Anton German

Anton German "could be the next big thing among Chicago tech entrepreneurs," according to a recent article in Crain's Chicago Business. His start-up e-commerce company BayRu, LLC, which acts as a middleman service between American-based online stores like eBay and Amazon.com and Eastern European consumers, has become a "huge success" and a "leader in this industry," said coworker Michael Galitsky, who nominated Anton.

In a fragmented market where Russian customers face many hurdles in attempting to purchase American goods, BayRu has met rave reviews, and attracted the interest of major investors. One such investor is Aaron Block, who also recently came on as the firm's CEO. He told Crain's, "He's a micro-celebrity in our little world—the Mark Zuckerberg of Russia."

A Russian native who moved to Skokie in 1998, Anton now lives in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood. He highly values his connection to the Jewish community and Israel, and frequently attends JUF events, as well as being a regular at Chicago's Moishe House.

Name:
Anton German

Age:
28

Pays the bills:
Founder, CMO at BayRu, LLC

On the side:
Member of EO (Entrepreneur's Organization)

Relationship status:
Single

Describe yourself in 10 words or less:
Entrepreneur with a passion to take risks and solve complicated problems.

Celebrity doppelganger:
Leonardo DiCaprio

How do you Jew in Chicago?
Hanging out at Moishe House.

Passions:
Entrepreneurship, traveling, teaching, spending time with family, trying new things.

How do you give back?
Talks at UIC, presenting at Ben-Gurion Society, donating to JUF.

Fill in the blank: If time and money were limitless, I would:
Build a hotel in space.

Chicago's Jewish community in 10 years:
More young people [will be] involved.

Me in 10 years:
Serial entrepreneur.