UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Smeal College of Business Dean Charles H. Whiteman recently appointed JT Marino, co-founder of Tuft & Needle and chief disruption officer at Serta Simmons Bedding, to the college’s Board of Visitors.
Board members offer advice to the dean and other Smeal administrators based on their professional experience and knowledge of the latest issues and trends facing the business community.
Whiteman said that he was looking forward to the energy, ideas and enthusiasm that Marino will bring to the board.
“Smeal is committed to creating the partnerships, programs and culture that empower generations of new business leaders. As someone who purposefully disrupts the status quo to make meaningful change, JT will bring an exciting new perspective to that work. His passion for innovation and entrepreneurship will only strengthen Smeal’s position within the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Penn State,” Whiteman said.
Marino, who studied computer science and mathematics at Penn State, said he always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Marino began his career as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. After a negative in-store experience purchasing a mattress, he said he saw an opportunity to sell online. He and fellow Penn Stater Daehee Park, a close friend and colleague, invested $6,000 of their own money to launch Tuft & Needle.
The company transformed the industry by allowing consumers to shop from the comfort of their homes. In 2018, Tuft & Needle earned $250 million in annual revenue and merged with Serta Simmons Bedding, the largest mattress manufacturer in North America.
Marino said he was honored to be invited to join the board.
“I’m so impressed with Dean Whiteman and Smeal’s commitment to seek feedback from board members to strengthen the future of business education and programs,” he said. “I am especially interested in sharing my voice around startup culture and entrepreneurism, particularly in the early stages of startup development. It’s one way I can pay it forward to a University that gave me so much support as an undergraduate student.”
The board will meet today and Friday (April 21-22).
The Smeal College of Business Board of Visitors is a nearly 40-member advisory board composed of global business and industry leaders who are Smeal alumni and friends. The complete list of Smeal’s Board of Visitors membership can be found online.