WHO WE ARE

MEET OUR TEAM

Kynetic brings together the founding team of GSI Commerce and leaders in digital commerce and mobile technology.

Michael Rubin

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

READ MICHAEL’S STORY

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Mark McWeeny

CEO, Rue Gilt Groupe

Kynetic, one of the largest privately-held technology companies in the United States, owns leading consumer internet businesses: Fanatics and Rue Gilt Groupe.

Founded by visionary consumer internet entrepreneur Michael Rubin, Kynetic provides an innovative, mobile-first, data-driven blueprint for scaling successful commerce businesses in an ever-changing and unpredictable retail landscape.

Fanatics

The global leader in licensed sports merchandise, Fanatics offers the largest collection of timeless and timely merchandise whether shopping online, on mobile, in stores, in stadiums or on-site at the world’s biggest sporting events.

Rue Gilt Groupe

The premiere off-price, eCommerce destination that includes RueLaLa.com Glit.com and ShopPremiumOutlets.com.

8-year-old Rubin follows his entrepreneurial instincts by selling goods, such as vegetable seeds and paper stationery, door-to-door in his neighborhood.

1980
13-year-old Rubin returns from a summer ski camp with an idea to open a ski-tuning shop in the basement of his parents’ suburban Philadelphia home. He quickly turns to selling ski equipment on a consignment basis for retailers saddled with the last season's merchandise.

1985
Rubin earned $25,000 from his successful ski business, sufficient to rent space in a Conshohocken, PA strip mall for “Mike’s Ski Shop.” He racked up sales of $125,000. Within a year of graduating high school, Rubin opened several retail ski stores in Pennsylvania and New York grossing $2.4 million.

1988
Rubin founded KPR Sports, a leading distributor of off-price sporting goods and footwear. KPR reached $1 million in annual sales in 1993, the year Rubin turned 21. By 1995, KPR reached $50 million in sales. He started his first vertical business by creating Yukon, his own brand of outdoor footwear,

1991
With the acquisition of footwear and apparel brand Apex One, Rubin enters licensed sporting goods.

1996
Rubin merged KPR Sports with publicly-traded Ryka, a branded athletic footwear company he controlled, to form Global Sports Inc. (GSI). The following year, Global Sports generated sales exceeding $100 million and, at age 25, Rubin became one of the youngest CEOs of a NASDAQ-listed company in the exchange’s history.

1997
Rubin launches Global Sports Interactive (GSI) an e-commerce platform and collection of managed services. GSI announces agreements with its first five sporting goods retail partners. The first order is placed on October 15, 1999. GSI raises $175 million from Softbank, Comcast, and QVC.

1999
After a successful first year, GSI delivers its e-commerce capabilities to brick and mortar retailers eager for help with online retailing. GSI achieves 8x net revenue growth year-over-year.

2000
Rubin inks partnership deals with Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Sports Authority, and Gart Sports, and further expands GSI Commerce's e-commerce solutions beyond the athletic industry. GSI earns its first $100 million in sales.

2001
Because of rapid expansion in the entertainment, consumer electronics and beauty industries, GSI renames itself GSI Commerce and opens an 82,000 sq. ft. customer care center to meet market demand.

2002
NASCAR’s online fan apparel store becomes the first major professional sports league to partner with GSI Commerce for its e-commerce needs.

2002
GSI Commerce launches its first international website to keep up with growing product categories.

2003
Based on early success with NASCAR, Rubin makes a deal with Major League Baseball for its consumer goods business. GSI Commerce is soon named the e-commerce business of choice for 27 of the top 300 online retailers in the US.

2004
GSI Commerce scores again when the National Hockey League names them the provider for all e-commerce technology, order fulfillment and more. Internationally, GSI Commerce acquires a Barcelona-based e-commerce provider to expand its global reach.

2005
GSI Commerce builds toy giant Toys”R”Us’ e-commerce site and powers the NFL’s direct-to-consumer e-commerce business.

2006
After scoring a contract with the NBA, GSI Commerce officially becomes the e-commerce partner for all major US professional sports leagues. To continue scaling up, they acquire a commerce company and run six fulfillment centers across the country totaling nearly 2.5 million sq. ft.

2007
ShopRunner is officially launched within GSI. With a wide variety of clients, GSI Commerce turns its focus to customer retention when it acquires an email marketing company–the first of seven interactive marketing acquisitions.

2008
After celebrating the tenth anniversary of providing digital solutions for 200 household brands, GSI acquires Rue La La and reaches its first billion dollars in net revenue.

2009
Rubin appears on an episode of CBS’ hit show, Undercover Boss, and expands the company’s footprint in Europe and Asia.

2010
Rubin appears on an episode of CBS’ hit show, Undercover Boss, and expands the company’s footprint in Europe and Asia.

2010
Internet e-commerce giant, eBay, acquires GSI Commerce for $2.4 billion on June 17, 2011. Rubin retains ShopRunner, Rue La La and Fanatics and creates parent company, Kynetic.

2011
Kynetic sells 10% of Fanatics to leading VC firms Insight Venture Partners and Andreessen Horowitz for $150 million. Focused on scaling the business and providing a better shopping experience for all sports fans, Fanatics acquires Dreams, Inc., bringing together the top 3 players in licensed sports commerce.

2012
in June, Fanatics raises $170 million in new funding round led by Temasek and Alibaba Group. In October, Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba, leads a $206 million investment in ShopRunner to compete with online retailers.

2013
Rubin recruits Doug Mack as CEO of Fanatics from One Kings Lane – the ecommerce innovator and Silicon Valley veteran places added emphasis on data, mobile and technology as the backbone for the company’s next phase of growth.

2014
Fanatics raises $300 million from private equity firm Silver Lake Partners. Fanatics signs an unprecedented 17-year deal to run MLB's online licensed -product business, further expanding a partnership that began in 2003. Fanatics opens tech-infused NBA flagship store on 5th Avenue in NYC.

2015
Fanatics opens West Coast HQ in Silicon Valley, which houses more than 300 people in technology, data, analytics and digital marketing. MLB announces revolutionary apparel deal with Fanatics and Under Armour, which let’s both companies do what they do best – Under Armour to provide cutting-edge on-field apparel for players and marketing for the league, while Fanatics provides fans with the most responsive and significant merchandise assortment ever available. Fanatics acquires Kitbag as a foundational effort for international expansion.

2016
Fanatics closes $1B funding round led by SoftBank’s Vison Fund, which is looking to invest in transformative technology companies and disruptive entrepreneurs - the round also included significant investments from the NFL, MLB, MLS and NFLPA. Fanatics acquires Majestic to further it's manufacturing and wholesale capabilities, as well as Fermata Partners to transform the college licensed sports business.

2017
Fanatics, Nike and NFL announce 10-year deal where Fanatics will design and manufacture all Nike fan gear. Fanatics enters esports industry through omnichannel partnership with Overwatch League. Rue La La acquires Gilt Groupe and creates Rue Gilt Group to become the leader of high fashion flash sale ecommerce.

2018
Fanatics announces a 10-year deal with Nike and MLB to design, manufacture and distribute all Nike MLB fan gear. Fanatics teams up with Walmart to launch online "Fan Shops" bringing more fan gear to Walmart Shoppers. Simon and Rue Gilt Groupe launch ShopPremiumOutlets.com.

2019
Fanatics' Easton, PA manufacturing facility stops jersey production and churns out one million masks and gowns for healthcare workers during the pandemic. Fanatics ALL IN Challenge raises $60M to fight food insecurity from COVID-19. After securing Series E funding led by Fidelity and Thrive Capital, Fanatics acquires Top of the World and WinCraft. Rubin sells ShopRunner to FedEx.

2020

OUR HISTORY

The story of Kynetic started in a Philadelphia basement. Rubin launched the first of several entrepreneurial endeavors with a ski tuning business in his parent’s basement. From humble origins, Rubin has emerged as a force behind companies at the forefront of commerce. Currently, he is transforming the sports licensing industry with Fanatics and revolutionizing how we shop with both Rue Gilt Groupe and ShopRunner. Explore some of Rubin’s vast experience to learn how his history has shaped him as a business leader and Kynetic as an innovator.

A born entrepreneur?

Growth via acquisition

Introduction to ecommerce

Making it in the big leagues

The launch of kynetic