Nick Hanauer

Nick Hanauer is a Seattle-based entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and civic leader whose career spans more than three decades and includes work in digital media, e-commerce, aerospace, and healthcare. Hanauer was the first non-family investor in Amazon.com, and a company he founded, aQuantive, was later sold to Microsoft for $6.4 billion. He has managed, founded, or financed more than 30 companies, including Insitu Group, purchased by Boeing for $400 million, and Market Leader, purchased by Trulia for $350 million. Hanauer co-founded the Seattle-based venture capital company Second Avenue Partners, which invests in internet, consumer and social media, software, and clean energy sectors.

Hanauer is known as a prominent critic of trickle-down economic orthodoxy. A self-described proud and unapologetic capitalist, he has emerged as a leading critic of neoliberalism and orthodox economic policy, and was among the first advocates for a $15 minimum wage. His essay, "The Pitchforks Are Coming... For Us Plutocrats," published in Politico, sparked a national conversation about wealth concentration and economic justice. Hanauer has argued in a TED Talk and in Politico that addressing income inequality through measures like a higher minimum wage is not only a moral issue but also an economic one, emphasizing that prosperity depends on a strong middle class.

As an author, Hanauer has co-written books such as "The True Patriot" and "The Gardens of Democracy" with Eric Liu, which advocate for a reimagined view of civic engagement and economic policy that emphasizes shared prosperity. A leading voice for middle-out economics, his commentary has appeared in The Atlantic, Politico, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. His book, "Corporate Bullsh*t: Exposing the Lies and Half-Truths That Protect Profit, Power, and Wealth in America," continues his mission of challenging prevailing economic narratives in American policy.

Hanauer founded Civic Ventures, a group focused on ideas, policies, and actions that catalyze significant social change. Through Civic Ventures, he hosts the podcast "Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer," which explores the shift from trickle-down neoliberalism to middle-out economics with leading economic and political thinkers. Hanauer has also appeared on programs such as "The Diary of a CEO," participating in debates about the wealth divide, stagnant wages, artificial intelligence, and the future of capitalism. Across various platforms, Hanauer contributes to ongoing debates about economic policy, income inequality, and the structure of capitalism.