Help Scout is a customer support platform built around a shared inbox, a self-service knowledge base (Docs), and an embeddable messaging widget (Beacon), now paired with AI features that draft replies and answer common questions. Founded in 2011 in Boston as a pivot from a web-design firm whose own support inbox was overflowing, the company sells a lighter, less ticket-heavy alternative to enterprise help desks like Zendesk. It operates as a fully remote, certified B Corporation serving more than 10,000 businesses across over 140 countries, including Buffer, Basecamp, Trello and Reddit.
Toby Gabriner is the CEO of Help Scout, a Boston-based customer support platform serving over 12,000 businesses. A four-time CEO and five-time president with more than two decades of scaling B2B software companies, Gabriner grew Adap.tv from $200K to $200M+ in revenue before its $465M acquisition by AOL in 2013, transformed Bitly from a link shortener into a multi-product analytics platform, and led AdRoll's evolution into NextRoll. A Mission District native who started community college after being kicked out of home at 18, he now brings a customer-first philosophy to Help Scout at the precise moment AI is reshaping customer support.