Vinny Lingham
Encyclopedia
Vinny Lingham is a South African Internet entrepreneur
and the founder and CEO of Yola, Inc.
(formerly known as SynthaSite), a San Francisco-based Web 2.0
start-up that provides free website building, publishing and hosting services. He is also the co-founder of SiliconCape.com, an NGO
based in South Africa
that aims to turn Cape Town
into a technology hub. Lingham was previously the founder and CEO of the global search marketing firm incuBeta and its subsidiary Clicks2Customers.
Linghman serves on the boards of ChessCube
, SkyRove, and Personera and previously served on marketing advisory boards for Nasdaq
-listed companies ValueClick
and Yahoo.
Lingham lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.
.
In 2007, Lingham founded Yola
(formerly known as SynthaSite), a proprietary web development platform for individuals, small businesses and organizations. To date, Yola has received $25 million in funding from Johann Rupert
’s Reinet Fund
.
Vinny Lingham is also the co-founder of the Silicon Cape Initiative
, a South African based organization which aims to turn the Western Cape into a high tech startup hub.
Vinny Lingham was selected as an Endeavor (non-profit)
Entrepreneur in 2006. Endeavor (non-profit)
is a global non-profit that selects and supports High-Impact Entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
Internet entrepreneur
An Internet entrepreneur is an entrepreneur that applies innovation to create new businesses on the Internet.Internet entrepreneurs are part of the more general category of digital entrepreneurs...
and the founder and CEO of Yola, Inc.
Yola (webhost)
Yola is a website builder and website hosting company headquartered in San Francisco. People without programming skills and a limited knowledge of HTML and graphic design can make web sites using Yola. Its drag and drop system allows users to incorporate widgets without knowing HTML. Yola also...
(formerly known as SynthaSite), a San Francisco-based Web 2.0
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
start-up that provides free website building, publishing and hosting services. He is also the co-founder of SiliconCape.com, an NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
based in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
that aims to turn Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
into a technology hub. Lingham was previously the founder and CEO of the global search marketing firm incuBeta and its subsidiary Clicks2Customers.
Linghman serves on the boards of ChessCube
ChessCube
ChessCube.com is an online chess community with over 1,400,000 registered members as of early March 2011. ChessCube.com was founded in 2007 by Mark Levitt, and offers live play, chat, and ChessCube Cinema...
, SkyRove, and Personera and previously served on marketing advisory boards for Nasdaq
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
-listed companies ValueClick
ValueClick
ValueClick is a Westlake Village, CA-based online advertising company, which provides online advertising campaigns and programs for advertisers and advertising agency customers in the United States and internationally....
and Yahoo.
Lingham lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.
Early life
Lingham was born on February 7, 1979 in East London, South Africa. He finished high school at the age of 17 and went on to study Information Systems at the University of Cape TownUniversity of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
.
Entrepreneurship
In 2003, Lingham founded incuBeta, an investment holding company that engages in the ownership, management, and support of online marketing companies in various stages of development, with offices in the US, UK and Cape Town. Also in 2003, Lingham founded Clicks2Customers, a subsidiary of incuBeta that provides search engine marketing software and services. Lingham served as the CEO of both companies.In 2007, Lingham founded Yola
Yola (webhost)
Yola is a website builder and website hosting company headquartered in San Francisco. People without programming skills and a limited knowledge of HTML and graphic design can make web sites using Yola. Its drag and drop system allows users to incorporate widgets without knowing HTML. Yola also...
(formerly known as SynthaSite), a proprietary web development platform for individuals, small businesses and organizations. To date, Yola has received $25 million in funding from Johann Rupert
Johann Rupert
Johann Peter Rupert is the eldest son of the late South African business tycoon Anton Rupert and his wife Huberte Rupert. He is the chairman of the Swiss-based luxury-goods company Richemont as well as of the South Africa-based company Remgro...
’s Reinet Fund
Reinet Investments
Reinet Investments S.C.A. is a Luxembourg-based investment vehicle that was demerged from the Swiss luxury goods company Richemont on 20 October 2008...
.
Vinny Lingham is also the co-founder of the Silicon Cape Initiative
Silicon Cape Initiative
The Cape Silicon Initiative or Silicon Cape is a regional IT business networking NGO and community in the Western Cape, South Africa.-Background and launch:...
, a South African based organization which aims to turn the Western Cape into a high tech startup hub.
Vinny Lingham was selected as an Endeavor (non-profit)
Endeavor (non-profit)
Endeavor is a non-profit organization that pioneered the concept of High-Impact Entrepreneurship in emerging markets. Its mission is to “lead the global movement to catalyze long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best High-Impact Entrepreneurs around the...
Entrepreneur in 2006. Endeavor (non-profit)
Endeavor (non-profit)
Endeavor is a non-profit organization that pioneered the concept of High-Impact Entrepreneurship in emerging markets. Its mission is to “lead the global movement to catalyze long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best High-Impact Entrepreneurs around the...
is a global non-profit that selects and supports High-Impact Entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
Awards
Lingham’s industry accolades include:- World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders, 2009
- Endeavor High Impact Entrepreneur, 2006
- Top Young ICT Entrepreneur in Africa Award, 2006