User:Spud2482/Don Vaccaro

Don Vaccaro is an an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the co-founder and CEO of TicketNetwork, an online marketplace in the ticket resale industry. He founded the company in 2002 with software developer Doug Kruse. Vaccaro also has interests in lending and real estate and is the founder and CEO of RCN Capital, a private lender.

Early life and education
Vaccaro was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut and later attended Central Connecticut State University. He got an early start in the ticket resale business when, as a 16-year-old, he purchased 20 tickets for a Jethro Tull concert and resold them.

Business career
Vaccaro entered the ticket resale business formally when he founded Ticket World in 1983. In 1984, Vaccaro sold that company and in 1989 he founded Metro Entertainment, now known as Ticket Galaxy. In 2002, Vaccaro co-founded TicketNetwork with software developer Doug Kruse. The company is an online marketplace, facilitating transactions of ticket sales between brokers and purchasers. Buyers purchase tickets direct from sellers and are charged service fees and delivery fees. TicketNetwork also develops software for brokers to list tickets on TicketNetwork's marketplace. Vaccaro has been interviewed about the ticket industry by several publications, including Fox Business TV, USA Today , Billboard Magazine , Salt Lake Tribune , and Venues Today.

In 2010, Vaccaro expanded into the real estate lending sector when he founded RCN Capital, which provides short-term, commercial loans for the purchase and rehabilitation of non-owner occupied residential and commercial properties. The company also provides financing to ticket brokers for the purchase of inventory.

Philanthropy
Vaccaro has been involved with churches in the Hartford, Connecticut area. In 2015 he, through RCN Capital, provided a loan to Antioch Baptist Church for the renovation of its premises. In February 2016, Vaccaro co-founded Grace Church Websites with Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber, which provides free websites to churches and non-profit organizations.

Personal life
Vaccaro lives in Connecticut. In 2012, he purchased Moose Peak Light on Mistake Island near Jonesport, Maine. Vaccaro donated use of the lighthouse to film scenes for a 2014 film, To Keep the Light, starring Finnish actor Antti Reini. Vaccaro also donated $50,000 to build a set for the movie on the island.