Multi-exit founder and wartime operator.

Twenty years building companies, then selling them. Through every downturn, three exits across retail, hospitality, and B2B. The biggest scaled to $180M. Now onto something new.

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Verizon stores built, Paging Zone

$22M

Annual revenue at Paging Zone, still running today as AIR Wireless

$180M

SwagUp revenue as COO/CFO

3 exits

Across retail, hospitality, and B2B

Since 19

It started with one cell phone store.

Immigrant kid, grew up on welfare. I didn't get into a single college I applied to, Stuyvesant diploma and all. So I took a job at a cell phone store in South Brooklyn, got good at it, and bought it at 19 with my mother's life savings. Paid her back in seven months, with interest, while finishing at Baruch. Then I bought a Paging Zone franchise store, became their biggest dealer and formed a joint venture with the master dealer that grew to 12 Verizon stores. It still runs today as AIR Wireless, and I've kept a stake.

Every company since has run on the same instinct: collect good people, sell the relationship over the transaction, bet on the team over the idea. Built through multiple recessions, a pandemic, and the worst inflation in 40 years. The millennial special.

Track record

From the ground up, more than once.

COO → CFO · 2018–2024

SwagUp

Scaled to $180M as COO, No. 23 on the Inc. 5000. Then ran the turnaround as CFO (EBITDA -$3M → +$2.8M) and sold it to BDA.

Managing Partner · Verizon

Paging Zone

Bought a franchise store, became the biggest dealer, then formed a joint venture with the master dealer: 12 Verizon premium stores across NYC, $22M a year, 4.8 stars across 5,000+ reviews. Now AIR Wireless, where I keep a stake.

Managing Partner · since 2010

Intelligent Ventures

Holding company backing founders for 15 years. Exits include SwagUp, Little Choc Apothecary and New Auto Group.

Now

Building something new in B2B.

Founder of a stealth startup, working with a small group of founding clients and pre-seed investors ahead of launch. Open to board seats.

If that's you, talk to Artem →

Featured in

Forbes

Five reasons to embrace Get-It-Done Mondays

Inc.

Why the right team beats the original idea

Entrepreneur

Stories of struggle and success: 7 founders

Get in touch

Building in B2B. Let's talk.

For investors, founding clients and board seats.

Talk to Artem