# Mark Gainey

> Mark Gainey is the American co-founder and executive chairman of Strava and a former CEO of the company. Raised in Reno and educated at Harvard, he met Michael Horvath through rowing, co-founded Kana Communications in 1996, and helped launch Strava in 2009 around their longstanding ambition to recreate the camaraderie of a sports team online.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Executive Chairman at Strava
- **Organizations:** Strava, Kana Communications, TA Associates
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** AB; studied fine arts (described by Gainey as art history), Harvard University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Kana Communications and helped develop it into a publicly traded enterprise software company., Co-founded Strava, connecting athletes through recorded activities, comparisons and social interaction., Served as Strava CEO in two separate periods before continuing as chairman.

## Career timeline

- **1990** — Graduated from Harvard, where he had rowed on the lightweight crew team.
- **1991-1995** — Worked at TA Associates.
- **1995** — Developed a virtual-locker-room business plan with Michael Horvath.
- **1996** — Co-founded Kana Communications, which developed enterprise customer-email software.
- **1999** — Kana went public on NASDAQ.
- **2008** — Tested an early Strava prototype with 20 cyclists during the Tour de France.
- **2009** — Co-founded Strava and served as its first CEO.
- **2010** — Michael Horvath succeeded him as CEO.
- **2013** — Returned as Strava CEO.
- **2017** — James Quarles succeeded him as CEO; Gainey continued as chairman.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Kana Communications and helped develop it into a publicly traded enterprise software company.
- Co-founded Strava, connecting athletes through recorded activities, comparisons and social interaction.
- Served as Strava CEO in two separate periods before continuing as chairman.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Publicly shared Nick Stewart’s Linecook launch announcement on LinkedIn with an encouraging message to its two founders.
- **2025-07** — Appeared in a Terra interview in San Francisco, discussing niche audiences, software iteration, fundraising and the role of free members in Strava’s community.
- **2024-09** — Discussed his Harvard rowing experience and the origins of Strava with the Harvard Independent.
- **2023-12** — Joined Michael Horvath in a founders’ message welcoming Michael Martin as Strava’s next CEO, beginning in 2024.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-gainey-b6536/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mark-gainey
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-14