2010 40 Under Forty: Joshua Rothschild
President, Applied Interactive
Company location: Worcester
Residence: Paxton
Age: 24
Career highlights: My career path has been aggressive and opportunistic. I have passion for capitalism and finance, and this is America. At 17, thinking I wanted a job at Goldman Sachs, I pursued an Ivy-League degree. It was expensive and I left without graduating, accepting a position with a hedge fund. I figured I could always return to school. I worked in finance until the fund’s largest investor triggered our own liquidity crisis. Next I saw an opportunity to start Applied Interactive. We launched our first e-commerce site in 2008.
Community involvement: I have never thought of the community as an entity unto itself in which I can be involved or not involved. Worcester is where I was born, grew up and received my education. Most importantly, it is where my family lives. Every sale I make provides additional funds that support the city and state. Every new employee we hire is another family in our community that lives better.
Biggest challenge: My biggest challenge as an entrepreneur is keeping one foot in reality while allowing myself to dream big. I am consumed with the untapped potential of new technology. Eventually I’d like to compete with the great companies of our age and help shape how business is run. For now, I focus on venues where we can afford to invest, be profitable and win.
Mentors: I opened a small trading account when I was 13, only to lose 80 percent when the dot-com bubble burst. My dad turned it into a learning experience. He lent me money. I invested again, built it up, and paid him back. He also told me to study hard because I wasn’t coming into his business. I found a loophole by partnering with him to found Applied Interactive, and I really value working with him.
WBJ Web Partners
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