top entrepreneurs under 40: Randy Eisenman, 28, The

D Magazine, Jan 01, 2004 by McGahey, Marion, Slonecker, Troy

Randy Eiseman, 28

HANDANGO

If you use anything like a Palm, Blackberry, or even a mobile phone, you've almost certainly rubbed shoulders with Handango. Randy Eisenman's brainchild, which he launched when he was only 23, is the world's leading provider for mobile downloads, software applications, and digital content for handheld devices. As a venture capitalist in 1998, Eisenman was pondering the "next big thing," and his instincts pointed him toward handheld computing. Instead of merely investing in an existing company, he surrounded himself with key business leaders and industry pioneers. Handango was born.

His charisma and energy are contagious; he's determined to make Handango the "world's greatest place to work and do business with." And he's associated with the best: Motorola, Verizon, Nokia, Microsoft, Sony Ericsson, and the like. He has been praised for his business innovations, and Hurst-based Handango was recently named to the Dallas 100 as the 10th-fastest-growing company in the area. It also was named a Rising Star in the Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 in 2003.

Born and raised in Forth Worth, Eisenman attended UT Austin,

double-majored in business and finance, is a self-described

"homebody," and says the most important aspect of his life is his

family. But his local ties won't stop Handango from expanding into an

international presence and dominating this ever grow growing niche.