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John Andrews

Founder of Bookship, a Social Reading app

Mark Watkins is the founder of The Hawaii Project, a personalized book discovery service with a social mission.12 He is an experienced tech entrepreneur with a background in data-focused companies and a passion for books.2

Watkins has a notable career in the tech industry:

  1. He was previously the CEO and co-founder of goby, a mobile recommendation engine for finding fun things to do.23
  2. He served as VP of engineering at Endeca, a search platform later acquired by Oracle.23
  3. He has been a mentor for Techstars, a renowned accelerator program.13
  4. He was an advisor to Cambridge startup Firecracker.1

The Hawaii Project, launched in 2015, aims to help users discover great books and book news while donating 10% of its revenue to literacy non-profits.12 Watkins was inspired to create this platform after realizing he often missed new releases from his favorite authors.2

In addition to The Hawaii Project, Watkins is also the creator of Bookship, a social reading app.3 He splits his time between Kailua, Hawaii, and Boston, drawing inspiration from Hawaii's relaxing atmosphere for his work.12

Watkins has received several honors, including a Webby Award Nomination for goby in 2010 and recognition from Honolulu Magazine for "Books & Spirits," an event series he co-created.3

Highlights

Aug 20 · The Bookseller
What Bookship has learned about how social reading works - The Bookseller
Sep 18 · The Bookseller
Why book clubs are the new business must-have - The Bookseller
Aug 2 · earewhitefox.com
Q&A with Mark Watkins, Founder of The Hawaii Project - Whitefox
Q&A: The Hawaii Project by Mark Watkins

Related Questions

What inspired Mark Watkins to create The Hawaii Project?
How did Mark Watkins' experience with goby influence The Hawaii Project?
What are the main features of The Hawaii Project?
How does The Hawaii Project plan to generate revenue?
What is the social mission behind The Hawaii Project?
John Andrews
John Andrews, photo 1
John Andrews, photo 2
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Location

Lexington, Massachusetts, United States