Clarence Wooten holds a distinguished place in American tech entrepreneurship. As the entrepreneur-in-residence at X, Alphabet’s cutting-edge moonshot factory, he leads teams at the forefront of developing revolutionary technologies to tackle global challenges.
Joining X is a feather in Wooten’s cap, especially since this is the first time he is managing at a firm he did not establish. In his current capacity, Wooten utilizes his design-thinking background, extensive knowledge of technology, and entrepreneurial expertise to cultivate groundbreaking ideas in the early stages of development. He guides talented teams to radical new technologies aimed at solving some of the most complex problems faced by the world.
Wooten is a self-taught individual with a distinctive and extensive network that spans from founders and CEOs of disruptive tech startups to venture capitalists, celebrities, and executives at leading companies in Silicon Valley.
Before going to Alphabet, he had established firms which are seeing varying degrees of success.
Wooten’s entrepreneurial journey is exceptional, making history as the only African-American CEO to have founded, scaled, and successfully sold two internet startups to publicly traded companies. The first was ImageCafe, acquired by Network Solutions [Nasdaq: NSOL], and the second was Progressly, purchased by Box [NYSE: BOX].
Related stories
As follows are companies to which Wooten lent a hand in creating:
ImageCafe
Wooten’s first success, ImageCafe.com, was an online store that specialized in selling pre-designed, partially customizable websites for small business owners who wanted a professional online presence without the high expenses of hiring a website design company. The platform also provided content management tools that allowed users to easily personalize and update the website’s content, such as images and text, without requiring any knowledge of HTML or FTP. In 1999, Network Solutions (NASDAQ: NSOL) acquired the company.
Arrived
Founded in January 2011 and closed in November 2012, Arrived was a travel assistance startup led by Wooten as the co-founder and CEO. Arrived was designed to assist travelers in notifying particular individuals upon their arrival at a location that holds significance to them. This facilitates the organization of impromptu gatherings with individuals at the best time.
Kylie.ai
Kylie.ai, established in February 2017, is an artificial intelligence platform that clones employee personalities to automate interactions between companies and their customers across various communication channels, including email, support tickets, chat apps, and social media. Directly acquired Kylie.ai in 2017
VentureFund.io
VentureFund.io, established in August 2014, is a platform that simplifies the process of startup funding. By leveraging data, VentureFund.io facilitates the establishment of connections between startups and investors, allowing entrepreneurs to concentrate on the growth of their businesses rather than spending time pitching their ideas.
Progressly
Progressly was founded by Wooten in 2014, and aims to revolutionize how teams discover and execute business processes. As the founder, Initial CEO, and Chairman, Wooten played a pivotal role in shaping the company. In June 2018, Progressly was acquired by Box, further solidifying its position in the industry.
Climb Hire
Climb Hire, where Wooten serves as a founding Board Member, was established in 2019. This organization offers an intensive training program to prepare individuals with untapped potential for entry-level positions in the tech industry by imparting in-demand technical skills and essential interpersonal abilities such as relationship building and networking. Over time, Climb Hire has successfully assisted numerous individuals in securing higher-paying jobs and fostering professional growth.
STEAM Role
STEAM Role, founded by Wooten in March 2017, is a mobile app that aims to assist and guide students and aspiring professionals in discovering their potential career paths and how to achieve their goals. By connecting users with successful STEM/STEAM professionals, STEAM Role offers valuable insights and advice. Furthermore, STEAM Role also offers a SaaS-based Diverse Talent Pipeline Platform (DTP), enabling organizations to inspire, track, and hire diverse talent.
Groupsite
Wooten is also the founder and current Executive Chairman of Groupsite, a prominent self-serve collaboration community platform established in 2006. Groupsite is a communication and collaboration hub for various groups, including businesses, non-profits, professional associations, healthcare institutions, and educational organizations. With over 50,000 Groupsites created, these platforms facilitate internal team collaboration, connect members, partners, customers, and suppliers, and can be configured as private, semi-private, or public communities.
Revitalize
Wooten is the founder and General Partner of Revitalize, a venture studio that focuses on launching successful SaaS and platform-based software startups led by diverse teams, particularly those from Black communities. Revitalize regularly empowers under-resourced communities and promotes equity.