Mario probably wouldn’t have said he wanted to start a tech company when he grew up. His degree in Psychobiology wouldn’t have suggested that’s what he’d end up doing either. Yet, here he is, the Co-Founder of SpareFoot and now, Storable’s Chief Innovation Officer.
He was born in Monterey, California but grew up in Boone, North Carolina. Where his parents, who immigrated to the United States from Lebanon, taught at Appalachian State University. They moved to Bakersfield, California, when he was in junior high. And while he loves playing the piano and was once in a punk rock band, he didn’t become the next great musical talent from Bakersfield. However, his passion for learning, instilled by his parents, led him to UCLA, where he became suitemates, and then best friends, with Chuck Gordon — a fateful event that led to the birth of SpareFoot.
As our Chief Innovation Officer, Mario is as dedicated to reimagining how technology can shape the Self Storage industry as he is to mastering his foosball skills and planning elaborate practical jokes. Just ask him about the ongoing hot dog prank he started over ten years ago. Spoiler alert, it involves him filling someone’s car to the brim with hot dogs.
When Mario’s not inspiring us to move the needle, you’ll find him playing tennis, carving up a mountain on his skis, or scuba diving in unforgettable places like the Seychelles. But his favorite time spent outside of work is with his wife, Erika, and their two German Shepherds, Beau and Biggie, in their home in Austin, TX.
We know we can count on Mario to help spark our next great innovation or evolution, and leave a hot dog, or 500 of them, in the most unexpected of places.
