Early Life
Anthony Casalena was born on April 24, 1982, in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Hereford High School in rural Maryland and later the University of Maryland, College Park. During his time at the University of Maryland, Casalena was also involved in the Hinman CEOs Program.
Rise to Success
Casalena founded Squarespace in 2003 while he was a student at the University of Maryland. He started the company from his dorm room. The initial funding for Squarespace came in the form of $30,000 in seed funding from his father. Casalena launched Squarespace in January 2004. The platform was initially a blog-hosting service. Casalena was the sole employee until 2006. Squarespace quickly gained traction. By 2007, the company was making $1 million in annual revenue. Casalena moved to New York City and began hiring. By 2010, the company had 30 employees. In 2014, Squarespace raised $78.5 million in venture capital.
Key Business Strategies
Casalena's leadership style in the early days was characterized by being very hands-on. Casalena had the disposition to fix things himself, and was an engineer. He took a sustainable approach to growth and kept the business financially sound from the start.
Philanthropy
I was unable to locate information about Anthony Casalena's specific philanthropy initiatives. However, he is a highly successful entrepreneur.