Chris Kelly, San Francisco, is an entrepreneur and author who founded his first online advertising business in 2010 and later established a technology-forward, customer-centered platform for insurance agents. He is also the author of a science fiction novel titled The Menagerie and now devotes much of his time to philanthropy, with a clear focus on addressing wealth inequality.
His next book will center on wealth inequality and is scheduled for release in February 2026. At the same time, he plans to launch a charitable organization connected to this work.
Chris grew up in Santa Cruz, California, and later attended a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California, a suburban city in eastern Los Angeles County. He graduated magna cum laude and was elected to an academic honor society in recognition of his academic excellence. The college emphasizes coursework in government, economics, public affairs, finance, and international relations.
He began his professional career as an investment banker before transitioning into the technology sector, where he held product and marketing roles. He worked as a product specialist, acting as a liaison between product and operations teams to ensure effective coordination. He later served in a product marketing role within an enterprise-focused division, working closely with developer-focused teams to support technology adoption across organizations.
In 2010, Chris Kelly founded a San Francisco–based online advertising agency that scaled significantly. In 2014, he founded another company that became the number-one provider of digital marketing solutions for under-65 health insurance in the United States, a major participant in over-65 health coverage, and a growing presence in auto and home insurance. During his twelve-year tenure as CEO and later chairman, he guided the company to become one of the largest privately held businesses in its space.
He authored The Menagerie, a science fiction thriller about the creation of the world’s first artificial general intelligence and its consequences. The story explores innovation, power, and moral responsibility through a global conflict driven by advanced technology.
He gives monthly to charitable organizations focused on direct poverty relief and children’s medical care. Since 2009, one organization he supports has delivered over $1 billion in cash directly to more than 2 million people living in poverty. These causes are personal, as he is a cancer survivor who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent treatment in 2020 for a year.
Chris Kelly, NextGen Leads, is preparing to launch a nonprofit foundation and plans to donate $1.5 million to charity in the first half of 2026. He has two boys, ages 7 and 3, and values time with family, music, outdoor activities, and maintaining a balanced life.
