# Jake Winebaum

> Jake Winebaum is an American serial entrepreneur who has spent more than three decades turning observations into companies. He built the business plan for Disney's first internet push and ran Disney Online, co-founded the dot-com incubator eCompanies with EarthLink's Sky Dayton, founded and sold Business.com for $345 million, launched the healthcare marketplace Brighter (acquired by Cigna), and now serves as Executive Chairman of Applied Cognition. A self-described accidental entrepreneur, he is also a serious endurance athlete and the author of a business strategy and growth newsletter, the Strategy Letter.

- **Role:** Executive Chairman & Co-Founder at Applied Cognition
- **Organizations:** Applied Cognition, Brighter, Business.com, eCompanies, Disney Online, Buena Vista Internet Group, FamilyFun
- **From:** New York City, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Preparatory, Phillips Exeter Academy, Biology and Creative Writing, cum laude (Grimes Senior Writing Prize), Dartmouth College
- **Known for:** Sold Business.com to R.H. Donnelley for $345 million in 2007, Built the business plan for and led The Walt Disney Company's internet initiatives as President of Disney Online, Co-founded eCompanies, which spawned Boingo Wireless, JAMDAT Mobile (acquired by EA), LowerMyBills and Business.com

## Career timeline

- **1980** — Founded Same Day Fish Company, delivering fresh fish to markets within 24 hours
- **1982** — Joined Fortune Magazine
- **1983** — Worked at Time Magazine
- **1985** — Worked at U.S. News & World Report
- **1991** — Co-founded FamilyFun Magazine
- **1992** — Sold FamilyFun to The Walt Disney Company
- **1994** — Founded FamilyPC Magazine at Disney
- **1995** — Named President of Disney Online; later Chairman of Buena Vista Internet Group, overseeing Disney.com, ABCNews.com and ESPN.com
- **1999** — Co-founded the internet incubator eCompanies with Sky Dayton
- **2002** — Became CEO of Business.com
- **2007** — Sold Business.com to R.H. Donnelley for $345 million
- **2010** — Founded the healthcare marketplace Brighter
- **2017** — Brighter acquired by Cigna; Winebaum became Chief Digital Officer
- **2020** — Co-founded Applied Cognition with Paul Dagum; serves as Executive Chairman

## Achievements

- Sold Business.com to R.H. Donnelley for $345 million in 2007
- Built the business plan for and led The Walt Disney Company's internet initiatives as President of Disney Online
- Co-founded eCompanies, which spawned Boingo Wireless, JAMDAT Mobile (acquired by EA), LowerMyBills and Business.com
- Named Ernst & Young Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, Los Angeles (2018)
- Inducted into the Los Angeles Venture Association Hall of Fame (2010)
- Named to Time Magazine's Top 50 Cyber Elite and the Wired 25
- Founder of FamilyFun magazine, acquired by Disney

## Latest updates

- **2020-12** — Co-founded Applied Cognition with Paul Dagum, serving as Executive Chairman

## Links

- Website: https://appliedcognition.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewinebaum/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/JakeWinebaum

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jake-winebaum
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-03