Entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, Mike Domek is a Trustee of The Domek Foundation and Founder and President of the Board of Directors for Bunker Hill Charities. Established in 2010 by Mike and his wife, Amy, The Domek Foundation creates and supports community-based programs that benefit and improve the quality of living for families and children in Northwestern Illinois and neighboring areas. Bunker Hill Charities, founded in October 2015, invests resources in initiatives that affect positive change for the betterment of individuals, the community, and society.
Mike Domek
Mike founded his first company, VIP Tour Company, in 1992 and quickly transformed the business into a professional, full-service ticketing agency. A pioneer in the area of ecommerce, Mike took the company online in 1999 when he launched the TicketsNow.com website. The internet retail business instantly captured the attention of the ticketing industry as well as the media, including Inc. Magazine, which featured TicketsNow as one of the “Great Companies Started for $1,000 or Less.” In 2001, under Mike’s direction, the company’s software division rolled out the EventInventory web store plug-in, which rapidly became the industry-standard software for the majority of event ticketing companies nationwide.
In 2004, Crain’s Chicago Business named Mike among the most influential people in the greater Chicago area as a part of its annual “40 Under 40” distinction and in 2006, he was named one of Chicago’s top 10 Entrepreneurs by Chicago Magazine. The following year, TicketsNow was named #6 among the fastest-growing companies in Chicago by Crain’s. In 2007, TicketsNow raised a $34 million Series A round led by Adams Street Partners. The investment enabled the company to further enhance its technology, products and services and the company grew to more than $250 million in annual sales. In 2008, Mike was honored with the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Midwest. That same year, the company was acquired by Ticketmaster/Live Nation and now powers all of Ticketmaster’s resale sites, including ticket exchanges for the NFL, NBA, and NHL.
Today Mike resides in Bull Valley, IL and enjoys spending time with Amy and their three children. Mike is currently a member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) as well as the Economic Club of Chicago and sits on the board of the ITA (Illinois Technology Association). An active investor, Mike is also actively involved with several philanthropic endeavors, including Lift Up America as well as Big Brothers/Big Sisters where he spent six years on the Board of Directors including two years as Chairman.
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