Getting to know: Marc LaFountain

By: Times-Dispatch Staff | Times-Dispatch
Published: July 30, 2011

Title: Head of community support for Tumblr, a New York-based blogging platform company that opened its second office in Richmond this year. His office is in Richmond.

Born: 1974 in Charlotte, N.C.

Education: Bachelor of arts in journalism from the University of South Carolina in 1996

Career: "My wife says I'm a restless soul. I've done a lot of different things from journalism, to public relations, or tech support. If there is an underlying theme, I love jobs that blend communication and technology."

Where do you live: In the Fan District with his wife and "our two crazy cats."

Best business decision: "Taking a leap of faith and joining Tumblr back in early 2008. It's been an amazing journey so far."

Worst business decision: "There have been a couple of times when I changed jobs without fully thinking things through. The grass really isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. You need to check first before you hop over."

Mistake you learned the most from: "Wear laceless shoes or tuck in your laces when biking. I have a nice little chin scar to make sure I never forget that lesson."

What is the biggest challenge/opportunity in the next two to five years: "I'm someone who likes to be involved in the details of everything. But, as Tumblr and its community support group grow, I need to focus more on people management, strategy and the big picture for the group. It's easy to say that, but sometimes it is much harder to do than I would have thought."

First job after college: "Macintosh support at the University of South Carolina. It was such a great time. I got paid to play with my favorite toys."

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently: "I would spend a summer of college backpacking through Europe."

Movie that inspired you the most: "American Beauty." "The themes of appreciating the beauty around you every day and it never being too late to change your life are timeless."

Favorite/least favorite subject in school: "I loved my journalism classes but loathed pre-calculus."