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Gregg Owen

Experienced legal and executive professional

Gregg Owen is the CEO Emeritus of Text2Drive, a leading two-way text communication platform for the automotive industry. His career is notable for its diversity, having transitioned from a successful musician to a prominent lawyer and then to an entrepreneur in the tech sector.

Background and Career

  • Music Career: Gregg Owen began his professional journey as a musician, joining the band The American Breed in 1969. He spent two decades in the music industry, during which he taught himself to play the keyboard and performed extensively. His experiences in this field led him to pursue law school, motivated by a desire to protect his band from the complexities of the music business.

  • Legal Profession: After completing law school, Owen worked at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, where he was appointed as Chief of Gang Prosecutions. In this role, he tackled gang violence in Chicago and collaborated with federal authorities, gaining insights into telecommunications law, particularly the FCC and TCPA regulations.

  • Entrepreneurship: Following his legal career, Owen ventured into publishing by co-founding several automotive magazines, including Autofocus Chicago and Autoplus. This experience laid the groundwork for his later work in tech.

Text2Drive

In 2008, Owen founded Text2Drive with the vision of transforming how auto dealers communicate with customers through text messaging. Under his leadership, Text2Drive has developed innovative features such as:

  • Automated Messaging
  • Speed CheckOut™ mobile bill payment
  • OPT-INal™ Marketing Kiosk

These tools have positioned Text2Drive as a significant player in the automotive sector, enhancing customer interactions and streamlining operations for dealerships across the United States. Gregg Owen's blend of creativity, legal expertise, and business acumen has been pivotal in driving the company's success and reputation within the industry.1234

Highlights

May 29 · linkedin

I’m about to begin a new chapter in my life. I’ve been so blessed and fortunate to have achieved many dreams and missions in my life. From an early life as a ‘rockstar’, to becoming the Chief of Gang Prosecutions (the first Chief of the Gang Unit) in Cook County, IL I continually let my ‘spirit be my Guide. In 1995 I then entered the automotive vertical and published or co/published seven auto magazines (one of them was Autofocus and another was Autoguide Colorado). 14 years ago I became intrigued by the possibility of using text messaging in the auto industry and co-created the Number 1 text platform for auto dealerships in America. Phew…I’m tired just typing all of that.

Now I am entering an all new world…authoring true crime books. I just began working on my first ‘work’ two months ago and cannot be more excited. The ‘true’ inner workings of a homicide investigation and the criminal prosecutions of many heinous crimes will be the subjects of the books (I’m very certain that this will be a successful endeavor as you can see). As a young Assistant State’s Attorney I tried 64 murder jury trials. Seven were cases in which the death penalty was a potential verdict. How I went from a rock stage to the well of a courtroom. will be seem more like fiction than reality. It’s all true. Stay tuned for more. The main character is Ryan Gates. Nine letters in his name just like Gregg Owen.

Jul 30 · linkedin

#EmployeeSpotlight

Latravia Randolph Customer Support Representative

"I have been with TEXT2DRIVE for a little over 3 months. I'm excited to be part of such a dynamic set of individuals. My role consists of working with individuals in the dealership who have trouble utilizing the platform. My job is very hands-on so it makes for a pretty busy schedule each day. Having some downtime after work is extremely important. A fun fact about me is I practice meditation daily to keep me grounded and at ease. I love the fact that this job isn't repetitive - TEXT2DRIVE is always growing and thriving. I am excited for all of the new features that we are bringing to further help our dealerships."

#thriving #grounded #meditation

Related Questions

What inspired Gregg Owen to transition from music to law?
How did Gregg Owen's experience in gang prosecutions influence his career in technology?
What are some of the key features of Text2Drive's platform?
How has Gregg Owen's background in music impacted his leadership style at Text2Drive?
What challenges did Gregg Owen face when starting Text2Drive?
Gregg Owen
Gregg Owen, photo 1
Gregg Owen, photo 2
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Experience

CEO Emeritus at Text2Drive (July 2021 - Present)
CEO/General Counsel at TEXT2DRIVE (April 2008 - July 2021)

Education

Juris Doctor, Criminal Law from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology; Bachelor's degree, Political Science/History from University of Illinois Chicago

Location

Greater Chicago Area