Early Life and Education
Bradley A. Keywell was born in October 1969, growing up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He attended Cranbrook Schools before studying at the London School of Economics in 1990. Keywell earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan in 1991 and a Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993.
Rise to Success
Keywell's entrepreneurial journey began early, with his first business at age 7, a greeting card company called Key Creations. He gained early experience by interning for Sam Zell's Equity Group Investments while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. He co-founded several successful companies including Starbelly, Echo Global Logistics, MediaBank, Groupon, and Uptake Technologies. Groupon's IPO in 2011, co-founded with Eric Lefkofsky and Andrew Mason, further solidified Keywell’s success, with the company being valued at billions of dollars.
Key Business Strategies
Keywell has focused on identifying and capitalizing on emerging market opportunities, particularly in technology. Uptake Technologies, founded in 2014, exemplifies this strategy, using AI to provide insights for industrial operators. This focus on data-driven solutions has been a hallmark of his ventures. Keywell's ability to build and scale businesses quickly, coupled with his early adoption of innovative technologies, has been pivotal to his success.
Philanthropy
Brad Keywell is committed to philanthropy, signing The Giving Pledge in 2015 to donate a majority of his wealth to charitable causes. He founded the Keywell Foundation in 2014, supporting nonprofit and NGO enterprises. He also founded Chicago Ideas, an innovation platform. Additionally, he chairs the Future Founders Foundation, focused on entrepreneurship education for students.