# Martin Babinec

> Martin Babinec founded TriNet in 1988 and served as CEO until 2008. After returning to his hometown of Little Falls, New York, he founded Upstate Venture Connect and pursued startup investing, mentoring, philanthropy, and democracy reform. His 2020 book More Good Jobs explores how communities can help entrepreneurs build companies and retain talent.

- **Role:** Founder and Chairman at Upstate Venture Connect; Founder and Managing Director at UpVentures Capital
- **Organizations:** TriNet, Upstate Venture Connect, UpVentures Capital, UpVentures Holdings, StartFast Ventures, Entrepreneurs Across Borders, UpMobility Foundation, Unite NY, Rock City Development, Rock City Centre
- **From:** Little Falls, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** A.A.S. in Business Administration, Herkimer County Community College, B.S. in Business Administration, Shippensburg University
- **Known for:** Founded TriNet and led it as CEO for its first twenty years., Founded Upstate Venture Connect in 2010., Authored More Good Jobs: An Entrepreneur’s Action Plan to Create Change in Your Community.

## Career timeline

- **1975** — Graduated from Herkimer County Community College with an A.A.S. in Business Administration.
- **1977** — Graduated from Shippensburg University; subsequently worked in human resources management for Navy Exchanges.
- **1988** — Founded TriNet in California.
- **1999** — Moved his family back to Little Falls, New York, beginning a decade of cross-country commuting.
- **2000** — TriNet’s first planned IPO was abandoned after its roadshow.
- **2008** — Concluded twenty years as TriNet CEO; Burton Goldfield succeeded him.
- **2010** — Founded nonprofit Upstate Venture Connect.
- **2014** — TriNet began trading on the NYSE on March 27 at an IPO price of $16 per share.
- **2016** — Ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate for New York’s 22nd Congressional District.
- **2020** — Published More Good Jobs on October 20.
- **2022** — Retired from TriNet’s board.

## Achievements

- Founded TriNet and led it as CEO for its first twenty years.
- Founded Upstate Venture Connect in 2010.
- Authored More Good Jobs: An Entrepreneur’s Action Plan to Create Change in Your Community.
- Recipient of the Silicon Valley Entrepreneur of the Year award.
- Herkimer College Alumnus of the Year in 2000 and Hall of Honor inductee in 2002.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Scheduled to participate in a Buffalo founder fireside chat on October 26, moderated by Dan Magnuszewski, alongside mentor office hours.
- **2026-09** — Wrote about an August gathering at Bay Pond Park exploring support for entrepreneurship across the Adirondacks.

## Links

- Website: https://babinec.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbabinec/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/MartinBabinec
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MartinBabinecNY/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartinBabinecNY

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/martin-babinec
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23