Education
Kernan holds a B.S. from Loyola College.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Kernan holds a B.S. from Loyola College.
As an experienced CEO and corporate director, John has been instrumental in the successes of a host of computer software and Internet businesses. Prior to founding Brickfish, John built Lightspan (NASDAQ: LSPN) from a startup to a $50+ million revenue public company before merging it with Plato Learning (NASDAQ: TUTR). Previously, John founded Jostens Learning Corporation which he built from the ground up into the nation’s largest education software business with revenues in excess of $200 million.
Specializing in corporate development including startups, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, John also helped build Elemental Software (now part of Adobe Systems Incorporated), and helped to create Gill Management Services (now CSG Systems). John serves as a director and investor on a number of other notable public and private Internet software companies, including Midicorp and Varsity Group, Inc.
John T. Kernan has served as a Director since March 2002. Kernan is the co-founder of Brickfish, an online marketing platform that leverages the power of User Generated Content and social media to connect brands with consumers. Prior to founding Brickfish, Kernan served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lightspan Inc, a leading provider of curriculum-based educational software and Internet products and services used both in school and at home, from September 1993 until November 2003. Prior to co-founding Lightspan, Kernan served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Jostens Learning Corporation, an educational software company.