Adrian Hanauer
Encyclopedia
Adrian Hanauer is an American
businessman and minority owner and general manager
of the Seattle Sounders FC
.
Hanauer founded Museum Quality Framing, which is a chain of custom frame
stores in Washington, Oregon
, and Idaho
, in 1988. Hanauer is also the owner of a chain of pizza stores called Mad Pizza. As an early investor in aQuantive
, an online based advertising company, Hanauer turned a substantial profit when the company went public in 2000 and again when Microsoft
purchased the company in 2007.
He became the managing partner for the USL Seattle Sounders
in 2002 and began reducing the financial losses the team was taking, $1 million per year for the five years proceeding Hanauer's taking over the team, and reduced the losses to $350,000 per year. The team also attained success on the field under Hanauer's leadership, going 23-4-1 in his first season, the second best record in USL history, and made it to the league championship game three times, winning it twice. Hanauer also began working on getting a Major League Soccer
team in Seattle. The league passed over Seattle in 2004, choosing instead to expand to better prepared Salt Lake City
. Hanauer invested $250,000 for a 15 percent stake in an English soccer team, Cambridge United FC, in May 2007.
Following the MLS All Star game in July 2007, Hanauer was introduced to Hollywood executive, director, and film producer Joe Roth
by MLS director Don Garber
. The two men hit it off and over the next few weeks, Roth made several visits to Seattle to take in a few Sounders games and get to know Hanauer better. By November, the two had brought in Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen
and comedian Drew Carey
as investors and MLS had announced Seattle as the next expansion team.
In 2005, Hanauer founded business incubator
and venture capital
company Curious Office Partners. The company invests in small internet startup companies and offers them office space in Pioneer Square
and invests between US$
10,000 and $250,000 in the startups.
Sounders
game at the age of 8, and was one of only two freshmen to make the soccer team for Mercer Island High School
. While Hanauer did not make the team as a sophomore, he continued to play soccer, first on an intramural team while attending University of Washington
and currently on two teams in the Greater Seattle Soccer League.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and minority owner and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
.
Business history
Hanauer's family owns Pacific Coast Feather Co., a down pillow, feather bed, and high-end bedding products manufacturer that was originally founded in 1884 in Germany, but currently headquartered in Seattle. While Hanauer never held an executive position within the company, he began working at the company at 13.Hanauer founded Museum Quality Framing, which is a chain of custom frame
Picture frame
A picture frame is a decorative edging for a picture, such as a painting or photograph, intended to enhance it, make it easier to display, or protect it.-Construction:...
stores in Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, in 1988. Hanauer is also the owner of a chain of pizza stores called Mad Pizza. As an early investor in aQuantive
AQuantive
aQuantive, Inc. was the parent company of a group of three digital marketing service and technology companies: Avenue A/Razorfish, Atlas Solutions, and DRIVE Performance Solutions....
, an online based advertising company, Hanauer turned a substantial profit when the company went public in 2000 and again when Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
purchased the company in 2007.
He became the managing partner for the USL Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (USL)
Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team founded in 1994 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League. In 1997, the team became a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's...
in 2002 and began reducing the financial losses the team was taking, $1 million per year for the five years proceeding Hanauer's taking over the team, and reduced the losses to $350,000 per year. The team also attained success on the field under Hanauer's leadership, going 23-4-1 in his first season, the second best record in USL history, and made it to the league championship game three times, winning it twice. Hanauer also began working on getting a Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team in Seattle. The league passed over Seattle in 2004, choosing instead to expand to better prepared Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. Hanauer invested $250,000 for a 15 percent stake in an English soccer team, Cambridge United FC, in May 2007.
Following the MLS All Star game in July 2007, Hanauer was introduced to Hollywood executive, director, and film producer Joe Roth
Joe Roth
Joe Roth is an American film executive, producer and film director. He co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1987 and was chairman of 20th Century Fox , Caravan Pictures , and Walt Disney Studios before founding Revolution Studios in 2000.-Life and career:Roth was born in New York, New York,...
by MLS director Don Garber
Don Garber
Donald Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...
. The two men hit it off and over the next few weeks, Roth made several visits to Seattle to take in a few Sounders games and get to know Hanauer better. By November, the two had brought in Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
and comedian Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
as investors and MLS had announced Seattle as the next expansion team.
In 2005, Hanauer founded business incubator
Business incubator
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...
and venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
company Curious Office Partners. The company invests in small internet startup companies and offers them office space in Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington
Pioneer Square is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at Alki Point on the far side of Elliott Bay. The early structures in the neighborhood...
and invests between US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10,000 and $250,000 in the startups.
Personal life
Hanauer's interest in soccer began at the age of 3, he saw his first NASLNorth American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
game at the age of 8, and was one of only two freshmen to make the soccer team for Mercer Island High School
Mercer Island High School
Mercer Island High School is a public high school located in Mercer Island, Washington in the U.S., as part of the Mercer Island School District....
. While Hanauer did not make the team as a sophomore, he continued to play soccer, first on an intramural team while attending University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and currently on two teams in the Greater Seattle Soccer League.