Jason Gardner (Marqeta)
Jason Gardner is the founder of the card issuing platform company Marqeta, where he has served as executive chairman and is now a director.
Contents6 sections
Key facts
2009Founding Marqeta
Gardner founded Marqeta in 2009. The company’s timeline describes its starting point as “A sushi dinner, a pile of Groupons and a question: why can't these live on a card?”[1]
June 2021Marqeta’s Initial Public Offering
On June 8, 2021, Marqeta priced its initial public offering of 45,454,546 shares of Class A common stock at $27.00 per share, with trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker “MQ” expected to begin on June 9.[2]
November 28, 2023Conversation on My First 16
On November 28, 2023, the a16zAndreessen HorowitzAndreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. It invests from the seed stage through the growth stage and provides operational support to its portfolio companies.Open the full entry YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry channel released “Welding Yourself to Early Customers with Marqeta's Jason Gardner,” an episode of the video podcast My First 16 in which Andreessen Horowitz partner Seema Amble spoke with Gardner, then Marqeta’s executive chairman. The series features fintech founders and CEOs discussing how they won their first customers and what they learned.[3]
The conversation covered what it means to be closely tied to one’s customers and how to expand across multiple verticals.[3]
2025–2026Leadership Changes at Marqeta
On February 26, 2025, Marqeta announced that chief executive Simon Khalaf had stepped down and that chief financial officer Mike Milotich had been appointed interim CEO. As of November 2026, Marqeta’s website listed Gardner on its board as “Founder and Director,” with Judson C. Linville as non-executive chair and Mike Milotich as chief executive.[4][1]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Marqeta: Official website: https://www.marqeta.com/ (opens in a new window).[1]