Bert Jacobs Profile
Bert and his brother John started Life is Good with $78 in their pockets, selling T-shirts on the streets of Boston and in college dorms up and down the East Coast. Today, Life is Good is a $100 million positive lifestyle brand sold by over 2,000 retailers across the U.S. and Canada.
Bert and John are the youngest of six siblings from Needham, MA. They credit their mother, Joan, as the first powerful optimist in their lives—and the ultimate inspiration for Life is Good.
In the early years of their business, Bert and John were inspired by stories of people—especially children—facing great adversity. These stories inspired an integrated business model dedicated to helping kids in need. To this day, Life is Good donates at least 10 percent of its annual net profits to the Life is Good Kids Foundation, a non-profit that positively impacts over 1 million kids every year.
Bert focuses on the Product side of the brand, guiding vision, art, and message across categories. He enjoys live music, travel, and surfing. His shoes do not always match.
Bert has been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities for entrepreneurship, business innovation, and philanthropy. He and Life is Good have been featured on "Business Nation," "Nightline," "The Today Show," and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Men's Health Magazine, among others.