highperformr logo

George Bousis

Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Protagonist
Miami Beach, Florida,United States
Find George Bousis's Email
Find George Bousis’s Phone

George Bousis's Overview

Total Experience30 years
CompanyProtagonist
CountryUnited States

George Bousis is a dynamic entrepreneur and business leader recognized for his significant contributions to the e-commerce and digital media landscapes. He is best known as the founder of Raise, a leading online marketplace for gift cards, which he grew into a major player by identifying and capitalizing on the untapped potential of the secondary gift card market. Under his leadership, Raise facilitated billions of dollars in transactions and saved consumers hundreds of millions. More recently, George co-founded and serves as CEO of Riot (formerly Gamelancer), a next-generation media and entertainment company focused on the gaming and creator economy, particularly targeting Gen Z audiences. His career demonstrates a strong ability to innovate, scale businesses, and understand evolving consumer trends, especially in technology-driven sectors.

Professional Summary

George Bousis's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

Protagonist - Co-Founder & Managing Partner (2022 to Present)
1/1 Capital - Founder & Chief Investment Officer (2021 to Present)
Raise - Founder, Chairman and CEO (2013 to Present)
MANTIS Venture Capital - Advisor (2020 to Present)
Cermak Fresh Market - Technology, Innovation and Loyalty (2005 to 2010)

Notable Achievements

Founder and Former CEO of Raise

Founded Raise.com in 2010, an innovative marketplace for buying and selling gift cards, scaling it to become a significant e-commerce platform with millions of users and substantial transaction volumes, fundamentally changing how consumers utilize gift cards.

Co-founder and CEO of Riot (formerly Gamelancer)

Co-founded Riot, a media and entertainment company focused on gaming, esports, and the creator economy. As CEO, he leads the company's strategy to engage Gen Z audiences through a vast network of digital channels and original content.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Midwest Award

Recognized for his entrepreneurial excellence and innovation with Raise, receiving the prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award in the Midwest region in 2016.

Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40

Named to Crain's Chicago Business's 40 Under 40 list in 2014, acknowledging his impact as a young and influential business leader in the Chicago technology and business community.

Inc. 500/5000 Recognition

Led Raise to be recognized multiple times on the Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America, showcasing the rapid growth and success of the platform.

Educational Background

Bachelor of Science (BS), Business/Managerial Economics - Political Science

DePaul University - Year 2005

St. John's Northwestern Academies - Year 2003

Lake Forest Academy - Year 2001

Buying Intent Signals for George Bousis

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right people at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance

Company Overview

Protagonist
Total employees75
HeadquartersSan Francisco
Founded2011

Protagonist is a Narrative Analytics company that leverages artificial intelligence, including natural language processing and machine learning, combined with human expertise. They specialize in identifying, measuring, and shaping public narratives to help organizations understand public discourse, manage brand reputation, inform strategy, and mitigate narrative-driven risks.

Protagonist Funding Information
$16.5M - Total Funding Raised
$225K - Most recent funding amount
5 - Number of funding rounds
Sep 1, 2020 - Latest funding round
Lead Investors:
Cultivation Capital
General Foch Enterprises
Lupa Systems
Kapor Capital
Guggenheim Partners
Rally Ventures
MetaProp NYC
The COMMIT Foundation
TEDCO

Highperformr's free tools for company research

Find contact info

Get verified emails, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profile details

Find similar contacts

Discover contacts with similar roles, seniority, or companies

Perform deep contact research

Uncover insights like skills, work history, social links, and more

Discover, research and enrich contacts with Highperformr — Smarter, Faster

Explore contacts in-depth — from verified emails and phone numbers to LinkedIn activity, job changes, and more — all in one powerful view.

Highperformr AI helps you surface the right people and enrich your CRM with live, accurate contact insights so your teams can connect faster and close smarter.

  • Track signals like job change, promotion, and LinkedIn activity
  • Enrich contacts with verified email, phone, and social data instantly
  • Automate enrichment and updates with powerful workflows
  • Sync enriched contact info directly into your CRM and tools

Thousands of contacts — including decision-makers, influencers, and ICP matches — are just a search away.

Thousands of companies, including, are just a search away.