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The 10 companies that produce the most startup founders, including Bain, McKinsey, and Sony

 


For successful founders like Jeff Bezos, Stewart Butterfield, and Ben Silbermann, their previous jobs gave them a leg up in their entrepreneurial efforts. Working for a major tech company or consulting firm can be a launching pad for your startup

The small-business-lending platform OnDeck analyzed 228,000 LinkedIn career histories to identify which US companies produced the most founders in former employees.

The analysis found that consulting firms were the most common place for founders to get their start. As it turns out, helping other people run their businesses is the best training ground for starting your own. Bain & Co. was the top producer of entrepreneurs, followed by Oliver Wyman and McKinsey & Co. 

Meanwhile, tech companies are the second-highest generator of founders. Twitter ranked first, followed by Yahoo, Monster, Google, AOL, and Meta. None of these companies made the top 10 in the overall ranking, though. 

Here are the top 10 companies that have produced the most founders.

10. Grey Group

The advertising agency is in 10th place, with 6.84% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include Jarrod Moses, the founder of the advertising company United Entertainment Group; Milan Martin, the founder of the beverage manufacturer The Free Spirits Co.; and Becca Sherman, a cofounder of the media-production company Workweek.

9. Sony Music Entertainment

A man walking past the Sony logo outside the company's headquarters
Sony. 
RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images

The music company is in ninth place, with 6.92% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include Dan Bobkoff, the founder of the podcast-production company Rhyme Media; Michelle Songy, the founder of the public-relations company Press Hook; and Salah Zalatimo, a cofounder of the nonfungible-token company Voice.

8. VMLY&R (formerly Young & Rubicam)

The advertising company is in eighth place, with 6.96% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include Kathy Wang, the founder of the augmented-reality company BroadAR; Jane Peh, a cofounder of the pet marketplace Pawjourr; and Kristin Pulaski, the founder of the nail salon Paintbucket.

7. Kearney

The management-consulting firm is in seventh place, with 7.14% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include Sinead Bovell, the founder of the IT service Waye; Sophia Cheng, the founder of the snack company Oddball; and Shaily Baranwal, the founder of the e-learning provider Elevate K-12.

6. Boston Consulting Group

Jim Koch holds up a bottle of Samuel Adams beer.
Jim Koch founded of the Boston Beer Co., the maker of Samuel Adams, in 1984. 
John Nacion Imaging

The consulting firm is in sixth place, with 7.22% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include Jim Koch, the founder of the Boston Beer Co. and Samuel Adams; Bill Bain, the founder of Bain & Co.; and Oren Saar, a cofounder of the tech company WoodSpoon.

5. Universal Music Group

Joanna Griffiths, founder and CEO of Knix
Joanna Griffiths is the founder of Knix. 
Courtesy of Joanna Griffiths

The music corporation is in fifth place, with 7.39% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include Joanna Griffiths, the founder of the underwear brand Knix; Jesse McBride, the founder of the food company Mademeals; and Jose Antonio Hernandez, a cofounder of the wellness service Mind Body Social.

4. Strategy&

PwC offices
Strategy& is the consulting arm of PwC. 
PWC

The consulting firm is in fourth place, with 7.44% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include Christina Stahl, a cofounder of the handbag brand Ameli Zurich; Ashley Lim, the founder of the tea company Mansa Tea; and Divyang Arora, a cofounder of the restaurant company Byte Kitchen.

3. McKinsey & Co.

Heidi Zak thirdlove
Zak founded the bra company ThirdLove. 
Hollis Johnson

The management-consulting firm produced the third most startup founders, with 7.75% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include the Faire cofounder Jeffrey Kolovson, the ThirdLove founder Heidi Zak, the Warby Parker cofounder Neil Blumenthal, and the Compass founder Robert Reffkin.

2. Oliver Wyman

Richard Fairbank, founder of Capital One, leans against a staircase with his hands in his pockets.
Richard Fairbank, a cofounder of Capital One. 
Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The consulting firm produced the second most startup founders, with 7.93% of its former employees starting their own companies.

Notable alumni include Richard Fairbank, a cofounder of Capital One; Dan Lewis, the founder of the trucking-software firm Convoy; and Premal Shah, a cofounder of the nonprofit Kiva.

1. Bain & Co.

Dave Gilboa
Dave Gilboa, a Warby Parker cofounder. 
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Cosmopolitan

The Big Three management-consulting firm produced the most startup founders of all US companies, with 13% of its former employees starting their own ventures.

Notable alumni include Scott Cook, a cofounder of the fintech Intuit; Mark Vadon, a cofounder of the online jeweler Blue Nile; and Dave Gilboa, a co-founder of Warby Parker.

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