Martin Babinec

Martin Babinec is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and venture catalyst with extensive experience in building and supporting startup ecosystems. He joined the Board of Directors of Endeavor Western New York in November 2022.2

Career Highlights

Babinec is best known as the founder of TriNet, a Silicon Valley-based cloud HR services company. He founded TriNet in 1988 and served as its CEO for the first 20 years, then as Chairman until 2010, and remained on the Board of Directors until 2022.12 Under his leadership, TriNet grew to serve over 15,000 clients and 325,000 employees, generating about $5 billion in annual revenue.2

Current Roles and Ventures

Babinec is currently involved in several organizations:

• Founder and Managing Partner of UpVentures Capital, making direct investments in over 50 startup companies1
• Founder and Chairman of Entrepreneurs Across Borders, a non-profit supporting entrepreneurship in developing countries12
• Founder and Director of Unite NY, a non-partisan political organization focused on political reform2
• Co-founder and advisor to StartFast Ventures, a Seed to Series A venture capital fund2

Entrepreneurship and Community Development

Babinec is deeply committed to fostering entrepreneurship and economic development:

• He founded Upstate Venture Connect, a non-profit aimed at building a startup ecosystem in Upstate New York1
• In 2016, he ran as an independent candidate for U.S. Congress in New York's 22nd District12
• He authored the Amazon bestseller "More Good Jobs: An Entrepreneur's Action Plan to Create Change in Your Community"1

Recognition and Background

Babinec is a recipient of the Silicon Valley Business Journal's Entrepreneur of the Year award.1 He is a native and resident of Little Falls, NY, and has worked in various locations including Japan, Italy, and the San Francisco Bay Area during his early career with Navy Exchanges.3

His involvement with Endeavor Western New York aligns with his broader mission of connecting high-growth founders to resources they need to scale companies, leveraging his extensive experience in entrepreneurship and ecosystem building.4