06 Oct October 6, 2026 – EdTech Find Your Grind Nick Gross
Nick Gross – Founder & Managing Partner of Gross Labs and Founder of Find Your Grind
I was a college dropout that found my path really early on through music
and what excited me. And I think that’s kind of the mission here is to like
help every kid kind of identify with that early on to set them up with a
direction that makes sense for them.
Nick Gross
Nick Gross is the Founder and Managing Partner of Gross Labs and the Founder and CEO of Find Your Grind. An entrepreneur, investor, musician, and company builder, Nick has created a career spanning education, entertainment, sports, media, and technology. Gross Labs is his family enterprise and cultural investment platform, bringing together businesses and investments across industries that have shaped his own life. Its portfolio includes more than 50 companies and investments, with interests in organizations and brands including X Games, 100 Thieves, Breakaway Music Festival, BeatBox Beverages, sports franchises, music ventures, and emerging consumer companies. Rather than separating his interests into unrelated businesses, Nick views Gross Labs as an ecosystem in which culture, creativity, investment, and entrepreneurship can reinforce one another. Nick’s entrepreneurial perspective grew out of an unconventional career in music. He joined the band Open Air Stereo as a teenager, and the group gained national attention after appearing on MTV’s Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. At 17, Nick and the band signed with Sony Epic Records. He later continued touring and recording, eventually becoming one half of the pop punk group girlfriends with Travis Mills. His music career has taken him around the world on tours with artists including Avril Lavigne and Machine Gun Kelly. Nick also helped build Big Noise Music Group and created The Noise Nest, a Los Angeles recording studio and content facility. His experience in entertainment taught him early lessons about branding, audience building, partnerships, creativity, and the importance of owning the platforms and businesses behind creative work. Nick founded Find Your Grind to rethink how young people prepare for life and work. The education technology platform starts with a different question from traditional career counseling. Instead of asking students only what job they want, Find Your Grind encourages them to first understand who they are, what they value, how they want to live, and what skills they need to build. The platform is now used by schools and districts nationwide and combines self discovery, career exploration, social and emotional learning, and workforce aligned credentials. Find Your Grind was recognized by Fast Company as one of its Brands That Matter in 2022 and raised a $5 million Series A round in 2025 to accelerate the growth of its future readiness platform. Nick also founded the Find Your Grind Foundation to expand educational and career opportunities for young people. His work in education led to a longstanding partnership with TGR Foundation, founded by Tiger Woods, and in 2025 Nick joined the organization’s Board of Governors. Across his investing, education, music, and entrepreneurial work, Nick advocates for a less traditional view of career building. His own path has moved from professional musician to education founder, investor, media entrepreneur, and venture builder, reinforcing his belief that successful careers do not always follow a straight line. Instead, he encourages young people and entrepreneurs to develop self awareness, stay curious, build adaptable skills, and create opportunities at the intersection of the things they care about most.