The Insider: Sam Teller

Sam Teller is a busy man: He’s the co-founder of a super-hands-on media company Charlie that works with brands like The Zoe Report and StyleMint, and he was recently named managing director of Launchpad LA, a mentorship program that has helped get start-ups like Pose off the ground. Here, the proud L.A. resident tells to us about all his (figurative) hats and shares some no-nonsense wisdom to dressing well. —jiayi

Q: So tell me a little about Launchpad.

A: Launchpad was founded about two years ago by Mark Suster, a big VC in Los Angeles. So far, we’ve taken in 23 companies, and 19 of them have gone on to get funding. We provide this huge network of mentors, advisors, and investors—as well as some really high-powered companies to support and buy these up-and-coming companies. There’s a lot of excitement around tech and start-ups in L.A. today, so we’re really excited to be leading the charge for that.

Q: What’s the biggest difference between the L.A. and New York start-up scene?

A: I think that New York is a little bit farther along. That means it has more investors and more entrepreneurs than we have—but L.A. is maturing quickly. I actually think there’s no better place than L.A. to start a company right now. All the entertainment and media companies are here, so it’s an unbelievable place to get distribution for your company and to strike partnerships. And with schools like CalTech nearby, you’ve got a lot of innovative talent around. Beyond that, it’s sunny every day! 

Q: And I heard that, before Launchpad and Charlie, you ran the Obama Tumblr for a while?

A: I can’t take credit for the one live right now—I did the first Tumblr while working on new media and marketing for the Obama campaign in Chicago. Around the time of the inauguration, I got connected with John and David over at Tumblr, and we stayed up all night once to design the blog and get it out on the website. Overnight, it became the most followed blog on the whole network. And this was back in 2009—it’s been pretty amazing to see what Tumblr has done since then. 

Q: Besides tech, you’re big on the L.A. food scene. What’re some of your favorite culinary digs?

A: I’d say my two favorite restaurants right now are probably Animal and this Korean-Chinese barbecue place called Feng Mao Mutton Kebab—I actually named two of our conference rooms at Launchpad Animal and Feng Mao as a tribute to them.

Q: What’s the best fashion advice you’ve ever received?

A: Keep it simple.

For more Insiders, head on over here.