Ian Ippolito

Ian Ippolito, ’93, is an entrepreneur and the founder of numerous technology companies. He is credited as the founder of the first open-source website, Planet Source Code, which he launched in 1997 as a website for sharing source code of computer programs.

He is widely known as the founder of vWorker (short for “virtual” worker), a company formerly named Rent a Coder, an online portal for outsourcing computer virtual work projects that was later purchased by Freelancer.com. Rent a Coder was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing privately-held companies in the United States.

Ippolito also founded the skill-based gaming website Peanut Butter and Jelly Games. Also known as PBJ Games, the company operates games and mobile apps that allow players to win money based on their own skill as opposed to luck.

Ippolito operates many of his ventures under the parent company Exhedra Solutions, which he co-founded with his two brothers in 1997. The company is headquartered in Tampa with satellite offices in San Francisco and Pittsburgh.

As an entrepreneur, he has been featured in and has provided commentary for numerous publications and media outlets including Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, as well as Fox and CBS News.

Ippolito has been a professional programmer for more than two decades, working for companies like Siemens, RW Beck and Associates, GTE and Verizon. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from UCF, and lives in Tampa.