West Irvine dad builds $2B business in Irvine
The idea for Kenny Rueter’s $2 billion business was sparked in front of his West Irvine home. His kids asked him to make a water toy. He pieced together some supplies and hatched an idea that now occupies an entire building at Irvine Spectrum Terrace.
“I learned to build something my kids loved,” Rueter says. “As a parent, that’s really valuable, and I would gladly pay for that information. That was my ‘aha’ moment.”
Shortly after, he went on to launch Kajabi – an all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs to sell their expertise online.
He credits Irvine and Spectrum Terrace – which he calls a masterpiece – for his company’s ability to attract top-tier talent.
“We’re hiring talent away from some major brands,” Rueter says. “Part of it is the culture and opportunities at Kajabi. It’s also Irvine, and why we chose to locate our headquarters here.”
The company now employs nearly 300 at the all-glass 100 Spectrum Terrace building. He located the company here due to the open-air design and proximity to tech talent that now serves nearly 50,000 Kajabi customers.