Dan Shapiro

Dan Shapiro is the CEO and co-founder of Glowforge, a company known for its innovative 3D laser printers that enable users to create a wide range of products from various materials. He has been leading Glowforge since its inception in September 2014, following a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised $28 million in pre-orders, making it one of the largest campaigns in Kickstarter history.12

Background and Career

Shapiro holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College, which he completed in 1997. His career began at Microsoft, where he worked as a Lead Program Manager from 1997 to 2002. He then transitioned to startups, notably founding companies like Ontela and Sparkbuy, the latter of which was acquired by Google. He also served as CEO at Google Comparison Inc. before focusing on Glowforge.13

In addition to his role at Glowforge, Dan Shapiro is known for creating "Robot Turtles," a board game designed to teach programming principles to children, which became the best-selling board game in Kickstarter's history.25 His entrepreneurial journey reflects a strong emphasis on community engagement and innovative product development, particularly through leveraging crowdfunding as a means to connect with customers and build excitement around new products.24

Personal Life

Shapiro is also a father of twins and actively shares insights about his experiences as both a parent and an entrepreneur, often highlighting the importance of creativity and education in his work.36