# Michael McCrary

> Michael McCrary is the founder and CEO of PureSpectrum, the research technology company he started in 2015 after senior roles at Greenfield Online, Cint and Lucid. Based in Thousand Oaks, California, he built the business from Cal Lutheran’s Hub101 startup community and has remained involved as a mentor, employer of students and entrepreneurship advisory council member. PureSpectrum announced a TA Associates partnership in January 2026; a September 2026 university update put its global workforce at close to 400.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at PureSpectrum
- **Organizations:** PureSpectrum, Greenfield Online, Cint, Lucid, Meredith Corporation, California Lutheran University, Hub101, Dorfman Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- **Education:** UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business
- **Known for:** Founded PureSpectrum in 2015 and launched its research marketplace in 2016., Led PureSpectrum to inclusion in Deloitte’s 2020 Technology Fast 500., Recognized on the 2024 Most Loved CEOs list.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2003** — Worked in magazine advertising sales for Meredith Corporation in New York, representing Midwest Living.
- **2003** — Joined Greenfield Online; subsequently became SVP of North America Sales.
- **2008-2014** — Held managing director responsibilities at Cint and served as president of Lucid; exact transition dates are not established in the official biography.
- **2015** — Founded PureSpectrum and began working from Hub101 in Westlake Village.
- **2016** — PureSpectrum launched its marketplace.
- **2017** — Reported a 15-person team in a January founder essay.
- **2018** — PureSpectrum donated $10,000 to Hub101 at an October entrepreneurship event.
- **2020** — Cal Lutheran described him as entrepreneur-in-residence and reported PureSpectrum had more than 70 employees.
- **2024** — Recognized on the Most Loved CEOs list; Cal Lutheran noted his entrepreneurship advisory council membership.
- **2026** — Announced TA Associates partnership in January; continued leading PureSpectrum. The company moved headquarters in July and had close to 400 employees globally by a September university update.

## Achievements

- Founded PureSpectrum in 2015 and launched its research marketplace in 2016.
- Led PureSpectrum to inclusion in Deloitte’s 2020 Technology Fast 500.
- Recognized on the 2024 Most Loved CEOs list.
- Built an ongoing hiring and mentorship relationship with Cal Lutheran through Hub101.
- Continued as CEO and a meaningful shareholder following the January 2026 TA Associates partnership.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Cal Lutheran reported close to 400 PureSpectrum employees globally, a July move to a new Westlake Village headquarters, and five Cal Lutheran students among six local summer interns.
- **2026-01** — PureSpectrum announced a strategic partnership with TA Associates on January 7. McCrary and the leadership team would continue leading the company and remain meaningful shareholders.
- **2025-12** — Published The Five Eras of Online Sampling: An Industry Perspective, discussing respondent time, survey length and supplier economics.

## Links

- Website: https://www.purespectrum.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mccrary

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-mccrary
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-20