $100 million profit improvement effort for a big 4 television network. Mr. Klein has also been a Managing Director at advisory services firm Empirical Media.
Mr. Klein is a member of New York Angels, and on the advisory boards at Shoppable and TireAgent. Mr. Klein began his career at Bain & Company in CA as an associate consultant focused on consumer goods, technology, and health care. His is on the board and chairman of the strategic planning committee of The Forward, and served on the board of the New York City Police Foundation for 18 years. Mr. Klein is a past Chairman of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine,, and board member of the Magazine Publishers of America and American Advertising Federation. Mr. Klein was recognized by Media Magazine as one of “100 People to Know” in the media industry, and by AlleyWatch as one of “25 Angels Investors in NY You Need to Know.” He can be found on twitter @JKNews. Mr. Klein has had multiple writing and speaking engagements on the digital future of local media, including Neiman Lab, Advertising Age, and testimony before FCC on the information needs of communities.
Mr. Klein holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB from Dartmouth College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude in Computer Science.
Team On Grid Ventures Jason Klein